Historical Costume, SCA Garb …
Before I started my second careeer as a writer, I sewed quite a lot of garb for myself and friends. I went to be part of a panel about the SCA at the sci-fy convention Core Con today, and had to wear something bling-y. That is, something eye-catching that showed off what we do in the SCA. I had a terrible time finding something to wear!
I couldn’t wear this red dress from 1550 Florence because it doesn’t fit any
more. I sewed all three layers by hand for an A&S competition years ago.
I couldn’t wear this blue/pink shot silk dress from 1530 Florence this because I gave it away.
I couldn’t wear this Indian dress because it isn’t really historically accurate. It’s the only one I didn’t sew myself.
This Viking Apron dress was out because the last time I wore it it got badly stained. Fine for camping, but not for a show-off opportunity.
I decided against this velvet dress from 1535 Florence Italy because it takes 2 people to get me into it, it’s an extremely tight fit and it’s hot to wear.
And this one was impossible because it isn’t finished yet. I’m stumped by it. I can’t fit the bodice no matter what and I’m too lazy to actually try to rip it out and start over.
I couldn’t wear this one because it’s Victorian/Steampunk, not medieval or renaissance.
So I wore this one. Purple and silver Byzantine silk/blend brocade.
You know what this means? I need to sew some more garb. Something that will wow the audience but is comfortable to wear, easy to put on and doesn’t weigh a ton.
Corky Needs Help
Corky Needs Our Help!
About six months ago a new cat rescue group came into being in Fargo North Dakota. CATS Cradle split from PAAWS to be able to concentrate on rescuing felines and finding them good homes. I got my last cat, Little Bit, from PAAWS. She was found in a State park by Carol Stefonek, who went on to become a co-founder of CATS Cradle. I’m actually allergic to cats, so as much as I’d like to volunteer, I can’t spend too much time around large numbers of cats. I get used to my own, so they don’t bother me, but a half dozen strange cats would lay me out. I think CATS Cradle does good work, so I’ve been contributing 5% of my royalties to them. That doesn’t actually amount to much, but I figure every little bit helps, right?
But now they have a great need. Back at the end of March, a darling 7-month old kitten came to the shelter. His name is Corky. He’s bright and good natured, and full of fun
. He also was born with a severe disability. His hind legs bend backward, and are twisted. He can’t walk on them, so he happily drags himself along on his front feet. By his sweet dispostion and playful nature, it’s plain he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with him. Most people would have just put him to sleep, but the good folks at CATS Cradle decided to fight for him. They found a generous and talented veterinarian who was willing to operate. Even with many services and time being donated, it was estimated the surgery would cost $2500.
Well, it will be many times that. Corky is a brave little soul, and the vet has pronounced the surgery a success, but there have been some bumps in the road for Corky. He’s still at the vet hospital and will be for some time while he undergoes various therapies. That costs money which the shelter, being fairly new, doesn’t have. (And really, how many shelters have lots of excess money, anyway?)
To read some news articles about Corky’s story, click one of the links below.
CATS Cradle has a Facebook page and Corky is featured heavily there.
If you have a few spare dollars, please consider donating to CATS Cradle to help fund Corky’s recovery. You can find out how to give at:
I’m in One of THOSE Moods!
Yes, I get moody sometimes. Right now I’m feeling dissatisfied with my life and my writing. Things aren’t flowing smoothly. When I wrote Sleeping With the Wolf, the words just poured out of me. I wouldn’t say it was easy, but compared to how I feel right now, it was. Maybe it’s because when I wrote Carla and Taye’s story, it was still not officially a job. At that point, my writing was a hobby that I could set aside for months on end. I love writing, and I have no plans to give it up. This is just one of those moods that strikes from time to time.
The point of this post is … Hm. What was it again? Oh, yeah. When I get into these moods I usually do something drastic. I was in this mood when I joined the army 30 years ago. I was in this mood when I gave away my precious velvet Tudor gown and French Hood. (When I say precious, I mean it had $300 worth of freshwater pearls and real gold thread embroidery that I slaved over. It took me over 6 months to make that dress). I was in this mood 16 months ago when I whacked off 15″ of hair to donate to Locks of Love.
I’m afraid to leave the apartment. Who knows what I’ll do in this mood. A couple of people are teasingly (maybe teasingly?) suggesting I get a tattoo. I’m 50! What’s more, I’m afraid of needles. What’s even more, i’m broke. Somebody talk me down. 🙂
How To Sew A Knitting Project Bag
Or a jewelry pouch, or an evening bag, or a cute little bag for just about anything.
Supplies:
1/3 yard outer fabric
1/3 yard lining fabric
1.75 yards cording
small piece of plastic canvas
Directions:
1. Out of the outer fabric and lining fabric cut two rectangles 11″x15″ of each fabric. 4 pieces. If your fabrics are ravell-y (fray easily) you may want to serge or pink the edges.
2. Out of each lower corner cut out a 2.5 inch square.
3. 
Cut a piece of the lining fabric 8″x11″. This will be a pocket, and if you don’t want a pocket for your tape measure, scissors, knitting needles, cellphone, lipstick etc, just skip the next steps.
