Well, after some pretty intense sewing, the largesse bags are finished. I did 16 in just under a week, doing an hour or so a night.They turned out quite nicely. I think that the black on white is very effective. The more blackwork type stuff I do, the more I can see the appeal. I will post a photo later on tonight.

I will have to get started on a small, split stitch piece fairly soon. I need to have it done by the first week of April, to take with me to Festival. It should only take about 5 or 6 hours to do.

When that is done I am really itching to do some needlepoint. I bought this very cool book last year that was full of medieval inspired patterns. I want to do a couple of the bigger pieces, I might go shopping for materials this weekend. They would make great backup pieces.

This entry is really a wanted ad. I really like the Marriage of Minds Sampler by The Drawn Thread that Nicole is currently working on. Only problem is I only really want to do the top bit of the design, with the grass, people, trees and houses. So I don't want to pay $35 for the pattern. So if anyone has the chart and are finished with it and would like to sell it, drop me an email. But be warned, I'm in Australia so it will have to be posted internationally.

All the spot motifs are done. I am up to doing the outside needlelace bit. I am doing them a bit differently this time. The needlelace is in the same colour as the motif, rather than white, like the background. It looks particularly effective in black. I will scan a couple in tonight and put them up tomorrow.

More work on the spot motifs while watching Survivor All Stars tonight. An interesting episode. It really seems to be a very different dynamic when its people who have been through it before - though some people don't seem to have learned much!!

For Linn - I love doing the spot motifs, I am very tempted to do something along the lines of the 1630's Smock at the V and A - if I could get the right sort of linen. I get a light weight linen for making my chemises but its a really open weave and that sort of clothing really needs a proper, fine hanky weight linen. But at $80 m, I won't be getting any of that any time soon!!

I am busily stitching up some 17th Century spot motifs for my Baroness. She won't be going to our big SCA event, Festival, as she is at any moment about to give birth. So she asked me if I could make her some small embroidered pieces to be sent as gifts to the other Baronesses. I said no. Then I felt guilty. So now I am madly sewing to get them done. I have 10 done, which is enough, but I want to finish a few more, so that there are some spares. With a bit of luck, I should have them nearly done tonight. That will give me time to wash them, then press, make into bags, fill with nice smelling stuff and sew some needlelace around the edges. If you are interested, here are some similar things I've made before, they are the florals done on linen in stem stitch. This time I am doing them on white linen and doing the needlelace in the same colour as the embroidery:

The Uni group of my re-creation society, St Crispins has been doing alot of work this week at Uni. It's Orientation Week, the week before classes start, and all the clubs have tables to try and get new members. The demos are fun, the guys get dresses in their armour, hit each other, making as much noise as possible. The girls get done up in their best dresses. I took some photos to finish off the roll of film from the weekend. I should have the photos back by Friday.

Well, Friday was hot. Saturday was hot. Sunday was hot. See the theme?

I spent all Saturday morning cleaning the house, really seriously, cleaned the toilet, cleaning the house. I also had to get ready for a big SCA do in the afternoon. It was up at an old water works. The Council have gutted the building and its just this big shed. But outside is the most gorgeous, manicured lawn. So we set up under the trees and spent the afternoon watching the guys and girls fight. I did some embroidery, some 17th Century motifs to making into scent pouches to give away.

The theme for the event was A Midsummer Nights Dream, which meant the figthers were often visited mid-bout by the fairies, who interfered by making people fight standing on one leg, or swapped weapons or made them use fluffy toys as weapons. Added a light air to the proceedings. I got to wear my new Florantine dress. Needs to be done up tighter as certain parts of my anatomy kept falling out of place!!

There was a feast at night, which we ended up eating outside as it was cooler. So the Saturday night was spent sitting outside in the cool, on a soft lawn looking up at the stars. Not a bad way to while away the night.

Sunday, I did nothing!! I was totally unmotivated. I managed to sew the skirt to the bodice of the outfit I am working on. I had to hand sew it after breaking the needle in my machine. Bugger!!

So now all that needs to be done on the outfit is sew up the front seem of the skirt and put on the lacing rings at the top of the shoulders.

Well the heat wave here continues. We're heading into our second straight week of dailing and nightly temperatures of around 40 degrees Celcius. Not very conducive weather for sewing.

I got a very nice surprise (well, only a bit of a surprise!) in the post from Su. I knew she was sending me some beads, lovely little jet ones. They will be used for some nice embroidery project down the line. But she also included some copies of Classic Stitches magazine. I've never seen this one before and it had several nice projects that will get put on the to do list. An added bonus was that one of the magazines had a bio of our own Linn Skinner! Now I know what she looks like!! Linn, I will be picking your brain about a small piece of goldwork that was shown in the article!

Well, after a fairly busy weekend (sewing, test pitching my tent - which the cats LOVED!, going to Baronial meeting etc), I started my new (sort of) job. I will basically be doing the same thing, for the same people, just in a more inconvenient place. I was in a temporary room Monday, cause they were painting my new room (which I share with 3 other people). Today I am in the new room, but the painting continues so I have a lung full of paint fumes at the moment. I don't have my computer fully set up, so work isn't happening. I also had to move a few boxes of stuff over from the old office. The weather has been very hot, it hasn't been under 30 for a week, with hotter temperatures predicted for the rest of the week, may even get up to over 40 here on the coast. So, all in all, not a good week for sewing. The weekend is shaping up to be even busier. I might get a little bit done on Saturday as there is a tourney on, which will involve a certain amount of sitting around (hopefully in the shade). So I will get a couple of no-brainer things onto a frame ready for the weekend.

Note to Self: Putting up tents in about 35 degrees Celcius is NOT a good idea. 'Nuff said.

Well, I sent of two pieces to be graded at a recent event. I got the results back yesterday. The Voided Work/Assisi cloth was graded at master level (I was surprised, as I didn't think it was up to that level). The Icelandic cushion was marked at journeyman level (marked down because of the gap between laid thread, which I pointed out in the documentation - I was hoping for points for honesty!). Anyway, that means I am now at Journeyman level in the Worshipful Company of Broiders of Lochac (It goes Apprentice, Journeyman, Master).

I don't plan on doing anything for the competitions in the upcoming year. I want to work on some stuff for myself.

I am starting to get twitchy. I haven't had any embroidery to do for a few weeks and I am starting to get twitchy. I have been working on my dress (collar and shoulder wings are on - looks much better now!). I think I will get a project onto a hoop, just so I have something to work on. Still have a fair bit to do in the clothes sewing department, got to make up a heap of chemises. But that shouldn't take long. I have been reading everyones blogs, boy am I glad I don't live anywhere where it gets THAT cold.

Hi Everyone, yes I am still alive. I've been busy working on my winter dress for Festival. Its getting there. Just got to finish off the sleeves, shoulder wings (which is a 5 min job), the waist tab and the skirt. With a bit of luck I should be finished by the weekend. Then I can start on my chemises. Once those three are out of the way I should be in a much better position for Festival.

I did do some embroidery related stuff. I started to set the frame for my Goldwork assignments. I will probably finish that tonight and get started on the actual assignments. I don't plan on spending too much time on them. At this stage I just want to get them done.

Also, I caved in big time and bought the mega cat scratching post. My Dad was down from the bush to get his ute serviced so it was too good of an opportunity to miss. It's all Jennies' fault! ;-)