Little update and picspam

Holla!

It's been a while... I know... My irl-work just makes me so tired, that I have not managed to do much... plus, I have started too many new projects x) Here's little update...

Embroideries done at work:
I have some time to do embroideries at work, and here is 2 pics of my creations. 1st one is decorating one of my work's new uniforms (diam. about 7cm) and the other is 2 borders to be added to small bags. The bags will be sold in our shop some day. Left hand side embroidery is made using cotton vatiating blue-white and purple-white and it's trimmed with small silver back stitch. The right pair of images are made with rainbow colored silk and trimmed with golden back stitch.

It took about  week to do this 1st embroidery and about 1½ days for each of the smaller ones. 

 

Here is a peek from my work.

I have material for several posts now, I am planning to make separate posts of them, as most of them are different kind of crafts. I'll be blogging in few days again. 

Viking Drawing

This is islamic scroll I made recently. Borders are greatly simplyfied version of 13th cent star-shaped tiles from Kashan, Persia. I should have done the text bit bigger, it's still readable, but it could have been more clearer. Oh well, it looks now more like handwritten than printed.



This one is drawing I made for one calendar. Two of the people in the pic are my friends ;) Drawn on MUJI 0.38 inkpen and Pilot lettering pen

Interesting blogs!

So...
I created 'promote your partner's craft-blog' at Swap-bot and I think it's my turn to actually promote my partners websites. You should visit these blogs too, you might even get ideas for next projects ;)

craftingwithblue.blogspot.com: She makes lovely cards and scrapbooking. I am bit anti-valentine's girl myself, but one of her valentine cards was actually nice. I love the '2012 albym' she made for the "New Year's Resolutions" Blog Hop. eps. the months Janyary and august looked fine :) I hope to see her future creations.

bpositivebfree.blogspot.com: She writes about life and positivity. Maybe I should take time and read her textx and learn something ;). Anyhow, she make funny and creative knitted peaces. I have never seen such an artform, and I am bit shamed to admit it xD. Remember to check her etsy-store too!

www.createtofeelgreat.blogspot.com: She recently created a knitting needle/knitting supply roll up bag. Nice work! I actually have similar roll for my bruches and I'd say to everyone, that kind of solution is perfect for Knitters and painters like us. She seems to be creating all kind of thing, like sewing, storage-rolls, paintings. Worth to visit.

deidre421.wordpress.com: She makes lovely pottery and other items from clay. Those rings, she blogged about month ago, are fantastic! They really look pretty. And her nanoblock pig is so cute x) It looks so 8-bit ;)

vintageterrace2.blogspot.com : Her papercrafts are very pretty indeed. Lace, vintage images, etc She also blogs about different artforms and at least one of them was new to me too, The Encaustic 'painting'. Check out the video on her site. She has also made few lovely altered bottles etc containers. I have to follow her lead and paint few bottles and make them pretty x)

Tweet me up!

Yup,

I am at Twitter, under name @geeklaugh .Add me ;)

I'll tweet mostly about geeky things, like history, gaming, odd humor etc. There'll be some historical things too. And I definitely post all the strange questions I hear at work xD

Books and illumination etc

oi, oi, oi... I just ordered This book. It was not what I believed to be, size A5 booklet with iron-on patterns. This was _A4_ sized book, full of lovely pictures and even borders. I LOVE IT!!! and It was ONLY 0.01£ !!! (I was not planning to make a celtic dress, but now I just have to xD)

I also managed to finish one islamic scroll, but I am not yet posting a pic of it, as it is not yet delivered to the new owner. I'll tell ya more about it, when I post the pics.

Lately I have been crocheting quite a lot. I finished multicolored mittens (for my ma) week ago and now I am finishing up my new viking apron dress. I totally loooove the color, it's something like deep saffron. I also have naturally dyed tabletweave waiting to be added. I just hope the dress won't be too heavy. It's really thick linen and atm it feel like you're wearing an elefant xD I bet the weight is distibuted more evenly when I add straps.

