Garb for Beginners: Part the First In Which We Discuss What You'll Need and Where To Get It

Back at the Endewearde Silver Anniversary, a good friend of ours - and his four children - decided that they really liked the SCA and wanted to try a weekend camping event.  I lost my mind volunteered to help them get garb ready.  I had a little over two weeks to pull it all together, along with a whole new kit for The Husband and an extra layer for warmth for the kidlet.  These pictures show just a few of the end results.

Now, people have all sorts of notions about beginner garb.  Here is my take:  your first garb should be quick to make, not terribly expensive, have plenty of layers, be washable, and make you feel like you're not totally out of place.  We clothed - from scratch - two adult males and four kids for under $200.  Everyone got two pair of pants or kirtles, two undertunics or chemises, one tunic or surcoat, one cloak, one hat (if their cloak didn't have a hood), and one belt pouch, plus hoods and caps for the menfolk.  Not bad, right?  Thinking I must be some whiz seamstress?  Not even close.  No, seriously.  What you're looking at here is pretty much the extent of my abilities.

The garb I'm going to show you how to make over the next few weeks is not really any specific time period, but that's not our goal right now.  Right now, we're going to concentrate on how to get you - or your significant other, or your kid who outgrows their garb so fast it seems like it's not worth bothering with, or that friend of yours and his four kids - dressed for SCA success in a week or less.

Before we can do that, however, you're going to need a few things.  First, you're going to need a sewing machine.  Yeah, you sew your garb by hand.  That's a project for another time.  If you don't already have a machine, or know someone who will let you borrow one, you can buy a little starter for under $25 from your local big-box store (see disclaimer below).  This machine will not be fancy and if you can afford a better machine, by all means, do so.  At least get one that does buttonholes.  Failing the cash to make that happen, a perfectly serviceable machine can be had on the cheap.

Second on our list is materials.  Here in Maine we have a wonderful haven for all things SCAdian called Mardens Surplus and Salvage.  There are several throughout the state and they have an amazing fabric department.  Fabric is not cheap, so if you don't have a Marden's nearby ask some of your local SCAdian friends where they get their cheap fabric.  We have found 100% wool and 100% Italian linen for $2 and $3 a yard.  This is a Very Good Deal.   You'll also need things like thread and possibly trim.   You can often times find these things at places like Mardens.

The third thing you'll need is your measurements.  If you are in need of a measurement chart, this is the one that I use.

All of the above garb was done purely through measurements, as none of these people actually live with me.  Measurements will allow you to cut out garb without having fancy patterns to work from.  If you're making garb for yourself, find a friend and have them measure you.  When you're taking measurements for this clothing, you want the measuring tape to be in that fine line between loose and snug.  If you're having trouble finding someone's waist, have them put their hands on their hips.  When you measure the head measurement, take a measurement just above the eyebrows.  If you're going to make a hat instead of a hood, take a second measurement lower down that includes both ears.  Be sure to note which measurement is which.  Shoulder measurement is easiest to grab when the subject is wearing a fitted shirt.  Measure the shoulder width from seam to seam.  If the measurement is close, I round to the nearest whole or half.   For example, if the measurement around the wrist is 7 1/4, I call it 7 1/2.  If the head measurement is 21 5/8. I call it 22.  Proper seamstresses will likely have even more measurements than the ones I've listed.  You may never need some of the measurements on this list.  Again, this is just a guideline for how you can do it.  Don't forget to retake measurements every year or so.  Kids grow quickly, but grownups can change sizes too.

Once you have your measurements, you'll be able to calculate how much fabric you'll need to buy. 

So if you're playing along at home, your assignment for next time is to find yourself a sewing machine, play with it a bit so that you know how to use it, and grab a friend (or the person you're making garb for) and a tape measure and get those measurements down.

DISCLAIMER:  The sewing machine linked to in this article is not a machine I've ever used.  I don't know anything at all about how well it sews.  Like with most things in life, you get what you pay for.  This link is provided simply to show that there are very inexpensive sewing machines that will probably get the job done, at least for your first garb.  Also, this is not a guide for how to make perfectly period garb.  This is one person's guide to help brand new folks, or folks who need to get a lot of garb made fast, dressed and on their way to an SCA event without having to spend a fortune or tear their hair out trying to find fabric and patterns and the thousand other things we could worry about trying to find before getting to the event.  Your mileage may vary.

Palio, Dogs, Kids, and the SCA

Me and Shaggydog at Harper's Retreat in Stonemarche

The Palio di Stonemarche was this weekend.  It was filled with silly fun and nonsense as well as wonderful, welcoming people, all of my favorite merchants, and a dayboard to rival some feasts.  Yes, Palio is an event that I will go to again and encourage others to join me.  But while I have great memories of the day, and great pictures besides, what I really want to talk about today is Dogs and the SCA.

