![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
Bess and Schecky have this great term: Level Up! It's when you see something done well that is cool that you wish to implement in your own world. It's the idea of never resting on laurels, but always striving to advance and improve.
No one springs forth fully formed. Isobel has her Hall of Shame to show how far she's come. I've seen Thjora's early event picture of floral head wreath and "Irish" dress. I have my own shameful past of poly-cotton poorly made t-tunics, the worst chemise ever, and a day spent at Pennsic in a knee-length tunic stolen from Cuan, stripey socks, construction boots, and pigtails. Everyone starts somewhere.
"Level Up" also acknowledges that the SCA is an entire experience, so while you may do costuming, it just doesn't look right sitting in a Coleman chair; while you may be a cook, you can still sleep in a canvas pavilion; while you may be a fighter, you can still help set-up a nice list field fence instead of orange caution tape.
First thing I want to mention is that some have no desire to improve, and that is their choice. This is not meant to deride those individuals, but to help those who do want to improve and don't know how. (*Please note that I don't want comments whining about why you can't upgrade. I've seen many amazing feats accomplished by folks with bad backs, small cars and little money. Your choices may be more limited, but they are your choices.)
~~~~~~~~~~
For example, most of us start in the SCA with a cheap aluminum mug with a glass bottom and some thrift store wooden dishes and cutlery stolen from the dining hall for our feast gear. (At least I did.) I even made a bag out of upholstery fabric scraps to carry it in. Do you need to upgrade all of your feast gear at once? Of course not.
Step 1: Look into a style that you like. No one says you must stick to one period time and place, but you will be happier ultimately and can pull together a cohesive set that makes you happy and proud.
Step 2: Replace the mug with nice drinking vessel, perhaps pottery from a period that appeals to you. Some prefer wooden mugs since they are unlikely to break if tossed in with the armor, but it is your choice. You don't need a different mug for each outfit, but you also won't find me casting that stone, since I kinda do.
Step 3: Given your research look for a plate/bowl replacement that works for you. Some like pottery and stoneware, but some dislike that it is breakable. Sometimes your wooden bowl/plates from the thrift store are the right look for you, or you may want to keep your eyes peeled for a longer thinner one.
Step 4: Look at the thrift stores for two-tined forks instead of the modern fork. Maybe your culture doesn't use personal forks, only for carving. Look into pewter or horn spoons, and more period knife options.
From there you can slide away from your bag and perhaps into a box you make, or a nice basket chest from IKEA, add in some linen or cotton napkins in white, keep you eyes peeled for some handwoven ones in silent auctions, find a cloth suitable as a tablecloth and all of a sudden you look around and you are upgraded. This process can take months or years based on your desire and budget. Heck, you might discover a love of a craft and make your own. Someone approaching your feast setting may marvel at it, but it came to you gradually.
Some vendors who can help you along the way, if you choose:
Ironwood Pottery Studios- Eadric will happily try to determine what period or style you are looking for and find the suitable mug, plate, bowl for your needs. It is nice to have knowledgeable sutlers to guide you.
Historic Enterprises- From clothing to cutlery, and all sorts of goods under the sun. We use the fork and knife set each in our feast gear.
Please Touch Pottery- who I bought a bunch of earlier lovely if generic stuff from.
Panther Primitives- Carries items for your tent, it is true, but also some pewter and wooden gear as well.
L'Archeveque- the fine Canadian, Francois that I purchased a knife from at MTA.
This list was just off the top of my head, mainly based on previous purchases. Do you have sutlers to add? Feel free to leave me a comment and I'll add them to this list.
~~~~~~~~~~
This idea of baby-steps can apply to all areas of your SCA life. You want to upgrade your clothing, start with one piece at a time. Don't try to plan out wardrobes in entire, begin with the pieces of an outfit, and little by little you'll have an outfit and then another and then a wardrobe in time.
I do love it that our Vair and Ermine camp does seem to inspire envy in some of our friends and acquaintances. But remember that it too was built brick by brick. It started with a group of friends who wanted to camp together at Pennsic. Those who had period canvas accommodations were placed up front in the camp, and the modern tents were placed in back. (BTW, this wasn't a punishment, but a group decision since we all wanted a nicer looking common area.) We rented a Grimms for the common tent for a few years. Then we borrowed Kevin's 16x20 for the common tent. As the camp grew, Alan and I bought a used 18x24 for the common tent instead. (Note, we bought a used tent, and with care and cleaning and a little patching, it has lasted many years and will continue to do so. You don't need to buy brand new.) Our common tent started off using T-bone's tables and benches for seating. These were made for his camp when he and Eorann were Prince and Princess at Pennsic a few (cough) years back. They were sturdy and heavy, and did the job. (heck, we took naps on those tables...) But then we wanted something better. So Thjora worked on plans, she and Alan teamed up in the shop to build a prototype, and members of the group came together and made tables and benches for the camp to use, that would be stored with their owners. As with everything else, you step up piece by piece, and you make the choice on when and how to step up. It can take time, but it is very much worth it in the end. Oh, and we're still stepping up even now.
Fighters often will upgrade their kits piece by piece. You start with a Coleman chair with a cloth tossed over it, but if you want to you can work your way up to a period bench, a folding X-chair, a Glastonbury style chair, or whatever suits you. Vigils have upgraded from happening with little preparation, to happening with food in plastic serving-ware bought from the grocery store, to period looking foods on nice platters on a clean white tablecloth.
Personally, I love to see the evolution of the SCA. The garb in the pictures of old was not so bad, but we have far more available research, better materials and better knowledge. Ditto for the armour, tents, furniture, accessories, feastware, etc.
