Fiber Guild Online Meeting

There is an online meeting for the Debatable Lands Fiber Guild tonight (Tuesday, December 20, 2022), at 6pm.

Come hang out, work on projects, show off your stuff and exchange wisdom!

The meeting is being run through Google Meet, at this URL-
https://meet.google.com/fch-bdsu-zbd
(On desktops, no client is needed, runs in browser!).

Arts and Sciences at Barony Social

The Baron and Baroness really hope to see you all at this Saturday’s picnic, and I as the Arts and Sciences minister hope that you will bring your crafting projects with you to work on and show off. There will not be any official classes or display, but while we socialize we’d like to see what you’re working on and ask you questions about your particular craft. This is not the best venue for noisy or messy work, but anything portable and interesting is fair game, and it’s all interesting to us.

I know that we have some knitters, narrow weavers, and braiders coming out. I can’t imagine the calligraphers, illuminators, and painters will leave their supplies behind at home. Personally, I will be bringing some sharpening stones and similar implements to help others with putting a useful edge on their tools and weapons. The site has plenty of room for stuff and people, so please bring whatever you feel like working on.

See you Saturday!

Scribal (East) (Online) tonight!

Tonight! Thursday February 24! BMDL’s Virtual Scribal East is happening once again! Join us as we come together online to make art, share stories and socialize from the comfort of our own homes! We start at 7:00 EDT and run until about 9:00. All are welcome!!

Contact Rachel Dalicieux (the Signet) via email or Facebook for Zoom information, or check the Scriptorium channel in the Baronial Discord.

Let’s Make Target Stands

Once more the passage of time (time flies like an arrow, they say) has wrought its depredations on our Barony’s archery target stands. Two years ago, the Debatable Lands A&S community and the Woodworking Guild banded together to make new target stands, and we are planning to do so once again this Sunday, July 18th!

Two of the new stands, at practice.
Two open archery target stands, with archery practice in the background.

Come learn or practice some basic woodworking skills while providing service to the Barony and its Archers! Join us at the Washington Boulevard site from 11am to 2pm, the same time as Archery Practice. Please wear close-toed shoes, and bring your protective gear like gloves, eye protection, and mask.

Captain of Archers Ronan is providing materials, Master Alaric is providing a good set of instructions, and I’ll be bringing tools. Feel free to bring your own tools if you have them.

See you Sunday!

Although the SCA complies with all applicable laws to try to ensure the health and safety of our event participants, we cannot eliminate the risk of exposure to infectious diseases during in-person events. By participating in the in-person events of the SCA, you acknowledge and accept the potential risks. You agree to take any additional steps to protect your own health and safety and those under your control as you believe to be necessary.

Sharpening in the Park

I was taking a close look at some of my tools the other day, and realizing that the last sharpening workshop was almost two years ago! Please join us at the Washington Boulevard practice site this Sunday (weather permitting) for a sharpening-themed A&S Practice, sponsored by the version of me that is also the leader of the Woodworking Guild.

We’ll bring sharpening stones, blades to sharpen, and other maintenance supplies, and trade information about the best way to take care of our cutting tools. If you don’t have anything that needs sharpening, but just want to know more about blade maintenance, just bring your curiosity! If you have no interest in sharpening, and just want to hang out for a while, that’s cool too.

Join us from 10am to 1:30pm, this Sunday, June 27th. Pandemic procedures apply for one more weekend, so please wear a mask and bring your own accommodations.

Although the SCA complies with all applicable laws to try to ensure the health and safety of our event participants, we cannot eliminate the risk of exposure to infectious diseases during in-person events. By participating in the in-person events of the SCA, you acknowledge and accept the potential risks. You agree to take any additional steps to protect your own health and safety and those under your control as you believe to be necessary.

Woodworking Guild Field Trip – Friday!

Some members of the Debatable Lands Woodworking Guild have decided to meet up at the “Pittsburgh” location of Woodcraft down in Canonsburg tomorrow (Friday, May 21) at 5:30pm. The rumor is that they have not repriced their lumber during the recent “shortage”, so there may be some real bargains there right now.

This is a retail store, so please follow all health guidelines requested by the establishment. Please also follow all SCA guidelines for gatherings, including masks, regardless of what the store allows. The “official” meetup time is 5:30pm, but feel free to show up earlier if you are bored.

The store closes at 7pm, so you could still make it back home by 8:15 if you want to watch Romeo and Juliet online!

Woodworking

This guild and its blog account have been pretty idle for the last six months, and I regret that. There have been obvious obstacles to guild activity, and the reason I have not posted much here is because I don’t want the blog to be about me and my work. There are other blogs and woodworkers to post about, though.

One of those woodworkers was Chris Hall. Chris passed away this Spring following a battle with cancer, but his spouse has been trying to keep his blog alive as a part of his legacy. This week she posted a guest post from one of Chris’s good friends and erstwhile students. This is the first part of a longer story by a woodworker in Spain who has dedicated himself to Japanese woodworking.

In particular, his interest in Japanese planes and planemakers is great to read about, and his outlook on woodworking gives me something to consider in my own work. I hope you enjoy reading along when future installments are posted.