Winterfest 2010

We've been time traveling again. We even packed our kit in our TARDIS to get there (I mean, I knew we were buying a big car when we got the VW van, but ye gods, the amount of stuff we can fit in there is incredible! It really is bigger on the inside).

Our weekend was spent at the Winterfest Medieval Fair at Parramatta Park being part of the living history display.

I wove bits of wool and melted bits of glass and watched jousting. Adam did some wood turning on the pole lathe and helped one of our new group members get started on making a pair of shoes. We had a scrumptious lamb stew for Saturday night dinner cooked by Adam and Jess over the camp fire. The kids beat each other up with our collection of rubber weapons and did a little bit of wood carving and pottery.

The very lovely Deb (aka Oonagh), from Canberra, was brave enough to come and stay at our place on Friday and Saturday night (we didn't camp over, it was easier to come home and besides, the cats like it better if they get fed) and she brought me the new linen underdresses she has made for me because she is awesome and actually likes to sew. Unlike myself, who, although I'm assured I am awesome in several ways and incidentally can sew, hates doing it and therefore doesn't.

It was lots of fun.

And I failed to take even one single photo.

ETA: But luckily other people did.

Around the cooking fire. Photo credit: Deborah Lane (oonaghsown)

Saturday night dinner. Photo credit: Deborah Lane (oonaghsown)

Making glass beads. Photo credit: Deborah Lane (oonaghsown)

Deb and I hard at work sitting at the craft display. Photo credit: Deborah Lane (oonaghsown)

Other Winterfest pictures around the net:

"Winterfest 2010" by Avaery on Flickr

"Winterfest 2010" by Stephen Finlay on Flickr

And a couple of videos too:

Blacktown Medieval Fayre

I have a new apron dress! This is very exciting! No, really!

It started with a beautiful length of handwoven woollen cloth made by the very talented Pat which I bought at the Armidale Easter camp. I made a piece of tablet weaving with the intention of using it for the straps on the dress. The cloth and the braid sat looking at me expectantly while I dithered for weeks on account of really having no idea what to do next. Then this morning, I was talking to Deb, and the subject of how much I hate sewing came up, one thing led to another, a little bit of barter came in to play, and the next thing I know she's hand sewing my dress for me, with an antler needle and hand-spun woollen thread and using hand-made brass pins no less! And the best bit? Not one scrap of either the cloth or the braid was wasted.

Me in my new apron dress with Deb, seamstress extraordinaire.

We were at the Blacktown Medieval Fayre with the Ancient Arts Fellowship as part of a living history display this weekend.

The Ancient Arts Fellowship encampment

Adam had his pole lathe set up and we had the tent with our replica Viking bed on display.

The kids hanging out in our tent

The group's camp kitchen attracted much interest as various meals were cooked, lunch on Saturday was coq au vin, Saturday dinner was beef stew with dumplings while Sunday lunch was pumpkin soup with bacon and sour cream followed by a lamb stew.

Adam in the kitchen

Beef stew with dumplings

The Craft Geteld

The Craft Geteld housed a display of textiles crafts, we had drop spindle spinning of both wool and flax, tablet weaving, sewing, naalbinding, embroidery, viking wire weaving and finger loop braiding happening at various times during the day.

That empty seat next to Deb is where I spent most of today.

There was jousting, fighting, executions, pike and musket drills, theatrical swordplay, plenty of market stalls and even free pony and camel rides. Tom had three camel rides and neither Adam or I were there to take a photo of any of them. Independent kids are such a trial!

I was going to throw a whole bunch of other photos in here too but my Flickr upload is taking for freakin' EVER and I am very, very tired. So I'm going to bed. But I may add more photos in the morning. Or I might not. Who knows!

Don't forget to head on over to Unknown Mami's to see what's being shared by all the other fabulous Sundays in My City bloggers!