Projects and Erinwood

[threadwalker]

Projects:

I have two modes when it comes to projects:

1. putter along at my own pace
2. dawdle, be indecisive, look for the perfect materials and then work like mad for a deadline


My red linen gammurra was a "putter along" since I'm not technically desparate; I have one outfit with 2 chemises that fit... (chemisi? chemisies? what is the plural? enquiring minds wan to know). (Funny: I have "1" outfit that fits correctly. To a historical clothes horse like me, that's VERY funny. If you don't get that, then you never will.) And the gamurra projects lacks "luster".. retooling an old outfit is not as exciting as making something new. I also rather assumed it would be done in time for Erinwood, but I did not anticipate life, the universe and the Clean Room PQ. So I dawdled in the rear when I should have been double-time up front.

For Erinwood, the children have magically outgrown everything I made them last year. And last years outfits were also deadlined for last Erinwood a year ago ... how predictable I've become! No, they have not been wearing jeans and t-shirts at events - I made 13th century tunics for June Crown, but I like to cut my timeline off at mid-15th century for Erinwood. No special reason, I just do. It's probably psychological sense that "later is cooler" ... both hipper and less cumbersome, or (enter the clothes horse) I like them to come close to matching me. And since I do all the sewing, ... voila! I make the rules.

In the last week N got a new linen shirt, linen boxers, and blue linen (lined) doublet/jack. He never wore the jack because it was blazing hot. But he blended in very well with all the fighters after they shed down to linen boxers and shirts. I think he liked that. Approximate quote:

I hope I won't be harshing your mediveal buzz, but I'll be wearing my linen skivvies and shirt for the rest of the weekend. (Sir Helgi).

The chorus of, "us, too" was emphatic.

Also in the last week Evie got the same - linen shirt, linen boxers, pink linen dress and apron. She insisted on wearing ONLY the pink dress because Fredi was in HER pink dress. Which is my own fault; I made Fredi's pink dress a year ago which is ...err.. when I cut out Evie's. (heh)

And that's all I had time for. In part, I found myself finishing/turning all the seams. sigh. I should have serged and moved on, but I couldn't make myself stop. So the kids stuff is "washer ready", too.

I did wear the yellow gammurra that used to go under the bumble bee dress. ... um..it looked better at home in dim light in front of the mirror while packing on Friday. I probably need to take 4+ inches off the bodice. On the plus side, since it was so loose, it was fairly cool and it was very easy to dress myself. It goes into the "to be gutted and remade" pile down the road.

And the red gammurra is still about 6 hrs out from done. So I essentially worked like a god/dog to make sure the kids were dressed well while I was a cross between "put together" and "unfortunately, THAT just does not fit anymore". ... deadline vs. putter

Back to puttering on the gamurras.

Erinwood 3:
Fan-tab-ulous... of course. How could it NOT be? Each one has been a great time for me with moments that have rocked my heart:

Erinwood 1
Erinwood 2

This year...
A great host was gathered. There were new faces and old faces. The tournament had a full complement. The bar of chivalry both on and off the field was raised to a level the average SCA event can only dream of. The courtesy and the gentility of the gathering was a delight. The ladies' gallery was fully attended. The Cooks (once again) amazed and stuffed everyone with both delicate flavors and hearty dishes.

And since this event is essentially a tournamment, you can either sprawl in the shade near the tourney field or sprawl in the shade somewhere else. But all the fun people are near the tourney field and there's plenty of shade there, so why be somewhere else? (unless you're cooking)

New this year was the wine-cheese pairing by the archery vale; cool, soothing, whisper of wind in the trees to back drop the laughter and merriment of a crowd both exhausted by the heat and exertion of the event as well as pleased to be surrounded by family and close friends and, before them, wine and cheese to loosen the laughter even more.

The archers took advantage of the shade while we ate, Harald ran a tourney, although I don't know the details because I was fairly well engaged in the wine-cheese activity. I was impressed that Owen and others successfully included my 6yr old and he hit the target with an arrow while holding the bow unaided. The 4 yr old fashionistas (Fredi and Evie) were also on hand and given some help.

