Mary Ostler » DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com Elizabethan Wood Butcher & Builder of Things Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:15:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 en hourly 1 Persona Thoughts http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/persona-thoughts/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/persona-thoughts/#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:42:47 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=2325 For the first 10 years or so in the SCA I considered myself extremely late period English. It was kind of working for me. Due to me… being me, I ended up wearing almost exclusively Men’s clothing. Give me a dress even mid calf level, and I will find a way of face planting within minutes of putting it on. I choose a more cavalier style of dress so I could have a big wide brimmed hat (sun is evil). I knew who I was, where I lived, who lived with me, what we did (or easier what we wouldn’t do) for money. I had the whole persona in my head down to very small details (even if I chose to not play according to them).

In the last year or so, I have started getting more interested in Near Eastern (Turkish?) persona stuff.  Yet there are still things that I am finding difficult… so a love/hate list is in order.

Love

1., I love the Turkish clothing. I get to wear pants (shalvar), and the gomlek’s hem (chemise) is low enough to look feminine yet high enough I don’t hurt myself. I over heat VERY easily, so I love the Chirka (vest) lots of ventilation at the chest and no sleeves.

2., Bright Colors, Clashing Colors, HUGE patterns… Awesome.

3., Coffee – Do I need to say why?

4., Automata – OK so that’s a bit more Persian… it still satisfies my gadgetry lust.

5., Floor lathes – I love wood turning, and I have yet to dabble in this style.  Plans are in place.

6., The multitude of science related stuff that poured out of Persia, and turkey, and Greece is fascinating.

DisLike

1., No Hats with brims (women). This could end up the deal breaker for me. I burn just thinking of the sun. I have pasty white skin, light colored eyes, freckles everywhere, and have lightish redi-brown hair. The sun is my enemy. I find it baffling that in an area that experiences the amount of sunlight that the Near East does…. Brimmed hats are not around. I have taken to wearing a mongol cap with a huge fur brim wedged well into the eyelid area to try to filter out some of the sun…. It really is killing me.

2., Little furniture can be documented on anything other than palace furniture. I love working with  wood. I find the limits of lower/middle class stuff I can build kind of depressing.

3., Language – I am semi-fluent in English… much less so in French. That’s were all my language skill ends (other than asking for the Canadian embassy in multiple languages). Much of the research I have done is through google translate. Not a very handy method of research, and I often wonder at how good the translation is.

4., Familiarity -  I know very little about the history of the region. I grew up with English history, and what little was said about the near east had gone in one ear and out the other. I know so little that when I go to try to find basic information on the region I get completely flummoxed by the names, terms…etc.

I really want to start working on my persona, but am somewhat overwhelmed in a general sense. Specific crafts and skills I can focus on…. but the bigger picture just a blurry mess at the moment.

Any thoughts? Suggestions on books, websites to help me out?

I have sort of chose late period Turkey as it seemed a little more approachable at the moment… but I am not married to it yet either.

Help!

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]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/persona-thoughts/feed/ 5 Regency Fightclub http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/regency-fightclub/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/regency-fightclub/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:56:35 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=2315 Damn… I need to start hanging out wih these ladies.   Snarf!

Her name was Roberta Paulsen…

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]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/regency-fightclub/feed/ 0 15th Century Timur Disked Bell Tent. http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/15th-century-timur-disked-bell-tent/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/15th-century-timur-disked-bell-tent/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:13:32 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=2310 I have an idea…. Its a backpack sized period encampment. Something small enough I could in theory lug onto the BC ferries as a walk on passenger thus saving me stupid amounts of money.

so…

In my seemingly never ending need to build different kinds of tents, I bring you the 15th century Timur Disked Bell.

all four images from “Felt Tents & Pavillions”

Small short center pole tents with huge amounts of arabesque designs elements.

In all the pictures I can find of these tents they all have a short ~1′ tall wall with alternating angled color strips. In the text of the book, the author talks about alternating red/white/blue/white on all of the white tents, with the arabesque predominately  blue. I have tried doing a search for colored versions of these photos, but so far my google-fu has let me down.

This image has the disked bell opened up like a sunshade. I would love to be able to make the tent function in this manner two. The one stumbling block I can see with it is the uber long guide ropes that would be needed to use it in this fashion. I could have a whole series of wall poles so I could decrease the angle…. but that takes away from the lightweight carry on-ness of this tent.

