I know, I don't post much any more.  I have been doing more "making" than researching of late, which is fine.

However, I wanted to put the reminder out NOW that Pennsic is coming and they have revised the website AND the rules.

Further, they are likely going to be making some additional rules revisions as well (and have said as much).

If you are considering going to Pennsic, go read them.

AND, then go read them again in a few months.

One of the biggest revisions is to minors and the age they can free range (thanks to destructive packs of beasts last year).  If you are a parent of a minor that attends Pennsic, it is on you to know and adhere to the new rules.

The night driving policies from last year will also be in place again (and prolly forever).

And did you hear?  They are building a new permanent registration building!  Lots of changes coming!  And no, you do not have to like all of them, but you do need to be aware of and follow them.

And also, registration hours on site are NOT 24 hours.  After Land Grab Friday hours are 8am-10pm through Wednesday 8/6.  At 10pm that night reg/troll is CLOSED and you are not able to check-in, get your medallion or anything.  This is not new, but folks seem to think it shouldn't apply to them because they rolled in at 2am for 15 years....

https://www.pennsicwar.org/rules-policies-and-procedures/

I know, I know, I rarely update any more.  My work has been exceptionally busy since the start of the pandemic and it really got bonkers at the beginning of this year.  I AM still active, and have actually picked up so many new things though.

I WILL be teaching my classes at Pennsic again this year.

Celtic Textiles and Women's Dress of Central Europe - Friday of Peace Week 10-12 
This class will be very similar to the Viking class above but covers textiles in the late Hallstatt and Early La Tene period in Central Europe and some options for women's clothing of the time.  "Discussion of textiles, period iconography, dress accessories, and garments for women in Iron Age Central Europe."

A Deeper Look at Textiles & Trim of Viking Age Dress - Tuesday of War Week 10-12
By looking deeper at both the textiles and the details from extant items, this class aims to help individuals make informed choices for crafting their garments. Tactile examples will clarify the weaves and weight of period fabrics and there will also be discussion of possible modern substitutions. Additionally, practical details for finishing or embellishing garments will also be explored and their history investigated.  The goal of this class is to help the individual understand how daily life during the Viking Age could affect how textiles were crafted and worn. 

As for what new I am doing, I have been working on my SCA Forestry projects as part of the AEthelmearc Foresters Guild, though that has taken a pause to work on communications for the group and launched a website this past week for it.  If you like playing the outdoors, I definitely recommend checking out the Forestry Guild in your Kingdom.  If there isn't one, I also recommend talking to the Kingdoms that have long established ones for help to get one rolling in your area!  The EK has been around the longest and they are a great bunch of folks and their SITE has all sorts of documents and information items.

And finally, I took up Illumination last year!  My favorite art in period has long been medieval illumination styles, particularly those of the 14th Century, and so I dove in and started some scroll blanks.  I have one additional one that is completed but that was done as a backlog for a friend and so I cannot share the image until the calligraphy is done and it is given to them.

I already have another scroll drawn and ready to paint, and look forward to tackling that after Pennsic.

Earlier this year I picked up these small books online for women's dress in the 14th and 15th century. I don't know that they are perfect, but they absolutely can help someone make a very good start into an era.

What I like about these books is that they are brief and loaded with images. They pretty simply show the silhouettes and basic construction for the garments, and give necessary details on colors, cloth, and accessories.

I know that the Medieval Tailor's Assistant covers much of this as well, but seeing it in a VERY compact form is also nice. Even if someone is not interested in going fully period or sewing their entire kit themselves, the images here can help them shop for things that perhaps can give them a look that they desire.

Not everyone wants to research (or research every single thing they do) and guides like this become very handy to help folks fill in the gaps where needed.

