Fruits of Our Labour (FOOL)

This SCA event is best described as a weekend dedicated to the 'arts practical'. All classes were hands-on and resulted in the creation of items and the formation of skills. There were martial activites also, as the site had an archery range, space for thrown weapons and excellent tourney fields.  The event was at a boy scout camp near Ayr, ON this Victoria Day weekend and we were there.

The classes ranged from bread making to tablet weaving, wood working to calligraphy, and that only scratches the surface of what was covered.  Other classes included bead making, blacksmithing, thrown weapons and German rapier (a straight 2-edged sword with a narrow pointed blade).  My partner taught two classes, chain mail basics and advanced chain mail techniques.

I'd wanted to attend the Introduction To Yard Sales class but we were still setting up our vending booth when it was on.  It was an open discussion on the uses of materials found at yard sales that can be transformed into SCA suitable garb and paraphernalia. The class included burn testing on hand textile and raw material examples to determine suitability.

I did manage to make it to the This Old Blanket class. I learned how to make some SCA necessities out of old wool blankets, including coats, cloaks, pouches, wraps, shawls, pouches, project bags, slippers, and insoles!  I am planning to make myself a Traveller's Cloak once I find a suitable blanket at Value Village.  I know what weaves and colours to look for now that are appropriate to the medieval period.  I managed to finish off a small pouch during the class.

The Bead Making class was one that I REALLY wanted to go to.  I'd dabbled in making glass beads before and having the opportunity to make them like the Vikings would have was very exciting.  The outdoor clay oven was powered by burning charcoal and air generated from two bellows operated by a 'volunteer'.  It was a lot of fun.  Unfortunately, I got burned in the process and none of my beads made it successfully off the mandrel.  *Big sigh*  I was hoping that at least one of them would survive but as you can see, it did not happen.

All in all, a great weekend.  We sold some stuff, learned a few things, met a lot of interesting new people and spent time with old friends.  We are planning to go again next year.