As of today I am seventeen days from graduating with a Master's in Public Administration.  While in some small corner of my brain I'm fantasizing about future degrees, like textile arts, art history, costuming, medieval history, etc. most of me is just daydreaming about having some spare time to devote to my projects, sadly neglected in piles and bags and boxes and corners in just about every room of my house.  I thought it would be fun to tell you guys what I'm planning for next year.  So, in no particular order, here's some of the things I plan to tackle.

• New high court garb appropriate for my persona for the ball in January: trapunto underdress, silk bliaut with some fancy trim or block printing, period jewelry, half circle wool mantle with fur trim, new period shoes
• Some new archery gear and gear repairs: Give my arrow bag a little makeover since I half took it apart and never put it back together, put some new fletchings on some of my arrows that have been beaten up, make new bowstring for my longbow and start getting to archery practice more regularly, try making some arrows at fletching guild
• Some new hearldic stuff for myself since my new device passed this month: new dyed silk banner for me (and maybe make a couple other gifty ones), maybe a heraldic kirtle, design and submit a personal badge to put on my stuff (planning for an eradicated garlic plant/ramson).  The new device blazon is argent, a brown bear passant proper and on a chief embattled vert three ramson flowers affronty argent seeded Or.
• A new populace badge for my friend Rorik in Meridies since the one I made him was in a bag of his that was stolen. :(  I plan to do some work on something that will be a bit more specific to his persona, so that will entail some fun research.
• Some production garb sewing for myself, especially more underdresses, some hose, some medieval knickers of various sorts, and general finishning/sprucing up of garb I already have but never embellished, felled seams on, etc.
• A set of later period Persian garb as an homage to my Laurel, and to my student sister Beatriz who got me hooked on belly dance in August (it's going great, by the way!  I am getting buff and bar one little injury my body feels excellent and I will be keeping it up)
• Finish up a bunch of the projects I have started, especially my wool kirtle, my first big loom project, my period spinning sampler project, and a few little handwork projects I haven't shared here yet.

Looking back, these items are kind of a nice continuation of the list I made in January for my hopes for this year's work.  I got through a lot of it, and some I didn't but will try again soon.  In the spirit of last year's list, I'm also going to add my hopeful list of events for the next year.  

January - Arn Hold Ball (local)
February - Estrella War (Atenveldt)
March - Coronation (Not sure, this is a maybe)
April - Crown tournament (maybe) and Honor War (An Tir)
May - Arn Hold Champions (local) and Celtic Revolt (An Tir)
June - Uprising if it happens (Artemisia)
July - Artemisia Twenty Year (Artemisia) and Raptor War (Artemisia)
August - Coronation (maybe) and Baron's War (maybe) (both Artemisia)
September - Harvest War (Artemisia)
October - Crown Tourney (local, stewarding)

That pretty much gets us through camping season, though there are many nice fall/winter events I haven't gotten to attend that we will probably try to do this coming year too, and I'd like to cram in some more dance workshops and stuff if I can manage it.  As you can see, I'm planning on a year of fun after a very well-earned rest. :)

How about you?  What projects are you planning?  What's on your event calendar for 2017?

Well!  It is a new year (It's still January so I can still say that), I'm working on becoming a new me (down two pounds so far) and improving my mundane life in lots of ways (mostly because I'm finishing grad school in December and will be the proud owner of a Master's in Public Policy and Administration), and with the masked ball stewarding behind me, I'm looking at how to organize my life and my art a little bit more.

 I feel like it's time to up my SCA crafting game.  I have been in the SCA for two and a half years, and I have enough basic garb to get me through even multi-day camping events (three bliauts, a Norse apron dress, an Italian renaissance dress, my Slavic dress, and a sideless surcote that really needs a kirtle to go with it), but what I feel my SCA life is missing is accessories.  Because I race through much of my garb-making, I don't own a lot of pieces with embellishments, embroidery, hand-sewing, etc.  I could also really use more purses, belts, fans, etc.  The things that make you look like you live in your garb, rather than like someone putting on a costume.  