You see, there was one black mark on the day.  The site was dog friendly and while there were maybe half a dozen dogs in attendance, there was an altercation between a larger dog and a small service dog.

Now, I am not entirely clear of the details.  What I do know is the smaller dog was punctured in four places, went to the vet today, and should make a full recovery.  This is good news, but it does lead to the discussion of whether dogs belong at SCA events or not.

As a dog owner, I'm well aware that this sort of incident is not exclusive to the SCA.  Dog owners need to be accountable for the actions of their pets no matter the setting.   There is certainly a lot of blame placed on the owner in this instance.  There has also been blame placed on the breed of dog, and strong opinions offered on now irresponsible some SCA parents are with their kids and dogs.  I think as dog owners (or parents, if you prefer), we should take a lesson from the SCA horse folks.

Horses, the other period "pet".

Dogs, like horses, should be part of the SCA.  Both animals have been with us a long time and I think they add to the ambiance of an event.  Dogs, like horses, have their own personalities as well as likes and dislikes.  Watching the experienced horsewomen and men at Palio, they paid close attention to what made the horses uncomfortable.  They made sure to not put the horses in situations that might become dangerous to the spectators, the horses, or themselves.  I think they tend to regard their horses as their babies, just as we dog owners do, but they also remember that they are in control of a huge and powerful animal, and neither the horse nor the rider can forget who's boss.

If horses are at an event, it's usually because there is some horsey activity going on.  If dogs are at an event, it's usually because their owners didn't want to leave them or didn't have anywhere else to leave them for the weekend.  Perhaps this is another area where we can take a tip from the horse folk.  Maybe dogs need activities too.  Naturally, bringing them onto the battlefield is out.  Likewise for hunting live game, but we could set up flag coursing tracks, such as the ones in Caid.  We could have a tracking event or hunt-themed obstacle course.  There are activities that we could figure out how to host that would give dogs something to do.   No, it's not a cure for irresponsible owners, but it is an option that could give us a better connection to our dogs in relationship to our favorite hobby.

Dogs are not People Covered In Fur.

I think it's easy for dog owners to forget that their pet is an animal of instinct, not rational thinking.  My own dog is a loveable goof who I like to think of as extremely well behaved with kids and small dogs.  He is a talker who makes all manner of ridiculous noises to get the attention of people. His good nature has won over more than a few folks who don't like dogs and we get many compliments on his behavior.  For the most part, he's a good boy.  As a responsible dog owner, however, I have to look at Shaggy through the eyes of someone who doesn't like dogs.  In that light, he's a loud, slobbery mutt who likes to jump up on people.  His vocal nature sounds like growling.  He's very tall and when his hair is grown out, he looks huge.  In short, he's a cynophobes nightmare.  In this light, I can't let my own love of my pet override my common sense and responsibility.  

It's the fault (or not) of the breed.

Blaming the breed of dog is also a common occurrence and with that comes the equally vocal defenders-of-all-breeds who call for breed blindness. Yes, the onus of dog behavior falls to the owner to train their dog and to make sure the dog knows who's boss, but the whole reason we have dog breeds because humans desired certain traits over others.  Greyhounds were built for speed.  Labs have that retrieving instinct.  Border collies will herd anything that moves.  Huskies want to pull.  Dobermans were breed as guard dogs.  My mother-in-law's Cairn terrier will wait still as stone by a hole for hours if she thinks a small critter might pop out of it.  Of course there will always be exceptions to this, but we do a disservice not only to dogs but to the ability of dog owners to bring our pets to public venues if we foolishly choose to ignore what we've engineered a breed of dog to do.

Dogs and kids and childish parents, oh my.

Dogs and children are often brought up together when discussions of "what's wrong with the SCA" happen.  I'm not going to argue that there aren't people who are blind to the faults of their kids and dogs. We all know that there are people who show up at an event with pets and kids in tow and then turn them loose for the community at large to look after.  That is a recipe for disaster.  As dog owners and parents of children, it's not other people's job to police what is our responsibility.   We need to be able to hear when someone criticizes our "perfect angels" and not take it as a personal attack, but as a request for us to tighten the reigns.  If, heaven forbid, your dog is aggressive with another dog or, worse, a person, saying "She's never done anything like that before" isn't going to make the situation better.  We are responsible for any bills, vet or otherwise, caused by kids and our dogs.  Appologize, exchange information, and accept the bill (and perhaps the request that you remove the dog from the event) with grace.  

