Monday morning armor porn

From our very own spearweasel .  Nice job, tomodachi. The leather maedate (helmet crest) really adds to the look, and I do love me them checked hakama.

Timing is everything.

In my mailbox today: 
"Dear Saionji no Hanae,

Word of your knowledge of Japanese culture has come to me.  I know that this is a small but strong group in the SCA and I would like to encourage those who practice it, to have a chance to get together and share great information.  To that end I am hoping you will agree to teach at this Estrella War a class on the subject, or any other you choose.

To sign up to teach please see the following site
http://www.estrellawar.org/Activities/ArtsandSciences/ASTeacherSignUpForm.aspx

Thank you for your time and being willing to teach in the past and hopefully the future.

Take joy in the journey,

Dame ******************
Estrella A&S collegium"

Yes, but what?

I can't think that far ahead yet. I have to survive GWW first.

Next to the above message was another one from a newbie with a Japanese garb question she was afraid to post to the Tousando but sent to me because "but you seemed to be not too scary." (How little she knows!)  I answered it the best I could, told her that 98% of the Tousando membership was cool and to ignore A Certain Person. When A Certain Person was named, my correspondent admitted that was the person she was afraid of. Gah!!!!!!!

When I think of how many people A Certain Person has driven away, I could spit nails.

Sooper sekrit arts crap revealed!

( Half naked dancing fertility goddess behind cut )

So disgusted with the mounting job that I am saving the study sketches for a do-over sometime in the future.

The textiles entry was my shibori sampler.


Left: Square dots which should have been much smaller ROUND dots.
Center: "Mokume" wood grain effect. (This came out really well and I'm envisioning a kosode with mokume stripes, perhaps for spring....)
Bottom right: The leaky mitsutomoe - you can sorta see the three wave shapes, but this was the tsujigahana section where the capping material failed.

Ballistics entry, a fustibalus or staff sling. It's a stick - with a sling on the end.

Research paper entry topic, emaki (Japanese picture scrolls).

Instrumental performance, "Asahi," an original composition for solo taiko, incorporating phrases from bugaku and traditional folk taiko.

I may eventually load all this stuff onto Wodeford Hall, but it's not happening this week.