Still Working on Targets...Gah!

I'm still buried in the preparations for the mounted archery hunt coming up fast...Oct. 5-7. Probably won't get much posting done here again until after this event is over. But here are two of the targets painted, and ready to glue to the insulation foam. And yes, that is the rabbit you think it is.

The wolf didn't turn out looking quite as fierce as I wanted. Actually, he looks like he's falling asleep, but...oh well. The poor thing is just going to end up full of holes anyway.

So, between one thing and a zillion others, I will sign off for a bit, and be back after Oct. 8.

Making Targets

I've mentioned it briefly here a few times, but come Oct 5-7 our local SCA (Society For Creative Anachronism) group is holding an event, which this year includes a mounted archery hunt, target mounted archery, and a pumpkin shoot. Since I am the Equestrian Officer for said local group, I am in charge of the horsey stuff, and also since the hunt was my idea, I am responsible for making the targets for the hunt, which is a course of about a mile, with aprox 15-20 targets. A friend is handling the target archery part, and we will both run the pumpkin shoot. So, to get to the point of this entry, here is what I have been working on instead of jewelry or sewing projects. I've been drawing and making animal targets.

Here are about half of them, drawn on cardboard, cut out, and now positioned on insulation foam. I drew around each shape with a black marker, took the cardboard animals off, then cut the shapes out of the foam. The cardboard will then be glued to the foam shapes, and the animals painted a bit more life-like. Once in place, like theater standies, they will be taped to wooden stakes in the ground and ready for the hunters. Not all the targets will be made his way. Some drawing will be attached to large cardboard boxes painted to look like background. These will be in the forest part of the course, and will hopefully prevent arrows from becoming lost in the woods. Some will only be painted straw bales with cardboard faces (a boar) or draped with a hide (the bear). These and the standies will be for the open hay field part of the course, where the arrows will be easier to find if the target is missed.

It has been a challenge to figure out the best, and also the least expensive, way to make these targets, get them drawn, and now ready to paint. Once these are all finished, I can go back to my regular schedule...whatever that is.

BTW, the Bud Light empties belong to the husband. I never touch the stuff! LOL

Necklace and Earring Set

This necklace had been sitting around my studio for a few months. It was finished...sort of. I decided after completing it, that it needed teardrop pearls. I only had one. So it sat until I could find some, but apparently teardrop pearls are not big sellers, and I couldn't find any at either Michael's or Joann's. That's when I remembered I had a bracelet I had made a year ago, with quite a few vintage teardrop pearls. The bracelet had been up on my Etsy site several times, and never sold. So, I pulled it out, took it apart, and added the pearls to the necklace and earrings. Perfect.

Here is the result.

It's made with black wire, black wire-wrapped beads and hearts, small black beads, silver hearts, small crystals, large drop crystals, and vintage teardrop pearls. Voila!

Riding Costume...Shirt

This is the first piece of the riding costume to be almost complete. Only thing left to do is add elastic at the wrists. I tried very hard to use the design of the vintage linen tablecloth to the best advantage, and to waste as little of the cloth as possible. I think I did a pretty good job. I still have two center medallions, and two small scrolls, left to play with or to add to something else.

In the photos, the shirt has been ironed, so looks all nice a smooth. Once worn and washed, it will be wrinkled...and will stay that way, as I have no intention of ironing it every time I wash it. Besides, it's meant to look a bit "rough."

This old linen feels lovely against my skin, and hangs beautifully. When you pick the garment up, it feels a bit heavy, but once on, you don't notice it at all. I am really sold on this whole recycling of old linen, so will be looking for more at the Goodwill and antique/thrift stores. I need another big one to make the skirt for the costume, so the hunt is on!


Here is the front of the shirt. The sleeves are waiting for the elastic at the wrist. Also, I positioned the pattern pieces so that the hand-crocheted edging of the cloth got used on the hem and sleeve edges. What I didn't use, I have kept for use on other garments. It's just too precious to toss away.

Front close up.

Back view.

Detail of back. I especially like the way I got the scroll to fit on the collar piece.

This is a detail of the sleeve. In order to get the design to work best, I had to cut the sleeves in two separate pieces, rather than place the pattern on the fold. In doing so, I ended up with a seam down the top of each sleeve, but that doesn't really bother me, since the design was too nice to lose. You can just see the casing for the elastic on the left side of the sleeve. That will give me a wrist ruffle of about two inches.

Next in line after the shirt will probably be the jacket, or the waist chincher. I'm really having a lot of fun putting this costume together.