Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

 Unsure of the manuscript that this little bird came from, but he reminded me of a honeyeater that we have in my local area.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

 I haven't found the manuscript yet that this weird little guy came from, but I love him!

This piece was worked in Winsor and Newton gouache.

Renaissance Chemise from a Recycled Bedsheet

Several of my chemises and smocks need replacing, so earlier this year I made a new gathered chemise. It was made from a nice, soft recycled cotton bed sheet. The body panels and sleeves were rectangles, with triangular gores at the bottom for extra width and gussets under the arms for extra comfort. The fabric is wonderfully soft and comforting to wear.

A rough guide to how the pattern pieces looked. I didn't measure; just held pieces against my body and estimated sizes.

The interior seams were done by machine and then hand felled. The neckline and shoulder area was hand gathered down into a bias band and hand stitched down. The sleeve and bottom edges were hand hemmed.

Hand sewing the bias band around the neckline.

I plan to put some embroidery on it at a later stage.

The finished chemise. It doesn't look like much, but is lovely to wear.

Pelican Necklace

 Here is a beaded necklace I strung back in May as a gift for a friend. Glass beads and natural pearls on tiger tail with a purchased enamel pendant.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

I decided to do this little fish because it reminded me of a Dr Zeuss fish. It's pictured next to the original piece which I haven't yet found attribution for. I'm still enjoying doing the scribal trading cards, but as always have tons of projects to work on when health allows. And mending. Ugh.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards - Froggie

I love frogs, and I found this cute little frog on Pinterest. I had to try and make a scribal trading card with froggie on it.  I'm not 100% on the attribution, but it is possibly from the Spinola Hours from around 1510-1520 in the Flemish style. My frog turned out looking cross - maybe frustrated at the lack of accurate attributions on Pinterest?!

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

Tadpole Dog found in the Maastricht Hours (housed in the British Library; Stowe 17, folio 192r). This manuscript was created in Leige in around the 14th Century.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

Another cute weird little guy; this time from the St Omer Manuscript held in the British Library, Add MS 36684.

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

 

Another weird little guy from a medieval manuscript. This one is from a manuscript held in the Morgan Library. He is from a Psalter, French (possibly St Omer,) 13th Century. MS M.79 folio 41 r.

ica.themorgan.org

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

I couldn't resist this strange little dog bird from the Bestiaire of Pierre Beauvais, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, NAF 13521. 

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

 Another phoenix, inspired by folio 24r, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, lat. 6838B [Bestiary Second Family]  Medieval Bestiary : Manuscripts : BNF lat. 6838B

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

 Here is another one. This depressed duck is actually a phoenix.

(Grootseminarie Brugge, MS. 89/54 [Ter Duinen Aviary], folio 77v)

Ten-Minute-A-Day Scribal Challenge and SCA Scribal Trading Cards

Oh my! It has certainly been a very long time since I posted. 

I have been very busy over the last several months with multiple projects that just don't seem to have an end in sight. I've been plodding along with not much to show (so far) for my efforts.

One thing that I have recently become involved with is the SCA Scribes ten-minute-a-day 100 Days of Scribal Challenge. I found the SCA ten-minute-a-day A&S Challenge that I joined some years ago to be extremely helpful in getting into the habit of regular A&S activity, so when I saw that the Scribes were promoting a similar Challenge I was enthusiastic. I generally do my illumination in big blocks with not much in between, which is not ideal for maintaining and developing skills, so I hoped that being involved in this challenge would provide several benefits.

I have also wanted to get more involved with creating Known World Scribal Trading cards, so this seemed like a great time to pursue that. I have been doing a tiny amount every day, and I am finding that it has reignited my enthusiasm for illumination, especially my favourite areas of drolleries and bestiaries.

A Phoenix from De avibus of Hugh of Fouilloy, [De avibus/Physiologus] Bibliotheque Municipale de Valenciennes, MS 101, folio 185r with my version below. Painted in W&N gouache.

Season's Greetings

 Wishing you all a prosperous and peaceful holiday season!

Embroidered Order of Defence Heraldic Panels

Here are the devices I worked on the Lochac Order of Defence cloak for some of the local members of the Order. The devices are worked in black DMC cotton thread in pre-worked shield shapes in a variety of stiches including double running, split, stem and seeding stitch. 

(In case you were wondering why the embroidery isn't fancier (e.g. goldwork) for such a prestigious peerage Order, this cloak can be used on the rapier field and so needs to be very hard wearing. It has a wool outer layer with black-on-black embroidered decoration, and a linen lining with black embroidery.)

 

Order of Defence Cloak Designs

I recently had the privilege of adding the devices of local members of the Order of Defence to the Lochac Order of Defence cloak.

The cloak was not created by me, but I embroidered five devices close to the one I previously added for Master William Blackwode in 2019. They were embroidered in black DMC cotton floss in a variety of stitches including split stitch, double running stitch and stem stitch. 

This cloak is used on the field and it will be great to see it in action. Congratulations to the new Members of the Order!

The cloak ready to continue it's journey around Lochac.

Working the final design in the pre-made shield shape.

The devices that I worked.

 

I was most pleased with these two devices.

New Goldwork Threads

After jet setting for more than four months (returned to India for incorrect postage and re-posted,) my gold work embroidery threads have finally arrived!

Heraldic Split Stitch Badge

I made another split stitch heraldic badge this year, for a friend. Instead of working the white split stitches in an oval shape around the tree, I drew a sort of wave pattern across the background and worked the split stitches in waves. I did this to make the sewing a bit more interesting, and to create a feeling of texture across the background.

I wouldn't do this again. I don't feel it was particularly effective in creating texture and it also didn't make the process of stitching it any more interesting. (It was worth trying though.)

This patch will be sewn onto a Championship cloak. It is a cotton calico base fabric with split stitches worked in DMC cotton floss.

Thrift Flip Trinket Bags

I needed some little baggies to keep some metal girdles in so that they don't tangled up and damaged, so I was very happy when I found an embroidered fabric Christmas placemat that I liked the design of at the thrift store.

I cut it in half after washing and ironing it, folded down a little casing and sewed it in place, and then joined the conveniently pre-hemmed edges of each piece. Finally I sewed an organza ribbon in half and used it as ties for the baggies.

Quick, cheap, useful and ultimately ticking that oh-so-satisfying 'easily completed task box!

'Oldies but Goldies' Series - "Virtues" Chemise

I recently was surprised to find a folder on my computer with notes on old projects and research notes that I meant to blog about. I hope you won't mind if I occasionally post some of these less than current projects.

This one is from at least 2015 or 2016 (possibly earlier, I can't remember the date!). I made this chemise band for a dear friend. It is embroidered with chivalric virtues and the design is taken from a 16th extant modelbuch. The base fabric is linen, but it was so long ago that I can't remember if it was worked in silk or DMC floss. 

The chemise poking out from under the beautiful gown (gown made by C. Linder), image credit: P. Abrahams.