4. Fold the long raw edges inside and press. Place on one lining piece about 1.5 inchesw above the notches and stitch around three edges, leaving the top open. Stitch a few verticle lines to create compartments. I’ve laid a few items on top just to show you what could go in the pocket.
5. On outer fabric measure two inches down from top and mark a 1″ channel from side to side. This will be where the drawstring will go. Put outer fabric right sides together and sew sides from top to bottom, skipping the 1 inch where the cording will go. Hm. I’ve just realized I didn’t get a pic of that and it is darned confusing. Here is a pic of another bag in progress. You can barely see the pencil lines, but I marked the gap with pins and laid the pencil along the top line. 
6. Press seams open. At the bottom corner, line up the side seam with the bottom seam. Sew 
accross. 
Do the same with the other side. Now your bag looks little like a luch sack, right?
7. Put the lining pieces right sides together (the pocket will be inside) Sew the sides and bottom, but leave a 3 inch gap above the pocket. This gap will be used to turn the bag out.
8. Put the rectangle of plastic canvas over the wrong side of the lining at the bottom. Sew it down. I used the wide zigzag stitch to sew it just on the sides at the seams. You could also hand sew it.
9. Put the bag inside the lining, right sides together. Sew along the top edge.
10. Turn right sides out by pulling bag through the 3 inch gap in the lining. This is kind of fiddly, but it can be done. Put the lining inside the bag and make it look all pretty.
11. Stitch close to the top edge. Now make the channel for the cording by stitching two more lines around the top, one above and one below the 1 inch gap at the sides.
12. Cut the cord into two equal length pieces. Start at one channel opening and thread the cord completely around the bag. Tie cord ends together. Thread the other piece of cord completely around the bag at the other opening.
13. Done! It was kind of a pain to figure out, but I think this little pattern can be used for just about anything. You could change the size to make it wider and shorter, or really tall and narrow like for a wine bottle. You could add more pockets or no pockets, or use some fluffy fabric to make a little bag for your ereader. What am I using mine for? It’s holding a crochet project. This is the beginning of a lace weight afghan that I am putting in a raffle basket for Lori Foster’s Annual Reader & Author Get Together along with some books, chocolate and other goodies. It’s not very big yet, but it has 6 months to grow.
If you have any questions on how to make a bag feel free to post. I think I’m a pretty decent romance writer, but I’m not sure how clear my crafting writing is
The Jingle Bell Hop!
Welcome to Maddy Barone’s stop on the Jingle Bell Hop! If you’ve lost your place and want to hop back on the sleigh,Click Here!
I wasn’t sure what to do for my post. I’ve been really busy getting Wolf Tracker ready for publication, plus working on a free read that I want to put out in February, so my time has been really limited. So I decided that a romance author can’t go wrong by having a big bowl of eye candy sitting out for visitors to sample. Enjoy a few sweets while you’re here! Which of the hotties below makes you lick your lips to catch every drop of sweetness? Leave a comment for a chance to win a paperback copy of my first book.
Look at the eyes on this guy! If his hair was curlier he would be Quill, hero of Wolf’s Prize.
This one is how I see Eddie, hero of my current work, Eddie’s Prize. He’s a pretty boy. Everyone calls him a “golden god” and isn’t he?
This is my take of Taye, hero of Sleeping With the Wolf.
If this guy had really long hair he would be Wolf’s Shadow, hero of Wolf’s Glory.
And this is Sky, hero of Wolf’s Princess. As a teenaged secondary character in Sleeping With the Wolf and Wolf’s Glory his hair is waist length. After he leaves the Wolf Clan to go live in the big city he might cut his hair. I haven’t decided. What do you think? Leave a comment letting me know your preference for Sky’s hair, or just on any of the eye candy I’ve posted and you’ll be entered in a drawing for a paperback copy of Sleeping With the Wolf. I will post the winner (and contact them by email) sunday night before 9pm central time.
Excerpts Update & Vacation Report
I have been on vacation this week. It’s been wonderful! I’ve slept late everyday. I have read some books, re-read some old favorites, knitted, had supper with friends and gone to see Puss in Boots. (really liked Puss, btw). Also, at the beginning of my vacation I turned in the third round of edits on Wolf Tracker, received and approved the second draft of the cover art of Wolf Tracker. All in all, it’s been a fantastic vacation. And I deserve it! For the last year and a half I’ve been working the day job, often with overtime, plus I’ve spent about 15-20 hours a week writing. I also spend a couple hours a week at church (services plus some volunteer work), a couple hours a week on SCA stuff, a couple hours a week at my knitting group… All of which leaves me little time for reading and relaxing. I enjoy all those extras, but for me, the best way to re-charge is quiet time by myself. Many people are the opposite. They get more energy by being with people. Me? I’m a loner. What can I say? 🙂
I have spent a little time re-organizing the Excerpts Page. The first couple chapters of Sleeping With the Wolf, Wolf’s Glory and Wolf Tracker are now up. By the end of the weekend I will include snippets from other books in the series so come back and visit in a few days.
