Corset and some progress

We went to Turku to see Elsa and Teresa last weekend. At Friday we stayed at Elsa’s. I had UlfR’s Investiture shirt with me at Turku and I managed to sew a lot which is very good because it would be excellent if I could have it done by next weekend. Then at Saturday to Sunday we stayed at Teresa’s place. The main thing was to start making a corset to me to Investiture. It would be also very good to have the corset done as soon as possible so I would have some time to get used to wear one. We are not going to make the corset 100% period, there isn’t that much time... maybe next time when we don’t have to make things in haste? I am very happy about that Teresa promised to help me with fitting things and with the corset. I know that I can do something by myself but it is easier to have someone to the fitting. Again I am not going to post much pictures about this project not before the event. I also know that I have to make exceptions and maybe use sewing machine to have all things ready by the event :( .

This is the corset pattern we are going to use...

Now I have lots of sewing to do...

Cudgel War and other things

The Camp

So the Cudgel War is again over. It’s little bit odd that this time I didn’t feel sad when it ended. I think that it only means that there will be so much other great things to happen this year and my mind is already focused on the next events to come. It was once again fun and lovely event. I met once again some new people that I wish I could meet again soon. I think that I have never met any nicer persons in their first Aarnimetsä event than Torkill and Estrid from the Shire of Harpelstane. I will miss them greatly. I was busy as always at the kitchen but I had a change to do little naalbinding teaching for Estrid and I also gave her one of my bone needles so she have a good tool for the technique.

UlfR and Rikissa making food

The kitchen duties at the Cudgel War went reasonably well. At the beginning of the camp the kitchen’s new oven broke down and it made our job little bit harder for couple days. This time we had more help at the kitchen than other years for which I am very grateful. The best dish was in my opinion the meat stew we made on last Friday. It was the same recipe from the Scappi book that Sahra and I tried during the last spring.

People making handicrafts

About the other things… it is now all about the upcoming Baronial Investiture at 11-13^th of September. We have tons of things to do before that and we are planning to attend to Hämeenlinna Medieval Market and a small medieval market at Verla.. and there are also a Viking market at Pukkisaari before the Investiture.. huh.. Yesterday I made my first Elizabethan coif. This was just a first attempt to make one. I try to find time to make another one… the better one. After writing this I will start to make a shirt for UlfR. I will be very busy before the Investiture but I try to find some time to write something here also. It sounds like UlfR got the flu from the Cudgel War… I hope that he’ll get better soon.

I am participating to Aarnimetsä’s 1000 m hand sewing challenge (don’t remember if I have mentioned it before ;) ). Some of the clothing I have already made is now dirty after the Cudgel and after I have washed them I’ll count how many meters I have. The challenge have a blog http://ompeluhaaste.blogspot.com/ .

16.7.

Ugh, almost all packing for the Cudgel War is done. We are packing kitchen gear for the event and then it’s done. I managed to hand sew a new tunic to UlfR to wear at the kitchen. Yesterday we went to see Elsa and to do sewing together, she needed a new linen dress for the Cudgel War and she didn’t have proper pattern to make fitted dresses or at least somehow fitted. I am really no superb good with pattern drawing because I am not a professional seamstress but we were very lucky with making a very nice pattern for her and it only took about half an hour to make one (I was very surprised how quick we were). And the dress is done now and looks very good on her :D. I am happy.

13.7.

Only two more working days left before my summer vacation. My part of planning the Cudgel War’s foodstuff is done, UlfR is making the lists for the shopping today and then he’s work is also done. I might read the recipes once today just in case... I made a headscarf for UlfR to wear at the kitchen... it is more useful than a coif... although he looks like a pirate with the headscarf (no it is not red it is white.. but still). I also made a new (very simple) pouch for me... because I found out that my older pouch was dead. Also I have started slowly pack things for the Cudgel. UlfR doesn’t have enough tunics for the Cudgel so I have to make something simple to him... I will go to shop some linen today. We are going to meet Elsa at Wednesday... the plan is to do panic sewing together before the event.

5.7.

We have been at Mikkeli to visit relatives and have a small vacation. It has been great because I can really do some work here. The work means counting the eaters and writing the recipes down for Cudgel War. It is very easy to work here because it’s quiet and I don’t have many distractions here like at home. But anyway it looks like that it take more time to write recipes down and do different kinds of small tasks before the event than last year mostly because we have more and more allergies in these days. It is almost impossible to provide versatile food for everybody for every day. And it really looks like that we have to make alternative choice for every dish! I only hope that we get enough help for the kitchen duties. Huoh.