Likewise, folks having a problem with kids and dogs shouldn't let it get to the point of anger before they speak up.  Most of the time, a quiet word to parents or owners will bring a situation back under control, but for folks uncomfortable with that or who haven't found a resolution to the problem, that's part of what your Event Steward is there for.  Autocrats should be very clear what the dog policy is for the site and what the penalties are for failing to abide by those guidelines.  If everyone knows going into an event that they will be asked to leave if their dog is ever off leash or they don't pick up after it, there are no surprises.  As dog owners, we should play by those rules or leave our buddies at home.

How we can do it better.

Every event should have a pet policy.  If dogs are allowed at an event site, what are the rules?  Can dogs be off leash?  Can they be on a long line?  Are there specific areas of the site that they aren't allowed?  What happens if dog owners don't abide by the rules?  Will owners receive warnings before they're asked to leave or is there a zero tolerance policy?  Make sure everyone knows what the rules are so that we're all playing the same game.

Owners need to be sensible about their surroundings.  Events can be small and low-key or crowded and busy.  Folks with dogs should give other encampments space, if they can.  If you're unable to find a spot away from the crowds, dogs should be kept on a short 5' leash, not a 20' leash.  Talk with your neighbors and find out how they feel about dogs.  If you have a neighbor that doesn't like dogs, it might be worth the headache to consider moving to a more dog friendly location.  Consider bringing a covered crate so your dog has a space of their own that they can retreat to.  Make sure they have fresh water available at all times.  Dehydration makes both dogs and people cranky.

Event stewards at larger camping events might want to create a "dog friendly" area or a "no dogs allowed" area so that people can camp in their comfort zones.

Attendees without dogs need to speak up if they are uncomfortable around dogs or if dogs are being a nuisance.  Owners need to respect the feelings and wishes of the other attendees.  Dogs at events is a privilege, not a right.  Have a realistic plan in the event that it's just not working out with your dog at an event.  Please don't make that plan "I'm going to leave him in the car until it's time to go."   It seems condescendingly obvious, but you know there are people out there who would do just that.

If you plan to drink to excess or make the rounds to all the best parties, leave your dog at home.  That way you still get to have the good time you want, and you don't have to worry about your buddy.

Take a realistic assessment of your dog and set your expectations accordingly.  Some dogs are startled by loud noises and crowds (both of which are not uncommon at an SCA event) and a skittish dog is a hazard.  Every dog has the potential to be a biting dog.  Even if your dog plays wonderfully with every other dog they've ever met, today may be the day they meet the dog (or the kid, or the adult) they don't like, or the dog that doesn't like them. 

Don't let children walk dogs unattended and if you have to leave your dog with someone while you run to the bathroom, make sure that person knows not to let folks pet him or her until you get back.  Dogs in unfamiliar surroundings may behave totally different when you are out of sight.  

While the bark of a dog amidst the calls of Vivat! adds a charming note to the chorus, the dog that won't shut up will not make you a welcome attendant.  Have a plan for what you're going to do if you have a barker.

Finally, give your dog something to do every once in a while.  If the event isn't hosting a dog activity, consider running one.  At the very least, take her for a walk that's more than just a trip to the bathroom.  Happy dogs make for happy events.

Thus endeth my time on the soapbox.

Heraldry is like giving birth

Azure, a crane in its vigilance argent and a tierce ermine

No, really.  There's a lot of waiting, times of pain, and when it passes, there's a feeling of great joy and wonder at this little thing that is now a part of your life.  Oh yeah, and (if you're lucky) the process takes nine months.

Having done the SCA thing before, I knew that I wanted to get my arms designed and submitted so that I could officially start using them.  The design was done in August and the paperwork was completed and submitted in September.  Just this last week I received word from my local herald that my name and arms had passed the final hurdle.

I encourage everyone to decide on arms and go through the process of getting them registered.  First, it's pretty cool to have a "logo" you can stick on your stuff that identifies it as yours.  Second, nothing helps hide that the rather modern room you're feasting in faster than heraldic banners.  Third, it adds to the pageantry of The Game.  Ever see those pictures of encampments at Pennsic with pennants and painted pavilions and sheetwalls bearing the arms of everyone in the encampment?  It's really stunning.

If you have a background in the arts, go ahead and start sketching ideas for your heraldry.  While there are many rules in heraldry about what you can and can't do, these five will get you started:

1.  There are rules for which colors (heraldic-ly called "tinctures") can go next to each other.  Colors - red, purple, blue, black, and green - can never touch other colors.  Likewise, Metals - gold (yellow) and silver (white) - cannot touch other metals.