No one springs forth fully formed. Isobel has her Hall of Shame to show how far she's come. I've seen Thjora's early event picture of floral head wreath and "Irish" dress. I have my own shameful past of poly-cotton poorly made t-tunics, the worst chemise ever, and a day spent at Pennsic in a knee-length tunic stolen from Cuan, stripey socks, construction boots, and pigtails. Everyone starts somewhere.
"Level Up" also acknowledges that the SCA is an entire experience, so while you may do costuming, it just doesn't look right sitting in a Coleman chair; while you may be a cook, you can still sleep in a canvas pavilion; while you may be a fighter, you can still help set-up a nice list field fence instead of orange caution tape.
First thing I want to mention is that some have no desire to improve, and that is their choice. This is not meant to deride those individuals, but to help those who do want to improve and don't know how. (*Please note that I don't want comments whining about why you can't upgrade. I've seen many amazing feats accomplished by folks with bad backs, small cars and little money. Your choices may be more limited, but they are your choices.)
~~~~~~~~~~
For example, most of us start in the SCA with a cheap aluminum mug with a glass bottom and some thrift store wooden dishes and cutlery stolen from the dining hall for our feast gear. (At least I did.) I even made a bag out of upholstery fabric scraps to carry it in. Do you need to upgrade all of your feast gear at once? Of course not.
Step 1: Look into a style that you like. No one says you must stick to one period time and place, but you will be happier ultimately and can pull together a cohesive set that makes you happy and proud.
Step 2: Replace the mug with nice drinking vessel, perhaps pottery from a period that appeals to you. Some prefer wooden mugs since they are unlikely to break if tossed in with the armor, but it is your choice. You don't need a different mug for each outfit, but you also won't find me casting that stone, since I kinda do.
Step 3: Given your research look for a plate/bowl replacement that works for you. Some like pottery and stoneware, but some dislike that it is breakable. Sometimes your wooden bowl/plates from the thrift store are the right look for you, or you may want to keep your eyes peeled for a longer thinner one.
Step 4: Look at the thrift stores for two-tined forks instead of the modern fork. Maybe your culture doesn't use personal forks, only for carving. Look into pewter or horn spoons, and more period knife options.
From there you can slide away from your bag and perhaps into a box you make, or a nice basket chest from IKEA, add in some linen or cotton napkins in white, keep you eyes peeled for some handwoven ones in silent auctions, find a cloth suitable as a tablecloth and all of a sudden you look around and you are upgraded. This process can take months or years based on your desire and budget. Heck, you might discover a love of a craft and make your own. Someone approaching your feast setting may marvel at it, but it came to you gradually.
Some vendors who can help you along the way, if you choose:
Ironwood Pottery Studios- Eadric will happily try to determine what period or style you are looking for and find the suitable mug, plate, bowl for your needs. It is nice to have knowledgeable sutlers to guide you.
Historic Enterprises- From clothing to cutlery, and all sorts of goods under the sun. We use the fork and knife set each in our feast gear.
Please Touch Pottery- who I bought a bunch of earlier lovely if generic stuff from.
Panther Primitives- Carries items for your tent, it is true, but also some pewter and wooden gear as well.
L'Archeveque- the fine Canadian, Francois that I purchased a knife from at MTA.
This list was just off the top of my head, mainly based on previous purchases. Do you have sutlers to add? Feel free to leave me a comment and I'll add them to this list.
~~~~~~~~~~
This idea of baby-steps can apply to all areas of your SCA life. You want to upgrade your clothing, start with one piece at a time. Don't try to plan out wardrobes in entire, begin with the pieces of an outfit, and little by little you'll have an outfit and then another and then a wardrobe in time.
I do love it that our Vair and Ermine camp does seem to inspire envy in some of our friends and acquaintances. But remember that it too was built brick by brick. It started with a group of friends who wanted to camp together at Pennsic. Those who had period canvas accommodations were placed up front in the camp, and the modern tents were placed in back. (BTW, this wasn't a punishment, but a group decision since we all wanted a nicer looking common area.) We rented a Grimms for the common tent for a few years. Then we borrowed Kevin's 16x20 for the common tent. As the camp grew, Alan and I bought a used 18x24 for the common tent instead. (Note, we bought a used tent, and with care and cleaning and a little patching, it has lasted many years and will continue to do so. You don't need to buy brand new.) Our common tent started off using T-bone's tables and benches for seating. These were made for his camp when he and Eorann were Prince and Princess at Pennsic a few (cough) years back. They were sturdy and heavy, and did the job. (heck, we took naps on those tables...) But then we wanted something better. So Thjora worked on plans, she and Alan teamed up in the shop to build a prototype, and members of the group came together and made tables and benches for the camp to use, that would be stored with their owners. As with everything else, you step up piece by piece, and you make the choice on when and how to step up. It can take time, but it is very much worth it in the end. Oh, and we're still stepping up even now.
Fighters often will upgrade their kits piece by piece. You start with a Coleman chair with a cloth tossed over it, but if you want to you can work your way up to a period bench, a folding X-chair, a Glastonbury style chair, or whatever suits you. Vigils have upgraded from happening with little preparation, to happening with food in plastic serving-ware bought from the grocery store, to period looking foods on nice platters on a clean white tablecloth.
Personally, I love to see the evolution of the SCA. The garb in the pictures of old was not so bad, but we have far more available research, better materials and better knowledge. Ditto for the armour, tents, furniture, accessories, feastware, etc.
Mood: 
cheerful
cheerful4 comments | Comment