You can sometimes get these on Amazon, but they are also available from the publishers site (Chronocopia Press). https://chronocopia.se/

15th Century Women's  https://amzn.to/49GKz7M

15th Century Men's https://amzn.to/3NThflr

1360-1425 Women's https://amzn.to/3QzCLMA

I know I have been an infrequent poster of late, but there has been a wealth of excellent research published in the last year and I plan to get around updating this site with some of it.  I want to start with Projekt Forlog.  This project, and website, is run by Tomáš Vlasatý who is an incredible independent researcher.  The articles he compiles are incredibly useful to those in the reenactment community. 

He also has the most impressive collections of research materials for the Early Medieval period in Europe and he has been invaluable in getting me additional info I have needed for my own projects at times.  

I highly recommend checking out his articles (weapons, armor, clothing, firestrikers.... there is SO much) and also his book sale page.  If you like what you see, please consider donating via his sponsorship page as his research IS his work.

https://sagy.vikingove.cz/en/articles/​

While this is making the rounds on social media, I felt it worth resharing here for those who might not have seen it.  Dr. Jane Malcom-Davies (whom some might know from Tudor Tailor) has a peer-reviewed article on scientific reconstruction of dress and textiles.  I simply cannot love this enough.

https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1186/s40494-023-00982-9?sharing_token=mD6KKDS5cGeQbKqQLBP_5W_BpE1tBhCbnbw3BuzI2RNIb8Zlu9rQiEnPjhqc7y-sdeY6GNWBxeIGU849-L0mOL9dkLbGTgR2PA6WR3E3vtQCE02rJjdkniR7lW2HpW9J3mVtbS2rtRQhXHbf2oFx2pY220Y_qCLa_4L0NvKUjZs=

​This is an SCA post for those who are curious about what we do, rather than those already in the Society.

See, I know that some Ren Faire and LARP circles talk smack on the SCA. There are rumors that you HAVE to be perfectly historically accurate to play with us. There are stories about how you have to spend months of research on clothing and hand sew everything.

Full stop with that nonsense.

Perhaps you would like to know that our only actual requirement for garb is that it is "an attempt at pre-17th Century clothing"?

What this means is that folks who come to an event are asked to help set the stage by being in a costume of some sorts, rather than jeans and a t-shirt.

That is literally it.

You need not research your outfit, you sure as hell do not need to hand sew anything. If you do sew, you can run to Joanns and buy a McCall's halloween pattern and make a medieval-ish dress and just show up.

If you don't sew, a tunic of some sort from Amazon will work, toss it on with sweat pants and a belt and you are ready to come check us out. Thrift stores can yield long skirts and tunic-length blouses that can also make for nice starter garb.

And if you know you want to go to an event, you can reach out to the local group and see if they have loaner gear to help get you there.

And yes, before anyone starts (and NO this is not the place for it), there is always that one twatwaffle at the event that thinks everyone has to live up to some standard that THEY invented, but the fact is, the organization itself only requires an attempt. Nothing more. And the VAST majority of folks here would rather you just show up and check us out.  (And as for that twatwaffle?  If one reports them for bullying, it can actually help curb the bit of that behavior that does exist.)

It might also interest you to know that we have long time, high-ranking members who don't actually care at all about clothing. These folks might be more interested in cooking a feast, in fighting, in teaching black smithing or calligraphy. We have so very much to offer!

Me personally? I love the costume aspect. It makes me happy. I love the research and working how how things were done in the past. But sometimes I also roll out of camp in a mis-matched collection of things (men's medieval tunic, viking belt, woman's cap, modern-though-sca-related necklace and also I topped it off with birkenstocks because my feet need them).
​
If you are curious about what we do, we are here and ready to welcome new visitors, and no, the Society doesn't care what you are wearing when you show up at our doors.

There are MANY changes to Pennsic every year.  This year is NO different.  Make sure you read the RULES completely before going (or as soon as you get there).