2. The purpose of your heraldry is to make you easily identifiable across the tourney field.  If you're having trouble identifying your heraldry at arms length while you squint at it, it probably needs to be trimmed of some of the fiddly details.

3. The "Rule of Eight" says basically that no device should have more than eight elements to it.  Elements include charges and tinctures.  If your design is red, gold, blue, silver, and green and had a dragon, a wolf, a lion and a stag, you'll need to lose some things to get it to pass.

4. Keep your resume for your future boss.  Your heraldry is a representation of you, but it shouldn't read like your unabridged autobiography.  Better to pick out one or two things to represent you than to try and cram all your interests into one small space.

5. You can't have arms that make you something you are not.  Arms that already belong to someone and certain heraldic symbols, like crowns, are off limits.  So unless you are the King of the East (or his appointed representative)  or Edward III, you will have to choose something else to represent you.

For my own arms, I knew I wanted a crane to play off my byname of Crane.  The blue and ermine are a nod to the arms and persona I had the first time I was in the SCA and the whole thing has an asymmetrical quality, because I'm partial to what asymmetry does to a design.  If you're feeling overwhelmed, or don't think you're artistic enough to do this, never fear!  Your friendly local herald is there to help.  They will probably ask you for one or two things that you like and what your favorite colors are and can help you come up with a design that you're going to love.

And once you have that beloved design, the hard part begins.

The cost to register a device is $8.  If you're registering your name and device at the same time, your total cost is $16.  Your local herald will fill the paperwork out for you and you'll need to send multiple copies along with your check to your kingdom heralds.  Most heralds are pretty good about telling you when your device has made it to the various stages, but if you can't wait, you can track it online.  The East Kingdom LoI (or Letter of Intent) archive posts submissions on a monthly basis.  It took me a bit to figure out that the submission process on the archive reads right to left for submissions.  The first row, marked ILoI is where submissions first show up.  When the kingdom heralds are done, their response shows up in the LoR/LoD (Letter of Response/Letter of Decision) column.  The xLoI column is where the Laurel Sovereign of Arms and crew get ahold of it and the last column, LoAR, is the prize.  When your device shows up in this last row as passed, your wait is over.   Break out the fabric and the scissors, it's banner time!

Some good sources for designing your arms:

Creating a Heraldic Device by Master Modar Neznanich, Volk Herald is a great PDF primer with pretty much everything you need to create your device.

Fleur-de-lis Designs is a company that creates modern crests.  While I'm not advocating for their services, they do have an interesting page on symbolism.  Now, keep in mind that this symbolism most likely stems from Victorian ideals.  Medieval arms had symbols that meant something to the bearer and were by no means universal.  Should you have need of inspiration however, it might help you design your perfect blazon.

The Online SCA Ordinary is a useful tool for checking for conflicts, but it is not the easiest thing in the world to use.  For one thing, you need a passing familiarity with heraldic jargon.  Things like the color "red" is called "gules" and what the heck "rampant" and "sinister" mean.  Heraldy is it's own language which makes perfect sense... if you speak it.

Panteria - Panther Vale

Pretzel making class at Panteria XVIII  -  Laura Hamilton photo

First of all, let me be clear.  The disappointing parts of Panteria had nothing at all to do with the good and kind folks of Panther Vale.  The weather gods just wouldn't have any mercy upon us.  Memorial Day is supposed to be full of sunshine and barbecue weather, right?  Clearly, them what's in charge of things that fall from the sky didn't get the memo.

The Panteria organizers did an excellent job of rolling with the punches and making room in some of the indoor venues for activities that would have otherwise happened outside.  The kitchen staff all deserve metals of honor for keeping everyone fed  and supplied with hot beverages.  For those strong of heart and constitution, staying through until Monday seemed to pay off.  The best was made of the rain and snow (I hear there was a snowball fight) and it seems that there were classes and competitions that happened regardless of the weather.  I wish we could have stayed for them.

There are two things that I've taken away from Panteria - children's activities and camping in the cold and wet.  I had a delightful and inspiring conversation with Lady Albreda Aylese of Carolingia about making sure that the events planned for kids closely parallel adult activities.  There were A&S activities, but there were also events like the pretzel making where the kids learned things like, the first thing you do when entering the kitchen is wash your hands.  They were taken on a tour of the kitchen to see what was going on there and then they all got to salt their own pretzel.  Several of the youth martial activities took a hit, but some, like the youth fencing, went on as scheduled.  Of course, it's ultimately up to parents to make sure their kids aren't bored to tears at events, but those of us with an interest in organizing events can help out by making sure that kids learn what sort of roles they can play even if there is no specific "children's activity" planned.  Hopefully, I can use some of this inspiration to help with youth events at GNE.