Since I started work, I have been buying craft-supplies like crazy. I just can not stop. I want ti all and I want it now, haha xD I hope I am not the only one 'suffering' from this 'illness'... og well, maybe I actually create something pretty out of them...

lastly, there is really interesting writing (by Textile Time-Travels) about re-enacting etc. I mostly agree with her, but not totally. I have only tiny differences of opinion in 'fine details' but generally that would be my thoughts excatly. (Althou I don't think I'd have courage to blog about it xD)

Am I alive?

...yes, I think so...

My work has taken much of my energy and to be honest, I have not been crafting that much lately. Whitch is bit sad really.

Here's proof I have been doing (slowly but surely) embroidery for the SCA wallhanging 'We have Dragons' I was planning to make two patches at least, but time is ending and my 1st one is not even finished... so sad...so sad...


That's really only thing I can share with you this time. I am painting a mongol/islamic scroll for Insulae Dragonis, but that's a bit 'in progress' at the moment, so I wish not to share pics yet.

Guess what? As I have bit more money these days, I have been online shopping like mad, haha xD You HAVE to check out The Silk Mill. I adore them!

Yule-holidays are coming soon, so I have at least bit more time to craft, yay! Maybe next time I can even tell you what I have been up at my work. I am so excited already!

naalbinging-hell

Yeah, lately I have done so much naalbinding that I am nearly sick of it. I had to change to embroidering for a moment. I made naalbinded hat and pair of mittens within 2 weeks. Thankfully my work is bit slow at wintermonths, so I managed to finish everything in time. But I naalbinded so much, that I am sick of it. I managed to have 3 days free of naalbinding before I made present for my friend.

About that present. I don't have pics, but I made handwarmers for my friend using Dalarna-stitch. 1st one was silver gray "Seitsemän Veljestä' with dark green stripe from "Seitsemän Veljestä' and the 2nd one was dark green (don't remember the yarn's name/maker) with silver grey 'Seitsemän Veljestä' stripe. So, basically they were Slytherin handwarmers ;-)

Last weekend I was slav...erm, cooking at 'Camp of Historical Dances' with my friends and it was fun! I even managed to dance a bit. Chaotic Petit Riens, Turkish Brandle in Unikankare's way etc. Brandle Dificile looked so great, that I want to learn it and maybe create my own version of it, hehe

My next scroll-project will be Far Eastern and I am trying to find inspiration for it. I have seen few arabic scrolls, but I am trying to find perfect one to copy... let's see how it goes...

interesting page

Hey!

I just wanted to say, that I found 'new' site. It's really fab, I think :)

Two nerdy history girls

So far I have spent 3h browsing the site and enjoying history-geekiness ;)

Ugh... um... do you remember me?

Hi there! Long time , no see/sea ;) I have (lame) reason for being silent.
Firstly, I GOT DREAM-JOB!! I'll last only few months, but who cares. I'll enjoy the (almoust) every second of it. I can do lots of crafts there, esp. medieval. later in this post I'll show some pics of my crafts and the workplace.

Secontly, I just orgaized, with my friend Birgitta, a big(ish) medieval feast last weekend. Eventually there were totally 47 people celebrating in Byzantine feast and such. It' was like SCA event, but more strict about authenticity and men were fighting with real swords, not with rattan (like in SCA). I had massive migrane, jointpains at hip anf knees and 'that time of the month', so I was not as nice and friendly as I could have been (because of the pain) but I think I did not offend anyone and things went pretty smoothly.

This is one embroidery I made for my friend. The desing is vikingage with eastern/byzantinian influence. I'll post another pic as soon as I get it out of my phone x)


That's my new Byzantinian dress, nearly done. I have already finished it thou. This pic was taken at my work. I'll post better pic as soon as I fix the dress. As it was handsewn, It broke last weekend, when I was using it 1st time. Thank Gods and goddesses, I still have few peaces of that red/blackish silk.

