Following the suggestion of His Royal Majesty, King Cellach of the Midrealm Kingdom, who is an SCA Laurel in embroidery and other things, I couched down my double herringbone stitch pattern that I have applied to red silk, which will be a panel on the yoke of my marigold yellow smokkr, or Viking apron dress, for the upcoming Coronation in early May. I was afraid that couching the herringbone stitches down would obscure the design, but I don’t think it has changed it too much.

The reason His Majesty suggested adding some couching is that the jewelry that swings from my turtle brooches might otherwise catch at the embroidery and damage it.

So now it’s time for me to figure out how to finish the panel: a narrow flat hem or a rolled one, and by hand or by machine? Hand sewing and embroidery are very difficult and painful for me due to the arthritis in my hands and fingers. Yet I do prefer hand-sewn wherever possible, although here we are also getting into a time crunch.

I will still need to figure out how to attach the embroidered panel to the smokkr, which is otherwise now completely finished. I want to attach the panel in such a way that it is easily removable before laundering the smokkr itself. I must say that I’m quite happy with the way this smokkr has turned out. I’m a novice at sewing, but it is heartening to see that I improve with each garment I make! 🙂

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Coronation smokkr.

Ideally I’d like to attach the panel using something like a long cross-stitch or running stitch, something a bit decorative, but not time-intensive, since not only will it be sacrificed when the panel is taken off, but also time is running short! 😛

Because not only do I need the time to finish my garb before Coronation, but I must also:

1) prepare my class on Women in the Viking Age, which I’ll be giving during Coronation, which will be greatly expanded in scope from last year’s version, because I’m including both the Rus’ and also women in Norse mythology. I have more reading to do before I can prepare both an outline for my lecture, as well as handouts for the students. In fact right now I’m waiting for the delivery of Jenny Jochens’ insanely expensive, but necessary, book, Old Norse Images of Women, which is the mythological equivalent of her book about the lives of human women in Women in Old Norse Society, a book I have long owned.

Old Norse Images of Women by Jenny JochensI’ve read Old Norse Images before, but my notes on it just aren’t up to par for the purpose of giving a class on the topic, and I can’t check the book out of The Ohio State University Library system now, since I’m not enrolled there this semester;

2) finish selecting the portions of The White Hart  (see What I did today ) that His Excellency, Baron Talymar and I will be performing at Coronation’s Bardic Circle, and in addition learn the lyrics and an accompaniment for the harp song that I will be doing at the end of Baron Talymar’s recitation;

3) choose and memorize the sections of Havamal (once again, see What I did today ) that I will recite for the new King and Queen during Evening Court at Coronation and work out my self-accompaniment on the harp;

4) work out the performers’ schedule for Coronation’s Bardic Circle, which I’m coordinating; and

5) make the gifts that I will be giving the new King and Queen to honor their Coronation.

I’m pretty sure I’ve left something out. Hopefully it will come to me in time for me to do whatever it is before Coronation!

Of course, all this Coronation stuff is in addition to regular life. But everyone involved is in the same boat! 😛