Leatherworkers+Open shop=FUN!

 The leatherworker's Guild (Local 484) was out in force to hear a preview of my class on 15th cent. hardened leather tournament armour, and provide some comments on the handout.

 James and his father Jim came to start work on an armour plan.

 Maria brought some cordials to sample/share.  I like the raspbery/blueberry!

 Daniel finished up one elbow and started the rest of his cops!

 Ben consulted with Master Jovian.

 Abby was busy with Real Life stuff but we were still glad to have her come by and visit.

 Master Jovian uses the world's most awesome 6-board chest to haul his projects around.

 Nora sewed trim on her under-tunic to get ready for King's College.

 Wyllow allows Maria a rare glimpse of The Linen Stash.

Johanna models a leather eye-patch, tankard, and re-sized boot to prove she was busy at the Guild meeting...or that she is a pirate.  We're not sure which.

 Ben shows his splinted vambrace disguised as a sleeve.

 Toner patiently holds the spool of thread.

 Frosti's new half-gauntlet is fresh out of the oven.

...And I found some time to work on the hinges for my new helm's cheek-plates.

Food!

Open shop on 6/7/2012 started off delicious and just got better from there.

Wyllow made beef rolls and a special Roman juniper pepper sauce with de frutum.  She made two varieties:  with and without mustard.  Deidre also brought a middle-eastern chick-pea dish to share.

I made savory Roman turnips with fish sauce and hing.

Willow also made  African honey apples from another Apicius recipe.

 Gunna made savory toasted cheese (Cheese Goo!) to serve in bread bowls.

 Grain'e made some delicious beer bread.

 Link and Josh worked on knee cops and half gauntlets, while their friend (name forgotten, sorry!) fixed up some old armour pieces.

 Julia consulted with Wyllow on personna development and seems to be headed in a Varangian/Rus/Byzantine direction.  Here are some useful links for would-be Varangians:

http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=46922

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~chrisandpeter/limb_defences/limb_defences.htm 

 Deidra showed us her new underdress and made progress on her helm.

 Evie and Gunna relaxed after much cheese-gooing.

 Wolf finished lacing his body armour.  Now he just needs straps.

And Abby made progress on her gorget!

6/14/2012 Open shop without me!

Last Thursday I found out just how important I am to a good open shop night...I was out of town and everyone had a great time without me!

 Frosti burnished some leather.

 Julia burnished the edges of her rerebrace while Wolf petted the cat. Someone had to do it!

 Nora was sewing...

 Gunna was patterning..

 Jackie was carding wool...

and Belle moved too fast to see.  Actually Gunna was helping Belle with a dress pattern.

 Artorius helped with other people's projects.

 Link started to dish some knee cops.

And Josh made progress on both half-gauntlets and knee cops.

Open Shop 5-31-2012

 Nora sews her new dress

 Wyllow helps Julia select a time and place for which to dress.

 Abby lays out her gorget plates, marks and punches holes in the leather, and rivets the plates in.

 Frosti cuts out a leather half-gauntlet using my one-piece pattern.

 Link and Josh and Daniel and Frosti all finished their armour plans, so they can start marking out elbow and knee cops on sheet aluminum 5052 alloy pieces.  This stuff is dirt cheap at $1/pound at Metals4U in Pflugerville.  All of the aluminum will be hidden under sleeves or pants when the armour is complete.

 Ben lays out the fabric for his coat of plates while Toner supervises.

 Daniel learns to cut aluminum on a throatless shear.  (Not a Beverley shear but a cheap Chinese imitation.)

 Gunna and Evie practice period cooking.  Come over to Open Shop night...we have cookies!

Link, Daniel, Josh, Ben and Frosti show how much they got cut out tonight.  Wolf has been busily lacing his lamellar.

 Then everyone else gets into the picture too.  At this point Belle had left to take Nora home and Julia had left also.  Counting them and counting the guy (me) taking the picture we had 15 people at Open Shop night.  A new record!

I even found a few minutes to work on the cheek-plate hinges for my helm.  My son took the picture and my wife is "helping" behind me.  Isn't it great to have a supportive family who takes you seriously?  :)