I also like the color contrast from inside to outside. Not sure if this is just an artists touch or indication of  an inner lining. I am taking it as an inner lining, and seeing if I can make a light weight cotton broadcloth lining. I think an inner red or blue lining would be amazing, especially if I add the arabesque to the inside too.

That “Felt Tent and Pavilion” book is amazing. It even has an image of a 15th century tent decoration panel. I believe this is a bit more ambitious than I plan to do, but it give you an idea of how crazy awesome some of those tents actually where.

I have a few other things I have to get to first, but I really would love to have at least the outer done in time for ban Tanist Kate & Tanist Alden’s step up.

Nuts…Yes?

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/15th-century-timur-disked-bell-tent/feed/ 0 Emily’s Highchair v1.7 ~ Short Stuff http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/emilys-highchair-v1-7-short-stuff/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/emilys-highchair-v1-7-short-stuff/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:00:27 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=2298

Emily turned out to be a rocker. To such a degree, the high chair with its fairly narrow foot print was becoming a bit on the dangerous side. So a year early than I thought, I have cut the legs down to a  child’s height. I had designed the chair so that there was a turned ball just below the foot rail of the chair.  Thus with the lower barley twist leg removed the foot still looked finished. The leg sections that were removed will be made into a foot stool to match the chair, complete with rush fiber webbing.

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/emilys-highchair-v1-7-short-stuff/feed/ 3 Turkish Carpet Project v1.7 Finished Cartoon http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/turkish-carpet-project-v1-7-finished-cartoon/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/turkish-carpet-project-v1-7-finished-cartoon/#comments Mon, 12 Jul 2010 04:46:03 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=2293 My fingers feel like the are going to snap like a twig, but I managed to finish the rug cartoon in the last week.

Thats it…

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/turkish-carpet-project-v1-7-finished-cartoon/feed/ 0 Best Turnip Related Game EVER! http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/2287/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/2287/#comments Sat, 10 Jul 2010 14:29:31 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=2287 Thanks to Gürcü Iskender (Sasha Khan) I now have a new awesome time waster on my hands.

Simply the greatest game EVER that features a turnip.

Action Turnip

image  from sweetbeetandgreenbean flickr

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]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/2287/feed/ 3 Turkish Rug project v1.6 a Looming I Will Go http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/turkish-rug-project-v1-6-a-looming-i-will-go/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/turkish-rug-project-v1-6-a-looming-i-will-go/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:11:40 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=2280 The project has been at a bit of a stand still as off late. The main hold up was the loom. I have been pulling out my hair trying to find either an image or a decent description of a near eastern rug loom in period. The closest I could find were a few images from the 1800’s in the V&A.

I had originally decided to make a tabriz loom for the carpet. Its a style that allows you to spool the rug around to the back side of the loom. This allows you to make a carpet just shy of double the front side of the loom. This one seems to be the most common in modern pictures of rug looms. Yet the image above shows a loom that has the warps attached to a set of rollers. This allows for the making of rugs of almost unlimited lengths.

So yesterday while doing a weekly troll of the local Craiglist I found someone selling a Leclerc Tissrat Tapestry loom for a decent price. Tapestry looms come up rarely, and this is one of the nicest I have seen. I made a trip out to the deepest darkest depths of Surrey to check out the loom. It came home with me.

Its big enough to fill a goodly portion of my bedroom. Score.

So I have the loom, now on to deciding on the wool I will need.

I heart the V&A museum. They not only have a fantastic collection… they have taken the time to actually analyse what their carpets where made of in great details, and then added that data to the web entries. I gathered all the carpets they have listings for pre-1600 and made a database to make it easier to decipher.

V&A pre-1600 Carpet material Database

I also found a reference to having colored warp threads on some carpets  that denoted where the flat weave edge should begin. I think I will use this method to not only show where to do the flat weave, but to also show where the borders should run.

** Next task…. Figure out exactly what kind of wool I need to buy for the warp threads. This is the kind of textile stuff I start to get confused with.

