In the Blink of a Needle's Eye

Though I have been intending to start blogging more frequently, a great deal of time and Elizabethan-themed activity has passed between the San Jose faire and this post. I solemnly swear to start blogging up a storm in the future though!!! The 2014 Northern California Renaissance Faire season is in full swing, and so much excitement has ensued in the last several weeks. Here's a few highlights of the last few weeks:

I got the opportunity to teach a class during the actor's workshops leading up to faire entitled The Good Housewife based on some of my research from my thesis!! I focused on the realities vs. the stereotypes of women (particularly in the middling sort of course) and their work, including five case studies of particular tropes. I used some cool visual aids that had images showing each stereotype and reality, back to back (which I even had laminated because I'm fancy like that). They look great, and I think they really helped to convey how the Elizabethans literally saw and theoretically understood these tropes. I hope to teach the class again next year and maybe another one as well. I had a lot of fun plus got to share some of my knowledge and hard work!

During workshops Becky and I had a chance to try spinning in a class taught by one of the women from St. Cuthbert's guild. I'm TERRIBLE!! As of right now, that is Anne's deep, dark secret. I want to get better though since it's a skill that every woman learned from childhood. Hope I get a chance to pick up a spindle and some fiber from Cuthbert's before the season is over so that I can start practicing. Thank goodness I already have some skills in embroidery and sewing that I can use in the guild yard instead of needing to learn to spin!

Before I knew it, it was opening weekend!! What a blast! I'm in a couple of parades, a couple of shows, and of course time to shop, see some shows, and embroider in the guild yard, too! Unfortunately, it was definitely not historically accurate weather with a high of 105!! Luckily for me, I don't typically have a problem with the heat, but it definitely hit everyone pretty hard and sent several people home (including my partner-in-crime Becky aka Goody McMannis). Despite the weather I had a wonderful time though! 

One of the highlights was meeting the fabulous Jennifer Kluska (wastedweeds.blogspot.com) in person!! Since we have very similar taste in early-modern fashion (including making accidentally matching attire!) and we look somewhat alike, we of course had to take a "twin" picture while at faire together!! We had a great time wandering about the village together, and I hope we will get a chance to do so again in the future. 

While on our promenade, we naturally stopped to shop at Farthingale Enterprises, and unsurprisingly I made my first big purchase of the season. Some beautiful black and white raw silk and coordinating gimp trim that I plan on turning into a loose gown. Looks like this will be my next sewing project, as I already have all of the materials and can't resist starting it immediately. I'm sure I'll have a post up with more details on it sooner rather than later!!

Unfortunately, I got a lousy cold that hasn't gone away yet and had to miss out on second weekend, so I've spent a good portion of the week embroidering to try to get my coif done for third weekend. Since this post has gotten ridiculously long and thematically scattered enough already, I'll rap it up! Another post on the way about what sewing projects I've been up to at the same time. And I swear, no more epic posts, new format/style will definitely be short, frequent posts!