What to do with oops moments

There are a few no-nos when sewing such as don't eat or drink when sewing however, the reality is that many of us attempt to multi task when we do things these days. Such was what happened recently when I was working on a set of cuffs for a friend. It is a 36 count white linen with black silk thread. I was drinking tea, put the cup too close, the dog came by and splash. The cuffs are stained. I am currently tea dyeing them however, I'll keep them for myself and work on a new set for her. Note to self-put tea far away.

A tip for snacking while embroidering is to use chopsticks. You don't need to touch the food, you only eat a small amount at a time and you can keep the snacks far away from your sewing.

Prioritizing projects

When you look around your living room and realize you have 6 or more projects on the go, it's time to figure out a way to prioritize them. I used to start a project and just work it through until it was done. Now I find that I need some smaller projects to help offset the longer ones. Here is where I am with some:
Cuffs-a day of working on the cuffs and they will be done. I've decided to gift them to a friend for his new tunic that I'll be making.
Black shawl-this one is for Ninka and I'm struggling with whether to attach commercial trim in the red/gold colours that she loves or weave some and stitch the gold thread in later.
Socks-I had to rip out and start over. I stitch loosely and they would have been bagging around his ankles.
Hood-I'm trying to figure out how to do two types of hoods for ladies. One needs to be open at the front but I'm trying to decide on lacing or buttons. The other needs to be a hood with a small cape. I'm thinking linen on the inside and wool on the outside.
Lombardi garb-I'm working on the pattern for the embroidery plus figuring out how much cording I'll need.

In addition, I really need to get a new set of garb ready-Italian Courtesan (not too racy) or a burgundian set. Decisions, decisions.

Honour, chivalry and hope

Today is the Crown tourney for Northshield. Unfortunately, I am unable to attend. It is one of my favourite events for a number of reasons:
1/What crown tourney is-to find the heirs and to see the best fighting.
2/Honour-watching people fight with honour and dignity. There are some who do not but rarely are they tolerated.
3/Garb-it's a great people watching event with some of the best garb being out. Wonderful hats, great dresses, amazing work.
4/People-it's really all about the people. For those not directly involved in the tourney, it's a mix of anxiety and hope, watching those you care about fight and hoping they win their bouts and ulimately, the tourney.
The A and S part of the event is a great place to see projects from all areas. Embroidery, armour making, cheeses, etc.
I hope all that attended had a wonderful time and I encourage everyone to actively participate in making the crown tourneys a success.
Vivat!

Bring Home Ec back to school

This week, I am in Edmonton on a training course for my new job. I brought along my other cuff to complete and when I was waiting for the doors to open for our meeting, I pulled it out and started stiching. I was stopped by at least 4 people asking what it was, one girl asked where I learned it, another commented she did not know how to thread a needle and another who said she regretted not learning about sewing from her mother and grandmother.

Home Ec still exists in school (or so I'm told) but there is less emphasis on the basics. Please encourage your schools to teach kids basic skills like sewing a button on, how to do a simple hem, how to refinish furniture, how to cook a nutritious and economical meal. Show them crafts like knitting, embroidery, felting, braiding, etc. Show them how wool goes from a sheep to a sweater. Encourage them!

I applaud all my friends and family who take the time to encourage individuals, teach their skills and show their works. It's never too late to learn a new skill.

One cuff done

I'm posting the first cuff that is complete from the set I'm making. I still haven't figured out if I'll keep them or gift it but I'm pretty sure I'll gift them to someone with a norse persona.

It's done on red linen and the threads are mainly silk or wool. I have used one orange cotton thread for accents as I was unable to find a suitable (and cost effective!) silk alternative. I will post pictures of the cuffs on the tunic when completed.

If you are looking for a nice addition to a tunic, cuffs are the way to go. You can also do a neck design to match or coordinate if you wish. I normally suggest doing cuffs or necks on a separate piece of fabric than the tunic. Reason? If you stain the tunic or ruin the tunic, you can remove the cuffs and move them to a new one. It took approx 11.5 hours to complete one cuff. Understand that I was not working at top speed so you can do it more quickly. You may notice one small part is not done. After I took the picture, I noticed it and have since fixed it.