Last year I took on a small project of making paper mache helm crests for a Deed tournament (14th century combat) at Great North Eastern War in Maine. I made crests out of cardboard and paper mache and acrylic paint and they ended up being about 6 inches tall. This year.... I decided bigger is… Continue reading Helm Crests of 2026
Macrame An Exploration in Scale
Macarme is a form of lace making which may surprise you to know has been in use since the early 1500s. The origins are unclear, but historians point to knotted lace treatments for fabrics in Crete before the sixteenth century. This art was first explored by lace makers in Genoa Italy in the early 1500s… Continue reading Macrame An Exploration in Scale
Clothing and Hats of 2025
Every year I recap the things that I've made over the course of the year. It reminds me that I have indeed been productive! You can find the posts I made at the end of 2023 here and 2024 here. Brocade for Days First up, was this lovely gown I made to wear at Birka… Continue reading Clothing and Hats of 2025
Grand Tour of Spring 25
I did it again. I scheduled 5 events in 6 weeks. But, I didn’t commit to any projects due at these events! This allowed me to focus on fixing up my current wardrobe to function in both hot summer days and cool spring nights. As I write this during a 100 degree heatwave, I reflect… Continue reading Grand Tour of Spring 25
Project Updates 2025
Things are happening! I promise I am still embroidering, though some garment projects are taking center stage at the moment. Here are some updates on projects I started a while ago. Redwork Pillow I started this project about a year ago. It, like most counted projects, is very repetitious and therefore, often hard for me… Continue reading Project Updates 2025
Ethical Materials for Reenactment
In 2024, I gave myself a challenge to not buy any clothing. I have lots of clothes, and in 2023 I spent an unreasonable amount of money on fast fashion, as I think many people do. This process led me to think about the ethics of all the things that I buy including the materials… Continue reading Ethical Materials for Reenactment
Renaissance clothing of 2024
In 2023 my focus was on medieval clothing and perfecting the fourteenth century kirtle. 2024 was about building my renaissance wardrobe, fighting with shoulders and making detached sleeves! A Wench takes a Mouse for a Walk The year started off strong with the production of this blue and yellow Swiss/German dress from the early 1500s.… Continue reading Renaissance clothing of 2024
A Deep Dive into Medieval English Embroideries by A.G.I. Christie
A few weeks ago, the embroidery focused social media was atwitter that suddenly, a rare book about Medieval English Embroidery (known as Opus Anglicanum) from 1938 was available for download on the internet. The book can be downloaded here. As an art historian, I am always skeptical of a publishing that far in the past… Continue reading A Deep Dive into Medieval English Embroideries by A.G.I. Christie
Grand Tour of Fall 24
For reasons that have more to do with the luck of scheduling than anything else, I bit off more than I could chew this fall. I attended 5 events over 4 weeks, including my favorite immersion event, the Decameron this fall. And on top of just getting my elegantly clothed self to these events, I… Continue reading Grand Tour of Fall 24
Hiking the Appalachians
How a Trossfrau, two soldiers and their forester hiked the Appalachians. I was invited to join some Landskenkts in a hike in the Appalachian mountains of Pennsylvania. Due to some miscommunications, I did not realize what a long (or high) hike this would be. Our path would take us by the Pinnacle, or highest point… Continue reading Hiking the Appalachians
The Inevitable Scadian 