Equestrian Traveler Competition

Posted by on May 7, 2013 No comments

We have made a couple of changes to the Traveler (trail) course and have written a story to go with it. :)

Timing STARTS when the rider crosses the ground marker. Each obstacle must be completed at the walk, but travel between can be any gait. All obstacles must be attempted for 10 seconds.  At the 10 second point, the marshal will indicate it is time to move on to the next obstacle.  (Please do not school your horses during the competition. There will be plenty of time later to work with your horse if they refuse an obstacle.)

Traveler Story

Your favorite brother’s horse has returned without his rider. He has disappeared on his way home from the annual Jousting tournament. You must find his body to bring peace to your family.   After traveling some distance on your faithful steed, you come to the end of your family property.  Just outside of the gate you see a gruesome sight.  There lie the bodies of your brother’s traveling companions and their horses.  Unfortunately, this is a very narrow canyon and you must walk over the bodies to get beyond to the bridge.  You don’t find your brother among the dead so you continue on.  After crossing the bridge you see a trail heading under the waterfall.  You follow this trail and cross over the mountain. Below you see brambles that go on for miles.  You must cross through these and over the fallen logs in the ancient forest.  As you get closer to the lake, you notice your brother’s sword at the water’s edge. You enter the water diligently searching for more signs.  There across the lake you see him! He is struggling in the quick sand next to the water.  You throw your rope to him and drag him into a dark grove where he can be safe until you can bring back help. You immediately go to the nearby Abbey and ring the bell to gain entrance.  They go to retrieve your brother and you choose a more direct path home to give your family the good news.  The shortcut requires some precise riding and you quickly make your way back to the narrow canyon and the gate to your family estate.

  1. Open and close gate
  2. Bottle crossing
  3. Over the bridge
  4. Waterfall
  5. Over the hill (does not have to be walked)
  6. Fingers of death
  7. Cavaletties
  8. Across water
  9. Body drag
  10. In-Ring bell-back out (between ground poles)
  11. Around the log bank and side pass over ground pole.
  12. Step up onto pedestal with both front feet.
  13. Narrow walk-thru
  14. Bottles
  15. Gate (open and close)
  16. End time at the close of the gate.

Oooooooh. Pretty……

Posted by on May 7, 2013 No comments

We’re almost to the point that makes all the work worthwhile. Lady Taran Nic Tarl’a’s Celtic themed panel is very colorful and shiny. Not much longer until it is finished.

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Sadb Hálsdóttir’s Egyptian themed panel is also coming along.

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The fun part begins!

Posted by on May 1, 2013 No comments
AmyByz

Finally, we get to the fun part: making the decorative panels pretty. Milisandia filia Willelmi is working on a Byzantine-inspired piece. She is starting with some stunning appliques.

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Amazing what a little embellishment to a fabric applique can do.

The real work begins….

Posted by on May 1, 2013 No comments

With pattern and lovely dyed fabric, we quickly constructed all 6 chair covers.

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Now, we can take a basic, modern camping chair and transform it into… a less-obtrusive object for sitting.

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The Pattern

Posted by on April 15, 2013 Comments Off

We have the idea. We have the fabric. Now what?

Our shire is blessed to have a brilliant pattern designer, Taran mac Tarl’a. (I’m continually amazed by the talent of so many kinds in our shire, the Summits, An Tir, and the rest of the Known World.) We took measurements and more measurements. It was amazing to watch Taran take these numbers and understand how to translate them into a pattern on paper. After a mock up and adjustments, we had our pattern.

Then came the fun part: dying the fabric. I’ll tell ya, stirring several pounds of fabric continually in a die vat for at least 30 minutes… feels like much longer.

First, we had to pre-wet the fabric.

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Then mixing the dye. Black is not an easy color to get.

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The hard part: stirring and stirring and stirring our brew…

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And the finished dye project, drying in the back yard.

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Awesome Fabric Finds

Posted by on April 8, 2013 Comments Off
silkVelvetColors

We were sitting around at a fighter practice/arts & science night and talking about the project. We needed at least an estimate of what our expenses would be. Milisandia filia Willelmi, Taran Nic Tarl’a, and Sabd Halsdottir sat huddled around a laptop. On a whim, Lady Milisandia says “google silk velvet.” We thought, right, we’ll be able to afford silk velvet.

To our amazement the search returned silk velvet, via Amazon, for $5.90 a yard! So we ordered a variety of colors to use for the embellishment panelsright then and there.

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Our second miracle happened within days. Lady Taran had the idea of using big, cotton drop cloths for the main part of the covers: Sturdy, 100% cotton, and super affordable. To make it even better, Harbor Freight had them on sale for $5 each .