I really don’t want to sound too negative.. I love to be at the kitchen but I am also very concerned about us and head cooks (feasts) and event steward’s wellbeing.

I have also picked a basket full of meadowsweet leaves and dried them and a basket full of blackcurrant leaves, (which are not yet completely dried yet) for next spring and our wedding (we are making mead and other non alcoholic beverages for the wedding). Also I have started to make meadowsweet flower liqueur and blackcurrant leaf liqueur for the first time ever (very exciting to see how tasty those will be… blackcurrant leaf liqueur is already same color than Fairy :D). The picking part was very difficult because I have quite bad hay fever. But I survived! (I couldn’t count how many times I sneezed after it).

But now.. I will write more recipes down :).

Turku Medieval Market

We are back from Turku Medieval Market with lots of new things. I now have for example a new back basket. I am very tired and somewhat in pain now and I don’t know why because I have slept a lot during the weekend.. it might be the warm weather? UlfR has asked twice today that why I am sighing all the time… (I don’t know… I haven’t noticed about doing that…and he is sighing also). But anyway I had a wonderful weekend with wonderful people at Turku. Sigrid’s mittens are almost done (only thumbs are not done). I started to do a naalbinded hat for me for next time we are sleeping at a tent. Ahh.. I can't write more today my brains are not working :). But here is some pictures..

Sahra and me at the Market with our new strawhats

Elsa making a cord with lucet

25.6.

Today is the day when the Turku Medieval Market opens. We have packed our things and we are ready to go. I am going to wear simple and light weigh medieval clothes and my new straw hat because it has promised lots of sunshine for the weekend. Today we are planning to do some shopping and tomorrow and day after that we’ll help Sahra and others and canton of Unikankare (SCA people at the Turku area) have display there so we are planning to go there also. I will bring my naalbiding stuff with me if somebody wants to see how to do it. I also have my unfinished renaissance socks with me.

Midsummer Coronation

We are back from Midsummer Coronation and from a very beautiful event site Storholmen (Nordmark, Sweden) http://www.storholmen.org . I am very tired and happy that today I have a day off from work. There is so much to tell about the event and I don’t know where to start :). It was nice to meet old friends and make new ones as well. The people at the Viking age village Storholmen was hospitable and kind. They have made lots of work at the village to reach its splendour. And what a beautiful garden they had there! I didn’t took any photos of my own at the event.. I was too lazy to do that but there are once again some good photos at Sahra’s blog.

This is one of Sahra’s photos of Baroness Katariina, Knut, UlfR and I.

The coronation itself was also very beautiful event. The new King and Queen of Drachenwald had made a big effort to make the ceremony exquisite. Part of the ceremony was in Latin and they come to the ceremony humbly without shoes. At the Saturday feast King Gerhardt and Queen Judith announced that we UlfR and Eva are the next baron and baroness of Aarnimetsä (Finland). Our Investiture is going to be held here at Aarnimetsä 11^th-13^th of September 2009. After that I don’t know what the future is going to hold for us but one thing is sure, there we are not able to be at the kitchen at the events for two years. Lots of people have been asking about are we going to miss the kitchen and the answer is sure! But it is good to have other challenges at time to time.

Before that there will be other events. This Thursday we are leaving to Turku Medieval Market (which is going to last till Sunday). Sahra and Suski are going to sell there jewellery, naalbinded things, tablet woven braids etc. Elsa and I have promised to help them.

Camping clothes and the hand sewing challenge

Yesterday was very hard day at work so after that I was too tired to do anything....

I hand sewed about 15 meters seams last week (mostly at weekend) and that means my blue linen Eura underdress and (un-dyed) linen apron (with tablet woven decorations) are finished. I now have clothes for camping and rolling in mud if needed :D. I decided not to make pants for UlfR... I didn’t have enough time for make the Thorsberg trousers and I had lots of other excuses not to do the pants yet. Today I will do some packing for Summer Coronation.

Btw. we have a hand sewing challege at our barony. It's about hand sewing 1000 meters of seams. I am definetely participating to that :) and I will send my progress here also. The challege begun at Summer Nights event.

Wonderful news!

Lady Eilgri Beccan our regional (SCA) embroidery guild head has opened a blog for Aarnimetsä's embroiders! The blog is in Finnish and can be found here: http://kirjontakori.blogspot.com/