I gave my first chivalry token of this event out of that episode and I gave it to Owen privately. It was not a "babysitting" token; it was a token for planting the seeds of chivalry in my son. Children hear the words we speak, but until they experience them, they don't always understand. They do, however, learn from us in how we treat them. The time, patience and respect that he gave my son was an act "planting the seeds of chivalry". My predjudice as a parent is that some act of holding open a door may improve someone's life for a moment, but the act of helping my son experience chivalry and internalize it is an investment in his development as a chivalric person. It's that whole "give a fish and feed them for a day; teach them to fish and you feed them for life" thing. The episode moved me and I couldn't stop thinking of it all day.

Dinner on Saturday was middle eastern. Very yummy. There was a short impromptu dance performance by d_salie and I. lol.. I'm usually distracted when I dance with her because I end up watching her since she's so graceful and wiggly ... so I had to turn my back to her so that I wouldn't forget that I was supposed to be dancing, too.

The evening games did not happen; the host was exhausted on Saturday and on Sunday the dinner ran late. The party was still going strong at 11pm on Sunday, which was also about the time the feast was done being served and the speaches were winding down. We don't camp at Erinwood; we have a cabin that's about 45 minutes away, so although it's inconvenient at 11pm to pack up and leave, the comfort of waking up in bed, using a bathroom, and taking a shower is too much to pass up. So we had to leave to drive to Arnold by midnight so that we aren't too tired to drive. There was barely time to load kids in the car and make a round of good-bys and then it was 12 am... This evening game plan requires more pondering. I think that when it's not blistering out all day, I'll have more "umph", too, to make it happen through force of will as opposed to waiting for the right moment.

The kids had a really good time, passing out in our laps at dinner time each night. Evie and Fredi were pretty inseparable; sometimes Nicholas was with them and sometimes he was "squiring" for daddy - fetching bits of armor, carrying water, or racing off with a gauntlet and heavy-legal combat-dagger (not a real dagger). He had energy to spare. The girls spent a lot of time playing in Fredi's pavilion and now and again there'd be this ear-splitting screech of protest as one or the other gained possesion of the "toy of the moment". You'd think they were being eaten by wild dogs! We are always quick to referee and negotiate a peace. Sometimes that "peace" was our peace and not theirs; universal nap-time can be a good thing. hahaha!

Farin had some great fights and memorable moments. But that's his story and not mine. I still smile, though.

I had a blast, my kids had a blast and the hubby had a blast. I really enjoyed the time I got with my family and as a bonus some real quality time talking to some people with whom the opportunities have been rare: Sabrina, Erzebetta, Oonagh, Catherine of Wessex, Bryne, Edna, Artos (and the fighters on the Sazon field), etc. I enjoyed dropping in on the Normans and taunting them back... Conall has a great sense of humor and is wonderfully articulate. And I shall NEVER forget begging Geoffrey Scott to please (!!) proscribe to a more uptight Victorian demeanor based on my firmly established incorrect preconceptions of him... My memory is etched with an image of him being non-uptight and saying "yea, verily!"... Eek! And the list goes on. I had a wonderful time. I saw some awe inspiring fighting. I experienced some great medieval moments.

Huzzah to what Joe and Leisa have built. Huzzah to all the people who help carry it off.

p.s. and we knew the temperature on the property because of my brand new gadget which will shortly be installed in the Corbie Cave. It is a temperature/humidity device. It's really super cool and it's calibrated. (my inner techie is showing). Out of respect for my friends and the knowledge that ignorance really is bliss under the right circumstances, I did not blab the temperature on Saturday - we discussed it on Sunday when it was a bit cooler. And I pointed out it was +2F in town when I did a store run for food.

Comments

[erzimagdalena.livejournal.com]

Sitting and talking with you guys was the best part of the event for me, but watching the kids run amok was pretty fun too. It probably helped that I wasn't responsible for any of them. ;-)

It is almost a pity they may never be awed by things like Erinwood. No matter how amazing something is, if you've grown up with it it will be less magical for you.

[thread-walker.livejournal.com]

I had such a blast hanging out with you. Fortunately, it was the kind of event where the kids could run around without too much worry. A regular SCA event is not as "contained" as the Erinwood property and I always come away going, "Shucks, I didn't get to chat very much."

So last weekend was definitely a treat for me in that I could socialize so much.

I look forward to invading your bubble in the future and hanging out.
:-D