Camping is tricky enough when it rains or when it's cold, but put the two together and it's a recipe for a rough weekend.  There are several things I know now that experienced campers probably take for granted:

1. Have Extra Tarps.  We don't have a nice period pavilion yet, and, in a way, I'm sort of glad for that.  In prepping for this weekend, we bought three new tarps.  One, of course went under the tent for ground cover.  One went over our tent and the extra layer kept us dry through a night of heavy rain.  I probably wouldn't have done that if it was our first time in a period pavilion.  Tarps. They may be ugly and distracting, but don't go camping without them. 

2. Layers of Clothing. Wool Clothing.  As I noted last week, there was a LOT of sewing in preparation for this event.  Five of the people in our household had no period garb whatsoever and The Husband had no warm garb.  I made sure that everyone had at least three layers to put on, but despite this, cotton and linen are no match for rain and cold.  When we do early and late season events in the future, I will be sure that my immediate family at least has a full wool layer to pull on, plus mittens and hoods for the kidlet and myself. 

One of the recommendations I saw was that we have a set of warm clothes to change into for sleeping.  Husband protested having to get out of his clothes, but in the end, I think he's glad he did.  It kept the bed dry and we were all able to snuggle and warm up in short order.  Thick dry socks made for comfortable feet in bed and the only thing we were missing was caps to keep our heads warm.  For the future, I'll make some simple caps of fleece that we can wear when we sleep.

3. Quick Kitchen Set Up and FIRE! NOW! When it's cold, the first thing the kids are going to complain about is, you guessed it, that they're cold.  Now, admittedly, most of the kids in our group aren't used to having to wear layers to keep warm and it was a fight to get them to do it.  Even after they did, however, it was so damp that the chill seeped into our bones.  Enter the fire pit.  In hindsight, I think I would have started the fire sooner, so that the kids could park themselves around it to warm up.  One of the first things I'll have them do at the next event is to go in search of stones to create a "DO NOT CROSS THIS LINE" ring around the fire. Despite our best warnings, the kids had to be repeatedly told to back away from the fire.  Once the ring was set up around the firepit, that was no longer an issue.  Then there was the matter of cooking. 

Now, personally, I love the idea of going to an SCA event and spending the whole weekend cooking over the campfire, but there are some practicalities that need to be worked out.  Like if it's raining, your fire will go out.  We had a camp stove with us and that has worked out great for us in the past, but it was having issues this time around so cooking had to happen on the hot coals.  Trouble was, the fire was surrounded by cold children and menfolk.  My future setup will have a fire ring for sitting around and then a separate fire bowl for cooking.  A little one-burner camp stove will be a useful backup for dampened campfires or for keeping a put of water hot.

Finally, while a camp kitchen setup may seem like a luxury,  the ability to open a box and go would have been really useful.  Kids were hungry.  It was getting dark.  Everyone was cold.  All of our kitchen gear was safely stowed in a plastic tote, which kept it dry but made it impractical to get at anything.  A camp kitchen is on my short list for future camping gear.

Side note:  The Girl Ccout camp that hosts Panteria had these lovely little shelters scattered about and each one had a handful of picnic tables and (insert choir of angels here) a fireplace.  If it's going to rain or looks like it might rain, and a roofed shelter with fireplace is available for use, take it. 

4. Have a Backup Plan.  Weather in New England is a tricky business.  It rarely does what anyone thinks it will.  However, when the weather people agree that it's going to be rainy and cold all weekend, and they agree on Monday, and again on Wednesday, and again on Friday before you leave for the event, take the hint.  Seriously consider if you have the gear to deal with rain and cold.  Consider the site you're going to.  Are all the activities you're interested in guaranteed to happen, rain or shine?  Are there heated indoor venues for activities to be held in?  Are you going to be able to feed yourself and your family if it's pouring?  Are you going to be able to stay warm and dry?  If you answered no to any of these questions, it may be time to disappoint people and cancel the trip or compromise and go for a day.

If, like us, you throw caution to the wind and go anyway, it helps to be sure to have something else to do.  Games are greatly appreciated by all and are a lovely way to meet people.  Panteria had people spinning and painting and playing music in the main feast hall all day on Saturday.  I brought some blocks and my pick-up-sticks and the kids and I had a good time building things and seeing who had the steadiest hand.  It wasn't archery or watching the horses do their thing, but it kept them from whining about being bored.

For more valuable info about camping and the SCA and some great lists to inspire your own, check out these links:

SCA Camping 101
CT's SCA Camping Page
DragonBear's Pennsic Packing List
You Forgot The What?  A Packing List