Pennsic War 52 Classes I Took

My scheduled commitments, paired with catching a variant of the Pennsic Plague, prevented my attendance to many classes that caught my eye this year. (And the heat, let's not forget about the oppressive humidity and heat...) Nevertheless, here we go!

1. Bycocket Workshop.  Learn about the history, construction and finishing of a wool felt bycocket. This is a hands-on workshop that **REQUIRES** that the participants bring their own wool felt blank in order to make a hat. Individuals without a blank are welcome to sit in and receive a handout. [Instructor: Lady Margarette la Gantiere]
2. Coats, Cloaks, and Other Outerwear. Weather happens. Sometimes it's cold or wet. What is the appropriate coat, cloak, or other protection from the elements for your persona? Survey of European outerwear 1000-1600 CE. [Instructor: Lady Sisuile Butler]

Pushing for Pennsic - 2025

Rather than curse myself with a monthly project update post, I humbly offer a list of garment-related items I have been working on for the two of us or for kingdom projects. My stretch goals for the winter were a bit stretchy. (Sounds familiar, eh?)

Crispin's Wardrobe Refresh

• completed projects
• green linen cotehardie
• shot linen lightweight cotehardie
• army green linen work tunic
• natural linen work tunic
• dark blue lightweight linen work tunic
• shot linen lightweight work tunic

Gianna's Wardrobe Refresh

• completed projects
• green wool cotehardie with silk sleeves
• green linen short sleeve cotehardie
• aluminum (grey) linen short sleeve cotehardie
• shot linen lightweight cotehardie
• purple archaic chiton with purple and grey trim
  
• green archaic chiton green and white trim
• natural archaic chiton with red and brown trim
• red archaic chiton
• shot linen archaic chiton
• Traveling Hat Club
• North Oaken - Middle Kingdom Coronation
• South Oaken - Royal University of the Midrealm
• Pentamere - Val Day
• Midlands - Ragnarök Rampage
• Constellation - Better War Through Archery

Other Projects

• Midrealm Royal
• award shield heraldry (1)
• award shield heraldry documentation

A Boast at Crown Tournament

From the Crown Tournament of Their Majesties Wigthegn and Neassa, the consorts were honored with original prose. Crispin and I were honored again to be represented by Lady Canay, an artisan and archer of of great renown residing in the Ayreton. 

Putting her hat in the ring for glory --
Servant, leader, lover of her people,
Praise be to Gianna Vettori!

Ethereal in beauty and presence,
she weaves noble webs to help the whole realm,
and serves with such care and effervescence.

Emboldened by her love, Sir Crispin fights,
slaying their enemies, earning honor
and envy too, from all the other knights.

Chapeau of Subtleties

I received a commission for a bycocket to be presented at the Midrealm coronation held locally in North Oaken. The person is a pivotal member of the Greenwood Company, which afforded the opportunity to play with several suggestions I had for Greenwood-themed hats! Pulling from the Traveling Hat Club archives, I selected the inspiration and proceeded with the plan.

The shape and brim came easily, but the adornments took a bit of creative adjustment to achieve the look I was going for with the beads I found. The pearls are floral cut beads attached below the needle felted wavy line of wool representing the red pale, while above are six seed beads sewn above, also representing the pearls of the court barony. The feathers are white ostrich and red-dyed pheasant as another nod to the pale of the Middle Kingdom.

Inspiration.

Tacked down.

Basted.

Finished!

A sneak peek.

Sur la tete!

Traveling Hats at Better War Through Archery

The Fellowship of the Traveling Hat recently held session at Better War Through Archery hosted by the Barony of Sternfeld in the Constellation region in Indiana.

The class was a traditional in the sense that I presented the materials, then dove directly into hat making. Over the course of the time allotted, as well as the buffer between classes, about 25 new hats were released into the wild, and several on first-time event attendees! As usual, special thanks to everyone who showcased their hats throughout the day.

If you've attended a single teacher session, you know that it can get crazy when the creation of hats begins as you are vaulted to not only subject matter expert, but coach, style consultant, and cashier. Of those moments, which are often very blurred, was a woman who was quietly working on a pink hat. We consulted for the fit of the hat at some point and when I next looked over, she was cutting scallops into the hat -- a bold move right from the start! It was later at the B&B that her story was shared with me -- she was so excited and proud of the hat she created earlier in the day and how she had recreated the scallops off of the teacher's hat. 

It's moments like that which make driving in a car that look like this worth it.

The promotion shot taken on my way to BWTA.

Noblesse Largesse Gift Exchange

It's been a few year since I participated in the Noblesse Largesse holiday gift exchange, but I thought I'd give it a go. The recipient's time period was a little earlier than the source material for the hood, but I figured it should still work for a few centuries earlier as hoods are pretty universal in make and model. The construction of the hood was based upon a fourteenth century hood found in Baynard's Castle, London UK. [See original source material at Opus Elenae's website.] 

The recipient's heraldic colors are blue, green, and gold. I chose celery green and periwinkle blue woven silk, lined with khaki colored linen. It is, as they say very demure and very mindful. I tacked down gold wool yarn at 4 and 7 centimeters from the edge, then added faux pearls in trefoils every 9 to 10 centimeters.

Hopefully, they will like it!

• Inspiration
• Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
• Bodleian Library MS. Bodl. 264, pt. I
• Flanders, Tournai
• French, Old (842-ca. 1400)
• Materials
• woven silk, linen, wool, cotton thread, and commercial faux seed pearls.

Inspiration.

Finished project.

Award of the Purple Fret - January 2025

The Award of the Purple Fret is an award given by the Crown to individuals who have been recognized for service to a group, office, or Kingdom.

• Source: The Walters Ex Libris
• Title: French Book of Hours
• Origin: France, Central (Rouen)
• Date: 1420-80

The scroll was created on pergamenata with Windsor-Newton gouache, Bombay Black India Ink and 24 carat gold leaf. The text reads as follows:

Pay heed to the words of Kilian and Jalida, beloved sovereigns of the Middle Kingdom. They wish to publicly recognize their faithful subject Chrysanthème des Prés for doing great acts of service, especially when providing nourishment to the masses and wish to bestow upon her the Award of the Purple Fret. Done this fourth day of January, Anno Societatis LIX (59) at the Twelth Night Celebrations in the Barony of Middle Marches.

Finished work.

In Process.

Inspiration piece.