• You have 6 hours to get your vehicle to parking after you arrive.  You do not want to FAFO with the parking crew.  You cannot keep a car in camp.  Period.
• If you are parking a trailer in the lot, you HAVE to follow the rules.  They are NOT even issuing warnings for this. They will just flat out tow you if your vehicle is parked improperly with a trailer (and you cannot leave a trailer connected to a vehicle in the lot either).
• The book you can purchase on site is NOT an up-to-date source of info for classes.  It was NOT meant to be.  In order to be available at a reasonable price, it had to be printed some time ago.  Classes were added or canceled or moved after that.  Your best bet is to print an UP TO DATE list from Thing before you leave or look it up online from site.  thing.pennsicuniversity.org/
• Some roads are designated One Way this year.  Know what they are and follow the rules, this is a matter of public safety.

There is a LOT of poison ivy on site this year, more so than in years past.  Also, high weeds have chiggers this year, if you don't wanna FAFO with the parking crew, you definitely do not wanna FAFO with these buggers.

My classes are below:

• 8/4 12PM A&S19 (2 hours) Celtic Textiles & Women’s Dress of Central Europe: Analysis of textiles from the Iron Age in Central Europe, along with information on dress accessories, period iconography, and burial practices. This class aims to help make informed choices for crafting women’s dress in the Late Hallstatt and Early La Tene periods in Central Europe.
  
  
• 8/8 11AM A&S 15 (2 hours) Deeper Look at Textiles & Trim of Viking Age Dress: By looking deeper at both the textiles and the details from extant items, this class aims to help individuals make informed choices for crafting their garments. Textile examples will clarify the weaves and weights of period fabrics and there will also be discussion of possible modern substitutions. Additionally, practical details for finishing or embellishing garments will be explored and their history investigated. The goal of this class is to help the individual understand how daily life during the Viking Age could affect how textiles were crafted and worn.

Registration deadline for online reg is JUNE 11!!!  Get your registration in as soon as possible because we all know the site crashes on the last couple of days!

https://www.cooperslake.com/prereg/account/index.php

If you are wanting to upgrade parts of your early period kit, I cannot recommend enough that you consider trying something beyond "absolute" symmetry in your strands of beads for certain times and places.  Why?  Because often what we see is not a grouping of beads where the left and right sides of the strand can mirror each other identically.  Frequently the beads in a single find are a scattering of types and styles.

Celtic finds, Migration Period, Viking Age... so many periods were the beads seem to be valued for their uniqueness, rather than "matching" in a mirroring sort of way.  In some collections we see a possibility for balance in the stringing (we often do not know exactly how they were strung during life, and many reconstructions opt for at least balance in the overall look if exact symmetry is not possible), but not that mirroring effect. 

I know that my first Viking strands were always painfully symmetrical, and they never really looked "right" to me.  I was definitely over engineering.  I am happier with the things that I make now, where I let different beads speak to me and get included for what each one brings to my mind.

​Below are some examples of extant groupings of beads that show off balance (with out absolute symmetry) and and some collections that really are a delightfully chaotic mix of things that seem to speak more to me of the people and places from which these items came.

Many museums have beads online and its sometimes worth it to just spend hours surfing until inspiration hits (unimus.no, National Museum of Denmark, Saxon beads are also easy to track down... heck, this is the one time I am actually going to recommend surfing the hated Pinterest for inspiration).

Honestly?  I would LOVE to see more of this type of work, these things that make the piece unique, in the modern world as well.

 I am deep in research for my Apothecary as well as future posts about Early (and Early Early) Period textiles, but I wanted to take a moment to share an opportunity to be a modern day Patron of the Arts.

Feed the Ravens (aka Maggie and Scot) is a an incredible vendor in the SCA.  These folks are beyond knowledgeable not only about their arts of ceramics, leathercraft and wood working, but also about the general history and material culture of the Viking Age.  They are constantly giving to our SCA and reenactment communities by sharing their knowledge.  I am proud to count them as friends.

