My crossroads

Since I finished Alyvia's hood, and a lot of the enchantment in the encampment items already, I'm at a crossroads for what to do next.
I need some embroidery or handwork to have something to do during down times. Part of me knows I should finish the stupid stinking red blackworked drawers but every time I think about it I just get discouraged :(

The Lyvy hood!

Lyvy and the Sjkald hood

Once I convinced her to leave it on,
she didn't want to take it off!

Back heart stitched in yellow twisted silk, with
Viking runes that say
"Be warned, my daddy carries a big stick"

I mentioned earlier in my blog about Maysun challenge numero uno being "atop your head" any type of head covering you could have worn in period.. I had originally planned to make Lyvy an early period hood or gugel but decided to go with a Sjkold hood instead.
The deadline for the challenge was May 31st, and I finished the very next day late in the evening but still hadn't gotten around to posting any pictures so I present..
The Lyvy Sjkold hood!!

Front side with 3 knotted heart pattern

I started with 2 yards of scarlet 100% wool flannel, which ended up being more of a raspberry color after several washings. Its embroidered with silk twisted floss, with 4 knotted hearts on the front section, and a large knotted heart on the back section with viking runes that say "Be warned, my daddy carries a big sword" inscribed in the heart. It has been Whipstitched at all of the seams to mimic the extent piece and has a blanket stitch around both the head opening and all along the bottom.

The only changes I made were the following:

• I did not include a drawstring at the face level. I cut the center section pretty specific so there isn't much room for the hood to flop around anyways so I didn't see a need.
• I graded the neck opening about 1/2 to make it easier to get on and off, without destroying the fabric at her chin level.
• I cut the cox comb section on a slope and whipstitched it together rather than just whipstitch from the inside and leave the excess fabric in the hood. Made it easier to get the excess fabric out. 
• I added a tassel at the top of the hood, and might add a bell, just because I felt like it and its for my toddler. 

Close up of the front embroidery

Close up of the back embroidery

An AoA scroll

Sometimes its good being a friend.of the king and the royal scribe because I can pick and choose what scrolls I want to do and I can suggest awards directly to him.
Of COURSE I wanted to make Vons AoA scroll. He's Viking and I stole this template offline.. Viola!

Somewhere to rest my head..

Okay so this is a bit old but I still wanted to get it up.

Junes challenge ala Maysun was an encampment improvement, and one of the things I've been begging to add to our camping experience has been a bed. Hell I've been asking for a rope bed since I was was camping pregnant and Lyvy will be 2 this December!!
After begging, whining, pleading and general internet searching for plans and directions, I figured it would probably just be a HELLA lot easier if I did it myself. Little more research and I determine that a rope bed would be a LOT less lumber to haul and if we did it right wouldn't really have any extra center sag that an air mattress so why not?? Patience was on board and she needed to make a bed for herself and her son.

Patience and Cody getting started

Enter the epic three bed weekend.
We decided to embark on our plans the weekend before Quest.. Yeah. We decide to make camping beds the WEEKEND before our first camping event.. Nuts? Maybe. Determined? Sure are!

The twin for Graham

The full for Patience

Eventually we find the plans that are most what we want to use are Here at GreyDragon and the other set are on a PDF that everyone uses and links to (blogger doesn't really like linking to PDF's or I'm doing it wrong.. either way.. whatev!). We got the single and the full done, and the pieces for my queen cut out that weekend, then dear brother helped me get my bed all together Tuesday.

Verdict? There are some things I'd change, and some I like. My bed is shorter than the first 2 by 2 inches, and Its TOO HIGH for me to get in and out of without a bit of a struggle, no more than being on the floor though. So I think I want to shorten all of my legs by at least an inch, though Ty loves the height. Also, its actually too short for me to store my garb totes under, though problem solved, we decided to get some of the under the bed organizers! They are clear and longer and that will super help with keeping the garb less wrinkly at events. Its not like I can't use the toes we already have in other areas anyways!

My queen bed, compete with
helper brother Cody

See how big?!?!
My floor would be attached though..

Last issue is that its a TAD big for out tent. Before now I would have told you our tent was MASSIVE on the inside, but putting our queen size bed in there really takes up a lot of room, everything ahead of the pole is taken up by bed. We were talking about a new tent/pavilion this winter anyways so maybe this will be the catalyst to getting said bigger dwelling. Seriously part of me is STILL totally wanting the big tent from Bell Tent UK. We'll see if we decide to go that direction (hello rubberized attached flooring!!) or if we build our own. If we buy the big one from bell tent, it has a door on the right hand side that actually is the same size as the our current tent, so its designed that it can be a separate room.. Can you say lyvy tent???

