E is for Embroidery

I miss the SCA.

I’ve spent decades on the periphery of the Society for Creative Anachronism, perhaps the world’s largest collection of nerds who love the Middle Ages. And now that I can finally afford to participate, I found a new hobby.

I write books.

But crap, I want to do both!

So here is my small commitment. I’m going to start doing some embroidery. Not a huge project, just something I can work on while sitting in a chair.

Then I’m going to take that project to an event. Maybe a meeting. I’ll bring it with me and sew. It’ll be like a hand prop.

Maybe someone will say, “Ooh, that’s a nice piece of blackwork you’re doing there.” I’ll thank them and maybe say a few words about it.

“I’m doing blackwork because I’m researching sixteenth century Italy for a novel, and I’d like to try some of the things they did then.”

I would show a picture, perhaps. “Here is blackwork embroidery on a sleeve.”

“Here is the pattern I’m trying. It’s a bit like counted cross stitch.”

“Not much blackwork survives,” I’ll add, “because the black silk deteriorated over the years. But isn’t it lovely?”

I won’t count on being able to say all that, though. I will probably just do my embroidery quietly.

The point is to just be there. I just want to be there.