Last year, at the urging of others, they finally started a Patreon page (HERE).  For those unfamiliar with the site, this allows artisans to gain the support of their fans in return for a window into their lives, as well as special offers, deals and sometimes even gifts.  It allows for a more historic form of sponsorship of the arts, which can allow artisans a bit of space to be more creative knowing that some of their own needs can be met.

I think it is amazing and joined pretty much as soon as it launched.  Patreon is set up nicely to allow for differing levels of commitment to the cause.  For Feed the Ravens it ranges from $3 a month to $100 a month.

Some of these tiers offer special shopping pre-sales, and just recently, there was an opportunity to PRE-ORDER pottery!  They also sent out gifts to subscribers at the end of the first year.

As an incentive right now, there is a contest for a FREE year of pottery.  Everyone who joins with an annual subscription will be entered and have a chance of winning!  The message they sent out is below in red text, and note that you have till NOON (Eastern Standard Time) on March 31 to join to be eligible.  I do believe you need to be in the US or Canada to win so one might want to check on that if you are outside of the US.  The Patreon link is here: www.patreon.com/ftrfeedtheravens/posts

GIVEAWAY! A one year pottery subscription!

All new Patrons who sign up for an Annual Membership on our patreon at ANY tier will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a ONE YEAR POTTERY SUBSCRIPTION FREE! A $1200+ value! One piece of our pottery per month sent to the winner for one year. We will choose a variety of different styles, sizes and functions for you from our studio. The higher the tier you sign up for, the more entries go into the drawing for you. Each dollar pledged is one entry! Tiers start at three dollars! To sign up for a full year, choose the tier you want to join, and select Annual Membership. Best of all, paying for the full year up front gets you a 10% discount!

Why are we running this promotion? Scot needs a new leather tool, and frankly, we just can't afford it right now. This tool will not only make his process go much faster, it will save untold wear and tear on his wrists. Check out this epic edging tool! (FYI, Scot currently and since about 16 years has been edging all of his belts by hand!)

Already a Patron? DON'T WORRY! We have another pottery subscription giveaway for you all as well! check your patron emails for details coming soon!

Link to our Patreon is on our main Feed the Ravens Facebook page. Deadline is noon EST on March 31 to enter, Drawing will be that evening!

And this isn't all they are offering!  They are doing a limited run of their Mug of the Month boxes!  I did this over the winter and got some incredible pieces from them.  I highly recommend diving into this if you have the funds for it.  It is wonderful fun to see what comes in the mail each month.  Details from their Facebook page are below in red.  I have added the link in green text in the copy from their page to make access easy.

SURPRISE BOX! Pottery Subscription! Who's in? 4 months, for one hundred per month, you will get one piece of pottery per month.  This will include:

• One historical stamped cup
• One Maggie Mug (with Handle)
• One Seasonal Rune cup (Spring or Summer)
• One Stamped Bowl - (large stew bowl or small serving bowl size)

Scroll through the photos (HERE) in this post to see examples of what you might get!
The monthly payment includes priority shipping. We will invoice you through our website.
Available as a monthly invoice, OR... hear me out- Pay all at once and get a FREE whiskey sipper - a one of a kind made just for you.

The first 30 subscriptions will go out April 15-30, the next 20 subscribers will get their first boxes May 15-30. and 50 is about all we can handle at this time.

WHY are we doing this special thing now and why should you jump on this? We are trying desperately to get approved for a home loan, and for what we want/need for a live/work situation we need 20% down. Covid and my surgery tanked our savings. and all of our monthly bills have gone up. We have to get out of this rental situation. A cash infusion at this time would seriously help our chances of get what we need to get there.  PM me if you want a subscription!  (FB Page info to message Maggie to subscribe is HERE)

THIS IS FOR 4 PIECES TOTAL, ONE PER MONTH, INCLUDING SHIPPING. (These are time consuming pieces of art, not fast production ware, and shipping is about 15-20% of the price)  

Below is a photo of some of the items I have that might be similar to items in the subscription boxes (every box will be UNIQUE though, that is part of the fun).