The entire messy process from design to completion
Why Messy?
I’ve always wanted to be an artist. I didn’t learn how to ‘do art’ as a kid, so I’ve been learning how to do it as an adult. The hardest lesson so far: The artists who make amazing things have failed a bunch of times where we can’t see them. When we only see the gorgeous end result, they look perfect and as if their skill sprung fully formed from the ether. That’s not how it works. So here’s my messy process with all its learning warts so other people can see it and take some encouragement for how very messy it was and how worthwhile the process was for me even when the result wasn’t perfect.
What on earth is this thing?
The SCA has a wonderful tradition of gifts and prizes being created in the style of a historical piece rather than as a completely period piece to make the piece useful to the recipient. Sometimes that’s as simple as using a synthetic wool for a tunic because the recipient is allergic to wool. Sometimes it means combining aesthetics from two different periods or locations to honor when a person or event overlaps more than one place/time in history. It’s the ‘Creative’ part of Society for Creative Anachronisms.
This cloak was created to be the hero’s cloak for an AnTir West War. A Norse style rectangular cloak has been given every year for so long its become a happy tradition. Rather than break the tradition, I used the ‘traditional’ shape and used a Scythian motif.
Historical Design Inspirations
Design Options
These are super messy design sketches. Their entire purpose is to let me see what shapes, colors and patterns will look good. There’s no value in making them perfect or pretty – they’re just concept designs.
Making the pattern
Cutting the felt
Assembly and Embellishment