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/07/turkish-rug-project-v1-6-a-looming-i-will-go/feed/ 0 AT War 2010 http://www.maryostler.com/2010/06/at-war-2010/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/06/at-war-2010/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:02:59 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=2274 Its amazing the difference a good event can do for a tarnished outlook. At war is the desert after a mediocre meal. I love this event like I use to love Clinton a dozen years ago. Bit of a mixed bag of photos this time, lots of court, and some of the party.

Lots of rapier fighters, but no really good way to st a photo without getting mundane stuff in the background.

Happy to see the Mini-yurt in the Drachenwald encampment. I took the shot while on the ground so it, and the standards look bigger than they really are.

Obligatory shot of buffalo.

I entered a Triangular stool in the A&S contest. I had Mistress Safiye, Alicia, & Elizabeth Blencowe as my judges. They were very inquisitive & supportive.

Princess of Avacal held a Childrens Court prior to the Uber court.

11 royals in attendance. I have never seen a court that big before (sheltered life).

HE Sir Savric receiving a ______. I seriously can’t remember which award he received…. Bad Mary, I blame the evil wonder twin.

King Owain recognizing those people who have helped him reign .

Queen Caoimhe telling the court about the amazing generosity of a An Tir Armorer. Making and sending  legs to fighters in South Africa.

Aine Inghean Ui Chonchobhair  was entered into the order of Hospitler of Albion. A Drachenwald order for people from outside the kingdom that help the kingdom…alot!

Hraði inn Rakki joined the ranks of the Black Dragon Guards. Those special few awesome people who are entrusted with guarding The king & Queen of Drachenwald.

Uiliam was made a Beer Star… err  L’Etoile d’Argent for his prowess with Hops & Barley…etc

A segment of the Rapier community were presented as the newest Tir Righian Guild.  The Company of Defense will be students of period methods of  Cut & Thrust Combat.

They even put on a bit of a demo for the gathered  royals and court .

The Princes of Tir Righ and Avacal hamming it up.

Then the best part of the War… The Eric party.  Smaller social gathering were happening in encampments, but a large portion of the near 400 people in attendance  came out to party with one and all.

Spear the beer… not my favorite, but always a crowd pleaser.

Dana & Dale

The evil wonder twin & I being stupid.

Dana left Dale in our custody for a while….. Madness I say! Madness.

More Stupid

Dale kills her first man!

Azemar…. Not sure….

Hraði inn Rakki blinded by my flash… I put the camera away…. except for this one last image. My Favorite by Far!

My Evil Wonder Twin Eleanor the beer cooler.

It totally sucks that the next AT war is 52 weeks away!

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/06/at-war-2010/feed/ 4 Drachenwald Silk Banner http://www.maryostler.com/2010/06/drachenwald-silk-banner/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/06/drachenwald-silk-banner/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:38:10 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=2242 At War has come and gone again this year, and I am sad to think its another 52 weeks til the next time Tir Righ wipes the floor with the Avacalians. I was happy to be included in the Kingdom of Drachenwald’s Encampment. In honor of Queen Caoimhe’s attendance at our little war I decided to make a silk standard of the Drachenwalds Ensign.

I just realized while writing this post that I had put the ensign upside down…. Ack. Drachenwald in distress… OMG.

I was happy to say the queen didn’t notice, and seemed to like the standard.

]]> http://www.maryostler.com/2010/06/drachenwald-silk-banner/feed/ 0 Silk Banners http://www.maryostler.com/2010/06/silk-banners/ http://www.maryostler.com/2010/06/silk-banners/#comments Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:39:11 +0000 DirtyMary http://www.maryostler.com/?p=2234

When I had made the cone of shame, I had made a banner finial for the top of it. If you have a banner finial… you need a banner. I had originally taken a workshop on the subject taught by Mistress Agnes, and had played with it a bit since then… but this was going to be my first banner. Mostly just images after the jump

Stretcher built out of stuff from the scrap bin.

Decided to free hand the turnip. It ended up a little large. All hail the mutant turnip.

The stripy edge bit was all haphazardly drawn. Each segment is a totally different length.

My Motto is a bit of Dog Latin… Make my Day Punk.

You can just make out the pencil lines on the upper part of the banner

Final product with the edges all sewn up

The wonder twin wanted me to show her how to make a banner. I am not a particularly good teacher, but I figured… its the  wonder twin…. Gotta give it a go.

I couldn’t stick around till completion, but I think it is going to look FABU!

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