got some good help

I am starting my second scroll blank.  I well and truly jumped in the deep end with this one.  I just got a copy of leaves of gold in soft cover for $15 (normal price is 75).  Dancing ensued.  Then studying.  Then sketching.  I am now trying to do a scroll blank in the style of p59.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/naomikatepp/5450250119/" title="IMG_2396 by naomikatepp, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5299/5450250119_8a13d8b529.jpg" width="270" height="360" alt="IMG_2396" /></a>
First I sketched the version in my workbook so I could get used to the format and the shapes involved.  Then I drew it freehand on the bristol board.  Next up: gouache.  I had questions about the order of color application, but the nice people on the EKScribes yahoo list were very helpful.

I may sketch out several scrolls before I really play with paint as I need to get a few supplies from dick blick to make it a lot easier to paint.  I do have the 2gal size ziploc bags to store and protect the work in when I am done or not working on it at that moment. 

The serarate blog post is another version of the example I am imitating closely.

The sketches are on my flickr page but flickr is being stubborn about letting me post them here without uploading them, and I am not on my personal computer at the moment.

IMG_2399

IMG_2399
Originally uploaded by naomikatepp

this is the exemplar for the scroll I am talking about in the next post.

pics finally!!!

T

The first pic above is my first scroll blank.  There is a little shading left to do, but only a little, so I am waiting till I wet the paints for something else first. The second pic is a scroll done in marker.  I showed off the progress to someone who knew the son the lyrics are from, and he told me that the first two words are missing.  I kind of lost steam after that.  I realized that in its current state it makes a good example of the order of construction.

This blackwork embroidery is from the blackwork archives.  this is my first project.  I need to figure out how to do better joins.  It is a challenge when the design is supposed to be two-sided.  But I am making progress.  I still keep making mistakes that I don't notice till much later.  It really is annoying.  I don't like unworking--I know no one does.  At least if you notice the problem before you backtrack, it is easier to undo.

These are needle tatted flowers.  The green ones have extra picots.  The white ones are smaller because they are made with smaller gauge thread.  The red ones on the upper right are beaded.  In general they are either going to be earrings for sale or event tokens.  I am really frustrated that tatting and needle tatting are not period for the SCA. I have fun making them though, so I won't stop.  I just found a potential stiffening compound, but I haven't had a chance to try it.  There are a lot of video tutorials on youtube.  Just search for needle tatting.

There are many more pictures on my flicker page, including close-ups a plenty.

so many crafts, so little time!

I am frustrated by this lately. I want to get to the point where I can teach classes in various subjects in the arts and sciences. I am focusing on bobbin lace and maybe blackwork. I have just started blackwork, though I understand it well. I may not have much of a portfolio, but I have the willingness to teach, which is rarer. I need to do a fair bit of research into when and where it appeared as well as put together a syllabus for a potential class and a catalog of visual examples. For bobbin lace it is a bit harder as any class I do would be focused on the hands on rather than the historical implications apart from a brief history and an overview of the various 'schools' like torchon. I also need to put together kits that are affordable. I would love to have maybe 3 cadillac kits-real pillows, probably 2 dozen bobbins, pins, thread, and a few starter patterns and a manilla folder to make your own prickings as well as a comprehensive list of links of patterns and resources.

Recently I was looking into tatting, specifically needle tatting, only to find out that apparently it is out of the SCA period. I am still happy to teach a class in it, but I am not sure of the interest I would find.

Progress. I have all but finished the first pattern band of the blackwork and have started on the second. The second pattern band is made up of three rows. 1 and 3 are simple, but row 2 is decidedly not. I have done 6 leaves out of the row which is only about 2 inches. I had 'fun' with the first row of the pattern. I got about 2/3 down the row when I realized I had made a major mistake in the 6th repeat of 29. Even worse I just found out that I missed another stitch in the middle. I think I will stop the leaves and make something up under the 'broken' pattern rather than undo the entire row. I hope I have no more such surprises, but Murphy seems to be inordinately fond of lurking around me especially when doing needlework.
pics soon.

Progress

Between the Noismakers event on Saturday and the A&S meeting on sunday, I have had a highly scadian weekend. I got quite a bit done. I took a class on painting a scroll, and the instructor was very generous with supplies. I left with a significantly better gold paint than I own, a palette, a brush, and an example of pergamenta which is a delight to work with. I also have a much better understanding of acanthus leaves and shading. I made a bookmark in class--not finished shading, but first coat done. I immediately made a scroll blank once I got home. Also not quite finished, but 1 down (almost) 49 to go.

I also started my first blackwork embroiedry. I am almost finished a band about 16 inches long and less than an inch wide in a simple pattern using holbien stitch. The pattern is simple because there are no diverging paths.

No pics of the scroll yet, but they will be forthcoming.
also I am significantly further along in the blackwork than it appears--my boss lets me stitch at work if there are no customers and we had a slow day today. so I started on sunday at about 3pm. I am hoping that by tuesday at the same time I will be done the first band.

Where have all the photos gone?

I am trying to compile a list of the places on the web where I have squirreled away photos. Once this is done, I will try to update the pictures to document my progress and generally my explorations in the arts and sciences-among other things.


Picturetrail

Visit My Trail


Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/naomikatepp/


Photobucket is not cooperating with me, though I mostly don't use it. It is only the 2 versions of my SCA device-which I have registered, but not yet received my AoA in order to wear it.

Let me introduce myself

Let me introduce myself.  My name is Alianora la Tesserande (a fancy French way of saying Eleanor the weaver).  I am located in the Barony of Bakhail in the East Kingdom (greater Philadelphia area) I play with all things fiber related.  I spin, weave, knit, crochet, quilt, cross stitch, and bobbin lace.  I am taking advantage of this challenge to learn more about bobbin lace, to learn blackwork embroidery, and to have fun with calligraphy and illumination.   I just learned about the challenge a month or so ago, and my head is spinning with the possibilities.

As it stands, I am considering a few plans of attack.
I want to complete 50 scroll blanks.  I also want to see the Tyger Signet's face when presented with a stack of 50 blanks.  :-) 

I want to try some new crafts and offshoot crafts.  I am especially interested in advancing my knowledge of surface augmentation and hand stitching-hence bobbin lace and blackwork.  I am considering using this portion of the challenge to try for a membership and ranking in the The Keepers of Athena's Thimble, which is the Embroiderers' Guild of the East Kingdom.

While it isn't Arts and Sciences, generating my own armor and ammunition to become a combat archer for the Barony of Bhakail certainly feels like a sufficiently crafty endeavor that my progress to that end will be tracked here as well.