Napkins for Royals

The West Kingdom Needle Workers' Guild has members embroider a set of napkins to give each set of napkins (one for each) when they step up to reign as king & queen. The napkins can't have crowns on them but can have the kingdom populace badge or something reminiscent of the personae of the royals. I took up the responsibility back at October Crown tournament last year but I waited to start planning them until I learned who won in June (to step up at Purgatorio coronation later this month).

The victor was Count Sir Alfar Utherson for Duchess Eilis O'Boirne. I decided to try a bit from both of their personal devices to decorate the corners of the napkins.

Another little monogrammed handerchief

I was supposed to be getting started on the napkins for Kingdom of the West's Purgatory coronation event that's coming up later this month. I stepped up to design the work for the napkins and realized I wasn't very inspired at the moment to make napkins. I was, however, inspired to make a surprise handkerchief for a friend of a friend. Viscountess Syele, aka Songbird, of the West Kingdom is probably the bestest friend of my Laurel and (well, honestly I'm a little jealous of their friendship because damn I wish I had a bestest friend at all) she's had a rather difficult year. I was at the heralds' meeting when we approved her badge of a songbird standing on top of a cage (not inside it, which actually brought up a lot of discussion about "is it really a birdcage if the bird isn't IN the cage as they appeared in historic examples?). Her badge was approved not just by the kingdom heralds but also by the Laurel College and as such is an official badge of hers now.

I like to monogram hankies for people, especially for shits & giggles. I did the same thing the day Tullia asked me to be her apprentice (had it ready to go and gift to her, wasn't expecting to even be asked something so awesome by a person I idolize). Last summer I embroidered hankies on Vittorio (my fighter), Vyncent, and Violet (notice something. . . I was practicing the letter V). I made one as a thank you for autocratting this year's Crosston Ball for Jacques de Sion. Last year, when Miles & Ariela stepped up as King and Queen of the West, Ariela had requested handkerchiefs with the letter A on them to give to the weepers in court. I completed two of those. Man, I wish I knew who had gotten them.

For Syele's handkerchief, I drew up a pretty little S in one corner. It's about the size of a quarter coin. I did it in my favorite scarlet red and trimmed it in a little silver thread. Split stitch and stem stitch to outline.

For the opposite corner, I simply copied the badge as it was submitted to the college of heralds. A gold cage worked in harvest gold thread with the Hungarian braid stitch and the outlined in that silver thread done in stem stitch. Atop the cage is a little songbird in the same scarlet color with silver outline as the S on the opposite corner; split stitch and stem.

I was so excited to give it to her when I finished that dropped it off with Tullia to give to her. I was also so excited that in my rush to drop it off in the South Bay, I completely forgot to snap pics of my work for my portfolio work. Syele got it today and it made her super happy. She also took photos and posted one on Facebook and tagged me in it so all the SCA world got to see a bit of my work. Yay!

She graciously included her engagement ring for scale. 

Selfie of the lovely Songbird with her badge.

Sewing for Royalty

Saturday was the Investiture ceremony for the newest Prince and Princess of Cynagua (the area of the Society for Creative Anachronisms that encompasses interior Northern California and most of Nevada). My new friend Sylvie became our princess and last month she asked me to make her coat for her stepping-up!!! Wha?! A new laurel and now royalty asked ME to sew something for her!!! I'm shocked and tickled pink. This was the first time I've sewn for royalty that have actually enlisted my services. Last year's summer investiture featured the stepping down prince and princess in garb sewn by me, but I was helping with the task as people had had sudden cases of life and I was available to tap in and help out. But this. . . this was the first time the royalty asked me to do something and I'm very very honored.


***
Here's Sylvie's write up on her own blog of the whole ensemble. She looked so great! Research Dumping Grounds - Kentish Step Up

The Great Game Board Project

Plan: Create a set of fabric napkin game boards for my dear friend (and laurel's fiance) Master Vyncent who generally runs the West Kingdom Publick House as a birthday present. The game boards will be on heavy linen fabric, made up into napkins/table cloths and will be embroidered by me using period stitches. This should be simple enough because most of the game boards are just lines that one uses markers for.

Some planned games:
Nine Mans Morris - completed
Glukhaus (added) - completed
Checkerboard (in blackwork) - in progress
Game of Goose - still in planning stages

12/31/16 ETA: I finally gifted 2 of the game boards to Master Vyncent as a Christmas gift. I gave him the Nine Mans Morris board and Glukhaus.

4/1/2017 ETA: still woring on the damned chessboard. I'm almost done. Almost. This will be the death of me.