Another pic of the dress and my work ;) Envy me :P

Now I have only 3 urgent naalbinding to do. I'll post pics of them, when I finish. Mittens should be ready in less than a month, hat soon (as it's a payment from my new war-axe) and socks. Luckily the socks have plenty of time to 'materialize' :)

Summerfun!

I think it's time to update again. First I have to tell you happy news, I have camera now! My dear friend gave me his old cam and I have been using it like mad.

I won't we talking about RopeCon in this blog, because I did not had any thime to do crafts there. I had plenty to do with the Fashion-show (I made douple-entry) and cloackroom-duties.

At 3rd of August I started my epic roadtrip to Poland, Wolin with lovely bunch of creatures from Harmaasudet. We spend more or less 55h in car. I had fun at the trip and Wolin's viking event was an experinece. First time I saw over 30 people in battle (there were something like 300 fighters) and I loved the sound. On Sat battle I was even playing watergirl. Weather then was pretty hot, so the brave fighters really needed the water. I have only few pics of myself from the trip and in most of them I am naalbinding...uups xD







Vikings plotting their next pillage-trip. (Some of the Vikings really pillaged neighbour village xD)

So...what else I have done lately. Some of you know that I take private singing lessons and I also sing in choir. Anyways, I pay part of the lessons by making naalbinded mittens. I finished the 1st one at Wolin and I am quite satisfied. I still need to practise a lot, I tend to make unmatching pairs with wonky details. I really want to leart to make even pairs (of socks and mittens). I'll post pic when I finish the other mitten. I hope they'll look the same x) I totally loved the Polish meat, Mead and tiny craft and jewelry-shops as the site. Too bad I had only 120e budjet, so I could not by anything for myself (as I had to buy few things to pay my loans to friends)

I have started to look for name for the 2nd naalbindin technique I learned month ago. It might be Dalarna-stich or similar. And I really wish to lear Oman-stich. I wonder who could teach it to me... I have totally fell in love with that 'Dalarna' stich (or what ever it is really). Now I am planning to make new sock for me.

As I have good camera now, I might dokument my next project properly. I have to make basic Byzantine dress for the event I organize (early October). The even is going to be Elävä Keskiaika's Tulijuhla and I will be hosting it with my friend Birgitta. This is 1st time I am outside of the kitchen, yikes xD Anyways, The dress will be quite simple and I have bought red linen for it. I'll do some embroiderings or application from silk or brocade. I have not yet found decent fabric for the decoration, but I might even cut my blue/gold dress for this. The Blue dress is silk and already nearly ruined, so why not use the good pieces some way.

I am also coming to Aarnimetsä's Investiture, IF I manage to get place as kitchenslave. The even fee for jobless is pretty bad, that's why I volunteered to be kitchenslave if I get some discount. I am going to paint at least 1, or even 2, scrolls for the event and I'd really wish to see the recipients' faces when they get them. Esp, because the one will have plenty of inside-jokes painted/written on it xD

I am back...kind of xD

Soooo, I finally have little bit time to update. My summer have been too busy. I wonder was I mad or insane or out of my mind to take some many projects. Oh well, At least I got paid... once... few euros from one project xD

Aaaanyhow, I don't have so much pics, But I'll tell you by words of my finished art and craft items.

Project 1 aka Garments for man:
I handsew trousers and 2 tunics for my friend from Historical dances group. Me and other people liked them a lot. Trousers were slightly reddish brown linen, Tunics light blue and greenish grey. I'll be doing elaborate embroidery for the grey tunic later. ATM I don't have pics of the clothes.

Project 2 aka FAIL:
I was handsewing basic underdress for me, until I realized it was too small. I am/was too lazy/busy to fix the problem. I don't even have enough scraps to add some gores. So, I sold it xD My much fitter friend wants it.

