Monday 23 May 2011

A Filk I am working on!

Hanwei Rapier (to the tune of The Worzels ‘Combine Harvester – Brand new Key’)


Did I impress you with my thrusting last night?
(Ooh ar ooh ar)
Or my Passata footwork in the last fight?
(Ooh ar ooh ar)
My old Rapier’s rusting, ‘twas bothering me
(Ooh ar ooh ar)
Now I’m so excited, and I want you to see

I’ve got a brand new Hanwei Rapier, come and have a feel
Shall we try to come together, sure we’ll work out a deal
I will swash your buckle, if you cut and thrust with me!
I’ve got a brand new Hanwei Rapier, come and have a feel

(I’ve got a fine rigid parry too!)

Of course I’ll teach you, here just you take my lead,
(Ooh ar ooh ar)
I’m lithe and nimble, I’m a man built for speed,
(Ooh ar ooh ar)
Just hold my schlager tightly, you’ll find your rhythm fast.
(Ooh ar ooh ar)
Just down and dirty like they did in the past.

I’ve got a brand new Hanwei Rapier, come and have a feel
Shall we try to come together, sure we’ll work out a deal
I will swash your buckle, if you cut and thrust with me!
I’ve got a brand new Hanwei Rapier, come and have a feel

(Watch me flourish!)

We faced each other at that last Rent a Don
I wore my silk, you had your thigh-high boots on
You tried it riverso, but I ran you through!
And now I’m waiting for my rematch with you!

I’ve got a brand new Hanwei Rapier, come and have a feel
Shall we try to come together, sure we’ll work out a deal
So stop your fancy feinting and Lay on with me,
I’ve got a brand new Hanwei Rapier, come and have a feel

Tuesday 1 April 2008

Gold Thread


This is some Gold Thread similar to what I purchase from a very nice Lady based in Hove. It is vintage French and the factory closed down some time ago. It was made for restoration work and for civic uniforms and banners.

Unfortunately it is also a finite source, so I intend to stock up as much as possible. I really really love the colour and quality of it.

Monday 31 March 2008

I have created this blog in an attempt to document my quest to create a piece of embroidery in dimensions and intent, similar to an altar cloth, and embroidered in a style known as Opus Anglicanum or English Work.

I am a member of a Historical Recreationist society known as the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism – website here). This is a global society whose members concentrate on individually developing their portrayal of their chosen period in history pre-1600. My own choice of era centres around the 1380s and my chosen activities (at the moment!) are Calligraphy/Illumination (Scribal Mouse Blog) and Embroidery.

Opus Anglicanum work was considered the premier style of embroidery over the period covering the 12th to the 15th centuries. It was in demand by all the aristocrats and princes of the church in Europe. While undoubtedly secular work was created in this style, the surviving examples are mainly ecclesiastical. The work was also often done in Convents and there are accounts of Princesses and other high-ranking women leading teams of nuns in the production of exquisite work. Gold-thread is often used and the predominant stitches are underside couching and split-stitch on a Linen fabric. It is characterised by the total coverage of the backing cloth to the extent where it is no longer visible.

I intend to emulate works done in that style by making a piece roughly the same size and shape as an altar cloth, but depicting the story of Albion, which is a creationist legend of the European group of the Society – the Kingdom of Drachenwald (Website here). I imagine that this work will take quite some time to do, so I have therefore given myself till the end of the decade (not as long as it sounds!) to finish this.

I know myself enough to know that I cannot work on this solidly and that I will be doing many other projects and taking breaks in order not to burn out. This is something I would really like to finish at some point.