Chocolate is a great motivator

So the two amigos and I have a problem getting motivated. Which is horrible since we all have small kids that need garb and need it like.. NOW.
As I was chatting with Hastings we decided to  motivate each other and had Andrea jump in when she got online.

The challenge:
Do make as much headway on your kids garb during "school hours" (they are both pretty close to stay at home moms but I work in the evening). The winner would be gifted chocolate by the other two.

Lyvy in her Skjold hood

And we were off!!

I patterned Lyvys Skjold hood and worked out some of the kinks, its all ready to be cut out of my now raspberry ish wool flannel which fulled very very nicely but still isn't as super soft as I'd prefer so it will get a lining most likely, though very very small amounts of it will actually touch her skin, so we'll see..

So far she kept it on for the most part but we'll see how the finished project goes.

After I got that all patterned, I moved on to a tunic, crossover coat and pair of salwar. I made calculation error while getting her crossover coat made up, but I think I can fix it with some snaps which of course will help out even more for when it comes to her being active toddler type.

In the end all three of us did about the same amount of work and so we're going to exchange chocolate on our next get together.

Sometimes its just a little friendly competition to get us going, especially with the thought of reward.

Im craft challenged.

Yeah that's correct. Sometimes I have to do use odd methods to understand what my end result is going to be or look like, especially when I haven't seen the product in person.
So I decide to start out with a Skoldehamn Hood for alyvia for the hat challenge. THL Sofi the crabby (who really isn't crabby) taught a make and take at FP last week. But since I was at work I missed out.
I've been pouring over the Notes and all the stuff I can find online (mostly here Sjkold hood -- which has the example pattern)  but still just couldn't wrap my head around how it would actually all go together.
So I made a paper mock up.
Okay I'll admit that sometimes my methods are a bit odd to even me, but once I cut the pieces out (not to scale mind you) and started taping them together suddenly it seemed to make sense. "Wow those pieces really are intended to go together" and suddenly I went from the paper diagram on the left to the wee bitty paper hood on the right.
I've decided a few things as well:

• I will make some viking whipcord and use it as a drawstring in the hood area. This of course will also be useful depending on how thick my wool fells out after washing.  But this will be pretty helpful with keeping it on the munchkin.
• I'm going to make two front gores and layer them on top of each other so I can attach buttons to it. I think having it completely open in the front, being able to button once its on, will be easier to get a squirming toddler in and out of rather than an over the head opening. Guess we'll see huh?
• I kept debating all day what I wanted the embroidered viking runes to say. Finally figured that out last night when I was at work. "Be warned. My daddy carries a big sword" Which has of course gained approval from the boyfriend. 
• This will be out of the red wool I bought on a whim (I got it as a remnant from Renaissance Fabric which has pretty good deals for scraps -- Think I paid like maybe 5 bucks for a yard?) and I'm trying to decide what color the embroidery will be.. Crystal aka Jaqueline offered up some of her private stash wool for a  guegal with dagging for the Lyvy. I might take her up on it after a time but this is much easier and simple so I figured I'd give it a shot this way.
• I'm still trying to figure out what OTHER embroidery I should add to it. Suggestions have been Pinky the poodle, and sharkum bear..

Wisest choices

Gryphon's Pride scroll

I never did make it thru the IRCC last year. Real life kinda snuck up on me, which it tends to do A LOT. Makes me wonder if I'm just lazy (most likely) or I really do have a busy life that prevents a lot of things to be finished.

*sigh*

In any case, I started looking thru the pages of the entrants of this years IRCC and am kinda sad I didn't enter the challenge. In the end though, I really think it was the wisest decision before me. I'm still currently the scribal Coordinator for Their Majesties, Sean and Nisa, and that's taking enough time as it is. I find it hard to ask people to do last minute scrolls, so I end up doing them myself. The Gryphon's Pride scroll was done in about 3 days and it has my very first ever gilded versal. I <3 Gilding.

Now there are two different challenges coming up that I'm going to participate in. I wrote about the headgear one yesterday but Mistress Bethany has offered a "scribal blank" challenge for our barony. It doesn't start until May, but it certainly does give me time to consider what I want to do..
Kind of exciting actually..

I need to finish the gryphon banner.. Its KILLING me. I'm not finished with it yet but its just taking forever. I'd say I've got about 1/4 left of the original embroidery to do, then it has to be attached. I know its something that I could get finished if I'd just concentrate on it.. but... *grumble*