Project 3 aka Birthday present for Mama:

This card is handpainted, and then mounded to 'mundane' vellum cardstock. I am pretty satisfied and all my relatives did not believe it was really painted :)

Project 4 aka Updating my Victorian/steampunk hat:



I updated this one for Finncon 2011's masquerade ball. I was planning to make real Steampunk decoration, but I gorgot where I'd put all my opened clocks and gogs and gears. I am too old :P

Project 5 aka Scroll 1:



Panache for Elzbeth MEclenburgilainen. I was experimenting and in hurry, so This might not be as good as it could have been.

Project 6 aka Scroll2:




Sorry, the scan is wonky, not the scroll ;) MAde for my friend Queniva. This was also made in hurry really. I suck at starting orders in time.

Project 7 aka painting from year 2000:


Painting I made for my mam 11 years ago. I finally remembered to scan it xD

Medieval week!

Wohoo! Turku's Medieval Market starts tomorrow! I can't wait! I'll be dancing there and promoting SCA there.

I have plenty of pictures to show what I have done lately, but I don't have time to blog now. Too much to do, Me need more hours! MAybe withi a week I manage to put some pics online.

so far I need to blog about: one handpainted card I made - medieval trousers and 2 tunics for my male dance-partner - plenty of SCA scrolls - embroidery for SCA 'We have Dragons' wallhanging - naalbinded mittens for my singing teacher - my naaldinded socks - basic underdress I am sewing 100% by hand for me (if it fits, as I fear atm that it's too small)

Some scrolls...

Hey!

Finally I have little time to update this blog.



This is one blank scroll I painted. I started it 2 years ago, but forgot to finish it xD I like this style a lot, but I hate painting/drawing it, hehe



Two blanks I made. I kinda fell in love with the font I used on bottom one.





And I have been mostly doing/cursing this German Brick Stitch patches. Some pint this will be small pounch for my friend (who is my sock-slave these days ;) ) I may scan the 1st attempt to do this technique, it looks so wrong and amusing, hehe. Anyhow, as these came relatively well, I might have courage to try harder patterns.

Things to do this summer:

- my 1st (and maybe only) patch for the 'Dragons' wallhanging. deciding the colors is the most difficult task xD
- 2 tunicks and trousers for my friend, partly handsewn, so It takes time
- 3 scrolls
- at least ONE one needleroll for MYSELF

yeah... doing something just for yourself is bloody hard. It seems all I do is something for friends or for SCA.

so, what have YOU been up to? Tell me!

Uups!

I am alive, believe me or not. I have just been superbusy. Plus I have had some personal problems.
I will update more next week, after I have done few 'comissions'. I am already panicking, since they have to be finished this afternoon and I still have much to do xD

oh well, till next week, my dear readers!

Finished!

That's my new dresses. The brown viking appron-dress is mostly handsewn and I even made tablet-weave for it. Yay! And the grayish underdress is 100% handsewn. It took 'only' 2 years to make it, but well, I only progressed it about 1h a week and I made few mistakes too. Correcting them took some time xD Hmm... what else to tell you about these specimen? oh, yeah, both are linen, I used gray cottonthread for the underdress and slithly redded-brown cotton or linen for the appron-dress. To be honest, I am not sure if the reddish-brown is cotton or linen. I bought it from fleamarket xD

My really basic underdress is nearly finished too. I just need to trim the neckline.

And here is my new projects, tadaa!

- My 1st patch for 'we have dragons' wallhanging (for SCAs use) I am making pretty Viking-styled dragon
- Coif for my friend Sanna
- One surprise-embroidery for my other friend
- Naalbinding Legwarmers from Puro-yarn (my FAVORITE) (My dear man brought 3 balls of this yarn from Estonia. Me love, me love!)

and I am still progressing:
- German brick stitch (or 'tits' as my friends call it xD ) embroidery for my friend. It's going to be my payment from very neat socks
- Naalbinded sock. The y are already usable, but I want them longer
- Finishing touches for few scrolls