This year I want to work on  really settling into my SCA life, and hone in on making lovely art.  To that end, my goal is to complete at least one project per month, whether it's a work in progress (WIP) or something new.  January's finished object (FO) is, of course, my Slavic dress and filet.  Below is a wish list/to do list of what else I've got in the works that could potentially turn into monthly  FOs.

• Keep working with HG Clare and Baroness Oonaugh on the set of Rus garb we are making for Sir Brynjolfr.  I'm doing the trousers, which are due by Celtic Revolt in May.  He is paying us in card woven trim.
• Go back and flat-fell the seams on garments made on my sewing machine with no seam finishing yet (I'm almost done doing this to the dolphins dress, and there are others in line) Update 2/29/16 - dolphins dress is done!
• Continue working on my first weaving project on a floor loom;  Mistress Giliana gave me some lovely wool thread in green and gold (two of my colors) and coached me through the first steps of weaving a small-ish first project, a twill table runner.  So far the warp is all measured and ready, next is tying on! 
• Continue working on a long-term spinning project.  In summer 2014 Aonghus and I helped our laurels (who happen to be married to each other) shear their sheep and angora goats, and the fleece came home with me.  I am hand-processing their Icelandic sheep (an old landrace breed that is very period) with viking combs (to separate the tog/hair/overcoat and thel/down/undercoat, will spin them worsted and woolen respectively for a small weaving project.  
• Acquire a period spindle for the above project, and experiment with some different distaffs.  I'd really like to make my own, but purchasing one to work with in the meantime might be a good plan.  I really want to get comfortable with period spinning tools, so this will help. Update 2/29/16 - done!
• Get cracking on some tablet weaving.  I could use some more belts and would love to make some trim as well.  I have lots of leftover wool sock yarn that would be great for this.
• Make a purse to go with the 14th century purse frame HG Clare gave me as a member of the Queen's Confidence.
• Finish my kirtle pattern (just need to draft the sleeves) and make a kirtle out of the lovely tan wool fabric I got from a friend last summer, with the nice heraldic buttons Don Gomez gave me over a year ago.
• Make a set of SCA camping pajamas for schlepping around camp.  These will be vaguely Norse garb, and since I really don't like long nightgowns the aim is a pair of Thorsberg trousers and a t-tunic that will be warm and comfy to sleep in, but less glaringly modern than my usual flannel PJs and hoodie.  I think I have some stash fabric that will work for this.
• Make myself a new silk banner.  My current one was my first, and it wasn't great to start with, but it's looking less great the older it gets.  
• Make some more under-dresses so that I have plenty for events.  I have some handkerchief linen just waiting to be used.  I want to embellish my under-dresses a bit too, since most of them are pretty plain.  Maybe a trapunto one to go with my bliauts.
• Fix the neckline on my blue bliaut, which is a bit crooked and has been bugging me for ages, and keep doing general repairs and touch-ups on my garb as it gets worn.
• Maybe learn to make my own arrows and give that a shot, to go with my pretty new bow (still haven't gotten to shoot it yet!)

So, this is more than 11 things, and clearly most are ongoing and somewhat open-ended, but it feels good to get some thoughts on paper, and I'll come back and share more about these projects as I get to them.  My time is really limited right now, with my dance class one night a week, two nights a week of grad school, one night a week as date night with my hubby.  That leaves me one free week night and my weekends are pretty variable, so I'll do what I can.  There are also three upcoming project days for my household to work on stuff for our encampment/group camping experience, so I'm sure I'll have lots to say about those.

I've also been looking at what events I'll be attending this year.  Obviously work and school are my first priorities, but I'm tentatively planning on the following:

Honor War in An Tir (March)
Coronation in Barony of 1000 Eyes (March)
Crown Tournament right here in Arn Hold (April)
May event TBD in Arn Hold (May)
Celtic Revolt in An Tir (May)
Uprising War in Barony of 1000 Eyes (June)
Raptor War in Arn Hold (July)
Coronation TBD (August)

That gets me through the camping season.  There is also an event in Arn Hold every November, so we'll see about that.  Anyway, I know this is sort of rambling and random (which will not surprise anyone who has met me), but it's good to get things written down so I stay accountable.