The thirteenth annual FFF will be held Nov 20-22 in Lamar, PA.
Preliminary schedule of classes
Irish Woman's Dilemma - What Do I Wear
Lady Sorcha Dhocair inghean Ui Ruairc
Overview of women's clothing in Ireland from about 500 to 1600.
1pm; 1 hour; $1 for class packet
A yard or less
Lady Antoinette DeLorraine
Ever have a yard of fabric left over? Or want a small inexpensive project to enhance your garb? This class will give you basic ideas with examples of different time periods, with each taking a yard of fabric or less.
11am; 1 hour; Limit 5 for handouts.
From Seeing to Sewing: Intro to Pattern Making
Lady Elena de la Palma
Have you ever looked at a period painting and thought "Wow, that looks great!" only to have your heart immediately sink as you realize that you've got no idea where to start actually making the thing in the painting? This class will (hopefully) help with that by starting you down the wonderful rabbit-hole that is making your own patterns.
10 am; 1 hour
Lay Forth the Gown: Women's Dress in a 1532 French Inventory
Maistresse Marguerite d'Honfleur
Come explore an extant 1532 clothing inventory of the French Queen. Learn what types of garments and fabrics the French noblewomen of this time were wearing
10 am; 1 hour
Braiding
Lucet, Beyond Square Cord
Lady Eadgyth aet Staeningum
You’re comfortable making square cord; what's next? Flat cords, multi-strand cords, and variations. I'll have some lucets for lending, and everyone's welcome to bring their own (we'll also demonstrate how to slip a cord off, and put it back on after class!).
10am; 2 hours; Limit 15; $1 for materials and handout
4-Strand Lucet Cord
Lady Eadgyth aet Staeningum
Conventional wisdom has been that 3-strand cord is the most that can be worked on a standard 2-horn lucet, but it turns out that there is a way to work a cord with 4 active strands. (This is a technique for experienced lucet corders.) I'll have some lucets for lending, and everyone's welcome to bring their own.
1pm; 1 hour; Limit 10; $1 for materials and handout
Multi-person Fingerloop Braiding
Cristina inghean Ghriogair and Rosina von Schaffhausen
2pm; 1 hour
Kumihimo: History and Playtime
Lady Oribe Tsukime
Experiment with a simple spiral braid and discover which colors, braid styles, and braiding methods were used in period.
11am; 1 hour; Limit 8; No fee for handout. Braiding is free to try, materials are available for purchase.
Embroidery
Bead Embroidery
Mistress Jeanmaire Ilaria Beatrice du Domrémy
This class consists of both a lecture and a hands-on workshop. Students first learn how to outline the design on the fabric using the pearls provided in their kit. While they proceed with this task they are lectured on the historic use of beads to decorate clothing, beginning in Archaic Greece during the siege of Troy and going up through the middle of the 17th Century. After students have completed their outlines, or are comfortable sewing beads in a row, they will be taught how to fill in open areas. The instructor will assist each student in deciding how to complete his/her project, and provide the beads to do so. The historical lecture will continue into modern times, if there is an interest and if time permits. Numerous examples completed by the instructor will be available to handle and for close examination.
Fee $10.00 for the project kit. It includes: enough white faux pearls to complete the project, a piece of 100% linen fabric with the design already transferred onto it (colors and designs vary), sewing needle and thread, and a DVD containing all the images used during the class in .jpg format. (I will also have 5” plastic embroidery hoops available to purchase for an additional $7.00.)
Student needs to bring: A small embroidery hoop and a pair of embroidery scissors, or any small pair of scissors. (A few pairs of really bad scissors will be available to borrow.)
1pm; 2 hours; instructor may be available after class for further assistance; Limit 8
From Picture to Pattern
THL Jaqueline de Molieres
This class will show participants how to create an embroidery pattern from inspiration found in paintings, books and manuscripts. A variety of pictures will be provided to use from different time periods and sources. People will leave class with a pattern made. We will also discuss how embroidery patterns were created in period, processes and tools.
10am; 1 hour
Weaving
Beginning Inkle Loom Bands & what to do with them.
Elska Fjarfell of the Dominion of Myrkfaelinn
A class for beginners or weavers who have made some band but don't quite know what else but clothing trim and belts to make. I will warp one loom in class, and participants are encouraged to bring their own if they need more practice or help setting up. I will go over starting and finishing a band (locking the weft), share some tricks on how to get an even edge while weaving plus staying at a similar width from beginning to end. For fun I will go over different projects possible to make with wide band, including shoulder straps for bags, shoulder bags, looped belt pouch, book marks, viking leg wraps, and whatever else we can think of (please bring examples if you've made something neat).
3pm; 1 hour; Handout provided; Limit 20. Up to 6 weaving students (bring your own loom)
Woven Bands: Techniques and Patterns
Mistress Phiala O’Ceallaigh
An exploration of patterned bands: techniques, methods of production, patterns and motifs. Books, pictures, things to try.
Phiala, in the library, with the books.
Brocaded Tablet Weaving
Silvester Burchardt
A discussion of techniques and historic examples.
10am; 1 hour; Donation for handout
Snartemo Patterning
Viscountess Rosalind Ashworthe
The latest and greatest on designing your own four-color tablet woven bands. This is an advanced class; students must understand the basics of tablet weaving.