DropCloths

 

The Inception

Posted by on April 7, 2013 Comments Off

When we began planning this year’s Hocktide fundraiser project, we knew that we wanted something that anyone and everyone would use. We wanted it to be beautiful, practical, and durable.  We wanted it to be something that one could proudly “show off” at events. Hmmmm.

Then the idea gelled:  camp chair covers. Yes, camp chair covers. Think about it. How many panoramas of fighting fields, pavilions, banners, thrones, and gorgeous garb do you see that are marred by those awful, so very modern camp chairs? Many folks don’t have the time, money, skills or what not to travel with a period appropriate chair. So, why not cover up that eye-sore with a lovely, period-inspired, hand made chair cover.

We eventually decided to create 3 pairs of embellished camp chair covers; each pair will be a separate prize for the event’s fundraiser. They are made of heavy, washable, 100% cotton canvas. We are adding removable panels embellished with a variety of materials, such as beads, “raw” and felted wool, appliqués, trim, etc.

One pair will be in a Celtic style. One chair will display a mounted archer, and the other chair will display the hunted boar.

One pair will have an Egyptian theme, based on chairs with gold inlay designs recovered from various tombs. The chairs will be complimentary in design..

One pair will display Byzantine inspired designs taking inspiration from thrones, and furniture of noble families.

Hocktide 2013

Posted by on April 5, 2013 Comments Off

From this point forward, the posts you are reading pertain to the 2013 Hocktide Emprise. Everything after this post is from past Hocktides and has been left up for folks who might be interested in the efforts made in years past.

Getting There

Posted by on April 15, 2011 Comments Off

Well, work on the back portion of the cloak is complete. Have I mentioned that I hate couching? All done though. Last bit is the second side of the front motif. I’m running out of black floss and will be just a little short. I will have to get some Saturday along with everything else that is going on.

Raffe and I will make a morning trip out to site to plan and check conditions. The weather is mild and things are drying out  and the water table dropping as is evidenced by the disappearing goose pond across the road. To bad for the geese, but good for Hocktide Emprise.

No more pictures until the whole thing is done.

Back to the Cloak of Doom

Posted by on April 15, 2011 Comments Off

Well, it’s official, work on the Saddle Blanket is side lined. It’s okay though because in the end, it will have to be custom fit to the winners horse anyhow. I have a super start on it, with the dags half done (the rest are pinned) and half of the back and one end done on the boarder vine work stuff.

I got the cloak back from Ealhwynne last week at our shire meeting. The camel color lucet cording is down with the woven trim. It’s perfect and sets off the trim wonderfully. Using colors from other portions of the cloak for the cording really makes it all “Pop”.

The Mustard cording on the front motif brings the mustard color around from the back, while the creamy camel color brings the color from the horse and the front motif to the outer edge and integrates the trim which also has the rich earthy tones of the cloak and the russet backing of the front motif. I guess my painting theory is showing through. It’s kind of the same thing, in that it keeps the eye moving back and forth, tying all the elements together.

I finished the embroidery and couching on the mane and tail Sunday.  Have I mentioned lately that I hate doing couching? Don’t know why, just do. Started the couching lines on the central motif yesterday. I’m using two needles. One for the heavy floss and a smaller one for the single thread stitching it all down. I have things back on the frame because it’s just too much fabric to manage on my lap while working two needles. The ganglion cyst on my thumb finally ruptured and is going away, but the current work is killer on my neck and between my shoulders. My arms keep falling asleep at night when I sleep. That’s new, but the price of fabulous cloaks I guess.

I’ve got the primary lines in the central motif done tonight. Just a few odd bits left, that I thought I would de-emphasize with a different color. Started laying that down, and I’m thinking maybe not. I’ll sleep on it tonight. Didn’t get very far before I was thinking I didn’t like it, so no big deal if I have to take that out and start over. I’m hoping to wrap this all up late tomorrow. Oh, alright! I mean Thursday morning around 2 am at my usual bed time. Have I mentioned I hate couching? Then it’s back to Aja for the lining. Bless her heart. They are moving and she is still committed to doing what she can. That will give me a few more days to work on the blanket. Then the cloak is back to me for the buttons and clasp most likely just in time for Hocktide.

It’s all coming down to the wire now. I was getting a little panic-y last week especially when the weather turned cold and really wet again, but Raffe helped me by telling me simply, “it will all work out or it won’t, and if it doesn’t it won’t be due to something anyone can do anything about, (like weather) and stressing out won’t change a single thing.” Hey! That’s my advice to other people! How dare he use it on me!