I have bought my first loom!

I went to a car boot sale, and a loppis (think semi-permanent yard sale) outside Uppsala this weekend, and a 70 cm wide Glimåkra Victoria table loom (Glimåkra official site with image) jumped into my care. I spotted it in the barn at the loppis, and asked the little old lady about it. Asking if it she knew it was complete. She said she'd be willing to sell it for 50 SEK to a person who could take care of it properly.

So, we went to take a look, pick up all the pieces and see what was there, and it turned out to have all the parts, and so I paid her 50 SEK for a perfectly good 4 shaft table loom. 

At the boot sale earlier I had crouched down to look into a big blue IKEA bag containing wool yarn, and the man at the table said 'I'll sell it to you for 50 SEK'.

So, I came home with something approaching 2 kg of 6/1 Bergå wool in a few colours, and a loom for the low low price of 100 sek in total. 

• Instagram post with picture of the loom and yarn, and one bag of hand tied heddles

My Öxabäck floor loom is not going anywhere, so now I have two looms. OK, three if we cound the band loom that I haven't touched since 2011.

In completely other news - I think I finished the central back applique on my cape. I might be adding some additional outlining, but possibly not.
Instagram posts showing

• the front of the finished applique
• showing the back side of the applique

Yesterday myself, Master Edricus and Viscountess Helwig daytripped to the event May Count in our neighbouring shire of Holmrike.

We got there by 10, and I got right into setting up a couple of tables for myself to work on my Laurel cape. I decided that it was going to be my event project. This may change. Anyway. Here's a photo of the general design:
Go to Flickr --> Cape design

What I started with was cutting out a half circle to my measurements - 140 cm radius - from a white linen. This will work as interlining, stabilizing the wool/silk we dyed green last summer at my Apprentice Christina's place.
This cloth is now in four pieces, two pieces 1.40 cm long by 70 cm wide, and two about 90 cm long and 70 wide. I can make up a  full half circle out of this, with only a couple of piecings.

I proceeded to baste the two longer panels of wool to the centre of this linen, folding in the cut edge seam allowance over the selvedge. This effectively anchored both pieces of wool to the middle of the interlining, lining up the grain lines there.

Then I basted the shorter bits of wool onto either side of the two middle panels, but catching only the wool. After layout of the linen I realized it needed to be ironed before I anchored any more of the outer fabric to it - so I did as much on this as I could. Then I rolled up the line and wool and folded it up so I could continue on the back applique.

I found a silver faux leather at the Arts&Crafts expo the other year, which I will use on the back to applique on a big laurel wreath and my badge. Around the hem I will also add roundels with my badge. 

I worked out how many leaves I would need for the wreath on the back, and I marked out all the pieces on the reverse of the leather in pencil. By that point it was time to head out to watch the tourney, so I set down my project. 

I thought I made good progress in any case. 

This morning I unfolded my sandwich of linen and wool, and ironed it all over again. Next step is to lay it out again and baste the front edge and the two seams joining the smaller bits to the linen. Then cut and piece the small triangles needed to fill in the half circle. Then I can stitch all the seams down properly and I will have the base for all my applique and embroidery.

I have a bunch of silver cord and the plan is to do couching, picking out contours and add details. 

The finished cape will then be lined in green silk. For closure my plan is to do a similar thing to how we set up the Nordmark capes - that is to say one cord sewn on about a third of the way in to it on either side of the front edges so I can tie the short ends in front of my chest and the long ends underneath the arms around the back. It makes for a very secure fastening and remove the need to constantly pull down in front.

I envision it to be entirely SCA regalia blingy in the end.