11am; 1 hour
Snartemo Weaving
Viscountess Rosalind Ashworthe
Weave a sample of a Snartemo-style four-color tablet woven band. This is an advanced class; students must understand the basics of tablet weaving.
1pm; 2 hours; Limit 4; Supplies available for student use; bring a loom if you have one.
Spinning
Viking Era Wool: History, Production and Use
THL Álfrún ketta
This class is a mix of discussion and demonstration. Discussion covers the evolution of wool, wool types (to aid in understanding archaeological texts) as well as sheep breeds descended from animals spread across Northern Europe by the Vikings. Following the discussion there will be a demonstration portion of the class showing how wool was processed and manufactured in the Viking age. During this time students will get to handle many different types of wool.
2pm; 2 hours; Limit 20; $1 for handout
Spinning on a Great Wheel
Mistress Brienna Llewellyn Lindsey and Lady Celebriande
Ever wanted to spin on a walking wheel? If so, then this class if for you. Not only will we discuss the great wheels, but also fiber preparation. There will be a bobbin wheel (small great wheel) and at least one walking wheel (possibly 2).
2pm; 1 hour
Spin like a Roman
Mistress Rhiannon y Bwa
The Roman hand distaff is small and dressed with a predrafted ball of fine wool. It is designed to work with a slender spindle for fine spinning. Many distaves of this type survive from both Roman times into the Dark Ages in certain parts of Europe. In Sardinia and some parts of Italy, this tiny distaff survived until modern times. We will explore both wooden and glass distaff usage. Hands on.
1pm; 1 hour; No fee; spindles, distaves and wool provided
Analyzing Threads from Archaeological Textiles
Lady Edith of Winterton
What goes into trying to replicate threads from period artifacts? What information can you get from a photograph or an article, and what can you figure out (or at least find the right questions to ask about) from context? Let's take a look at some photographs of woven textile finds and find out. Some magnifying glasses and clear protractors will be available.
3pm; 1 hour
Miscellaneous
Dyeing with Period Dyestuffs.
Mistress Irene von Schmetterling
I will bring 3 dye pots which I invite attendees to bring fiber to dye. These will be dyes for protein fibers. Topics covered will include preparing fiber for a dye pot, creating the dyes from source material and the dye process, samples from previous dye pots will be displayed. I will be bringing 3 dyes from 3 sources, Lac (an insect) , Madder (roots) and Brazilwood (wood of a tree). Students are invited to bring small sample skeins to put in the dye pots.
11am; 1 hour lecture portion; ongoing dyeing at the instructor’s convenience
How to read a knitting pattern.
Mistress Irene von Schmetterling
Basic knowledge of how to knit required. Please bring yarn and knitting needles that work together to make a typical gauge. We will knit swatches.
3pm; 1.5 hours
Making an Anglo-Saxon Ring Purse
Lady Leah of Wycombe
We will hand sew an easy purse that hangs from your waist belt. There are choices of fabric patterns.
11am; 1 hour; instructor will help everyone finish later if needed; Limit 12; $5 for a kit with instructions, pictures, fabric. Scissors, needle and thread will be available.
A Mary Rose ruler for your sewing kit
Master Bedwyr Danwyn
Learn how to make a six inch ruler in the style of rulers recovered from the Mary Rose for your sewing kit. Perfect for demos and other places where a modern ruler would be out of place. A limited number of blanks will be provided, and as time permits students can work on their rulers in class.
3pm; 1.5 hour
Fiber Arts Pavilion Roundtable
Mistress Brienna Llewellyn Lindsey and THL Fiadnata ó Gleann Àlainn
Let's have a discussion and planning session for the Fiber Arts Pavilion at the SCA 50 Year Celebration and the Pennsic Fiber Arts Pavilion, and what activities we want at each venue. We can also discuss the movement to have Fiber Areas at other large events -- what do you want to see?
3pm; 1 hour
Fencing
Etude 2 for single sword
Elena d'Artois
This drill focus on the practice for home drill in form and hand positions based on the concepts of Cappo Fero.
Handout provided
10am; 1 hour
une pratique sur les angles - A practice in Angles for Single sword or Sword and Dagger.
Elena d'Artois
This is focused on changing sword, body, and hand angles to work around standard defenses. It also includes small changes in foot movements to show how that can influence the open areas in an opponent's guard.
Handout provided
11am; 1 hour
Body Mechanics: what can you do on the field versus what you actually do
Diego Miguel Munoz de Castilla
This class shows how the body works during rapier combat. It will show techniques and drills that will allow a person to maximize the potential that exists and demonstrate how much more potential exists in each of us that is not being used.
1pm; 1 hour
Reading Your Opponent: how your opponent's mechanics will dictate what they will do on the field
Diego Miguel Munoz de Castilla
This class will show how techniques and drills can be applied directly intobouts. It will also demonstrate how the proper use of mechanics can be used against opponents in the list. And how to read how your opponent's mechanics will tell you about how they will approach the bout.
2pm; 1 hour
Reimagining Practice: How to get the most out of your training time.
Maestro Orlando di Bene del Vinta
This discussion class will explore a variety of strategies intended to help fencers better analyze their training efforts and implement strategies leading to growth beyond just the use of free-sparring and drilling.
3pm; 1 hour