The Starlander Frontier by Melisse Aires
The Starlander Frontier: Starlander’s Myth by Melisse Aires
My mixed genre steampunk spacewestern novella The Starlander Frontier: Starlander’s Myth releases today from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
Being a gryphon shifter has put widow Mrs Sophie Farrel and her small daughter Flora in jeopardy. A corrupt mining officials knows she can detect valuable cryst and plans to sell her to the highest bidder.
Being a gryphon shifter has put widow Mrs Sophie Farrel and her small daughter Flora in jeopardy. A corrupt mining officials knows she can detect valuable cryst and plans to sell her to the highest bidder.
Starlander’s Myth is the first in a trilogy set in the Starlander Frontier universe, a world that is reminiscent of the Old West. It is a mixed genre novella, with elements of the paranormal, and is most definitely a romance between Jack Starlander, asteroid miner, and Mrs. Sophie Farrel, a widow with a small daughter. The Farrels also happen to be gryphon shifters.
Heat level: Sensual Romance
You can read an excerpt *here*.
Thursday 13 – SCA Music
One of the things I love about the SCA (the medieval historical re-creation group I’m in) is the music. Some songs are beautiful ballads, lyrical, with breathtaking melodies. Others are filks, which are songs sung to a familiar tune but with very different–sometimes mocking–lyrics. Many songs are sung a capella, others are accompanied by drums, harps or flutes. Here are 13 SCA songs sung by SCA folk, some of whom I know and see often. I am not musically talented, but I sure make a good audience. 🙂
Enjoy!
Born On the Listfield – a female fighter is made a knight
Pennsic Drum Song – funny! At Pennsic, which is the largest SCA event where 15,000 people all camp, fight, take classes and dance, the middle eastern drums pound ceaselessly into the night.
Master Daveed drumming – Master Daveed is a middle eastern drummer par excellence, and here he and Carmine are showing off their best riffs, trying to outdo each other.
My Mother’s Savage Daughter – the iconic song of my kingdom
Sons of the Dragon – One of those ballads with a great melody and lyrics
Haul On the Oars, Ladies – Viking women get bored and go shopping (aka pillaging)
Strike the Drum – A battlefield song
Beware of the Vampire Penguin – Hm. Can you say silly but fun?
Regin smidur – An actual Faroese song sung in Faroese. Great.
Mongol Doodle Dandy – Remember I mentioned filks?
Shoulder To Shoulder – Another rousing battlefield song
The Muster – Love it! What a voice!
If I Were A Young Man – Great ballad
Thursday 13 – Medieval Names
As an author, names are very interesting to me. As a reader of medieval romance, I find myself rolling my eyes at some of the names which are obviously modern given medieval knights and ladies. I would like to see some more realistic names given to romance heroes and heroines. On the other hand, to have half the male characters named William, John, Henry or Richard would be mighty confusing. It is fact that boys’ given names were not very imaginative in Medieval England. The ten most common names account for 57.8% of all male names listed in the Rolls of Henry III. (found at www.finerollshenry3.org.uk) That means that well over half the men shared 10 names. Only 3.4% of the men listed had a name that showed up only once. So, imaginative names were pretty rare for men. For women, 9.94% had names that showed up only once. A little more diverse, but still, the majority of parents were content to name their children for saints, kings and queens. Can you imagine a passionate relationship between a William and a Matilda?
Well, get this: Willam the Conqueror, who was previously known as William the Bastard because his parents weren’t married, proposed marriage (not in person, but by messenger)to a daughter of the Count of Flanders by the name of Matilda. Matilda laughed at his envoy, saying a pure blooded princess born in holy matrimony wouldn’t lower herself to wed a base-born bastard. Her father the Count agreed that a more profitable and seemly alliance could be made elsewhere. William was so furious that he rode all night, caught Matilda on her way to church, dragged her off her horse by her hair and left her in the street while her guards and servants were too shocked to protect her. True story? Maybe. They were married a few months later.
So what were the most commen names in the first half of the 13th century in England? (yes, I know this is more than 13, but which names shoule I leave out?)
Top Ten Medieval Male Names
1. William
2. John
3. Richard
4. Robert
5. Henry
6. Ralph
7. Thomas
8. Walter
9. Roger
10. Hugh
Top Ten Medieval Female Names
1. Alice
2. Matilda
3. Agnes
4. Margaret
5. Joan
6. Isabella
7. Emma
8. Beatrice
9. Mabel
10. Cecilia
My Friends Rock!!
My birthday is right around the corner. Some of my good friends at work surprised me yesterday with FIFTY roses to mark my fiftieth birthday. That vase is so heavy it made the shelf above my desk sink a little. Fifty roses have a good bit of weight to them! Can you imagine my surprise at seeing this huge vase full of roses? I still get teary-eyed when I lean over to enjoy them. 🙂
AND my friend Tina Holland (author tina holland www.tinaholland.com) made me a book trailer as a present!
I’ll have a complete post about my birthday party on Thursday.
