Revisions and Refirings and glass splinters..

This post got lost in my drafts, so we're a bit out of order at this point, but here it is anyway!! ^_^

Kingdom A&S was over the memorial day weekend, and I'm happy to say my piece did well enough at regional for both of us to attend : D (yes, I'm one of the reasons the Midrealm was asking for so many metalworking judges : ) I did get the chance to adjust the issues I was having with the greens (I'm convinced it's a compatibility issue, the lamp-working glass doesn't want to play as well with my enamels as I'd hoped, but ah well, lesson learned.

The piece, as submitted at regional A&S in North Oaken. yes, there are gaping wounds in my enamel, the pearls are so round they look fake (thats now a running joke, they really were Real), and no, it's not actually set into the bezel.... and we're not even going to discuss how my copies of my documentation were missing the last/bibliography page. i did ok enough to move on, so lets just do that! ^_^

 Also, the thickness i was getting from patching the green so much was causing issues as well :( BUT! Once it was sorted out, i was able to start grinding the enamels smooth : )

After the last firings, before grinding smooth

 

First round of stoning. shows where there are low spots, but way easier to see all the cloisons in the red garment : D i think i'd nearly forgotten about them honestly... 

I used increasingly fine grades of wet sanding to smooth the top edges to a glossy finish. which of course makes all the wierdness in the glass show up, but meh, whatever, now i know.. had some issues with my bezel setting, but i did replace the pearls with some other smaller but more irregular ones (oh hey, THOSE are totally real! lol) 

 

My Piece on display at Kingdom A&S in Tipton, IN, laid on the tea towel i usually wear on my head, because i'd realized i forgot to bring anything to display my piece on.. Thanks for the advice Tinker!!) I am Very proud to report that I received a First Place at Kingdom : D 

Now, what to do next year.... hmm...

Attack of the Killer Rabbit!!

So recently (ok, June 7th) There was a nice little event in the Cleftlands, called NOWM, and would you believe, my bestie/other half Beatrix and I conned those nice marshals into authorizing us to fight? Silly martials.. ^_^
I am now a Proud grunt in the Midrealm Army
DRACO INVICTUS!! (im in the red and gold, her awesomeness Beatrix is in the green/purple :)

 

SO a bit about my armor, because honestly, it's pretty damn skippy. 

Since the fox has so timely decided he needed new arms/legs, those are his old ones, and honestly, thats his gambeson as well... and his pauldrons.. 

ok.. well.. whatever, the coat of plates is mine!! 

We started with a basic wisby coat pattern (you can find them several places : ) And then there were some fittings with cardboard, and then more fudging of shapes, and eventually even some "side boob armor" because honestly, i cannot ignore them, might as well armor them) 

 

Plates cut and assembled, sewing the lining to the cote.

 

Plates all riveted to the canvas. this was outdoor canvas from slo-ann fabrics and crap (don't judge, i worked there for about 8+ years, lol) 

 

inside of plates all riveted. here you can see my awesome lil' side boob panels, honestly, these work amazing. 

Being plated!! i had cut out the canvas to a general shape, but we had to mark where the plates would go/be riveted.. wow.. this is pretty much in reverse order, sorry!!!

My Gambeson:

Patterned the same way I did the Fox's, since i've been borrowing/stealing his anyway. So same mostly-rectangular pattern : ) 

Pieces all laid out, ready to be quilted : D

Helpful Kitteh is helpful... this is Addi (yes, it's short for Adipose, we are whovians afterall.. and yes, her brother is Stormageddon)

Quilty quilty quilty.. 

Some Assembly required!! all the seams will get finished with bias tape, because i either didn't have enough seam allowance/am too lazy to flat fell my gambeson

Picture showing how i sammiched my layers (medium linen on either side, with cotton quilt batting in between) that i sent to Bea, who was working on hers simultaneously at her own den : P

HELM:

So, i needed a bucket for my mellon, of course, so what else would i do, but barter one of my BFA pieces for a helm? 

So barter victim got this:

 

And i got this: 

I .. have no idea what that expression is..

Put it all together though, and you haz a killer bunneh!!! ; D