The Canton of the Towers has a monthly Project Day, typically from 3 to 5 PM on the first or second Sunday of each month at the home of the Peter the Red and Arlyana van Wyck (M.K.A. Peter and Yona Carmichael) in Carlisle, MA. Check the meeting schedule below to be sure. Directions to the Carmichael's are at: http://pscarmichael.home.comcast.net/directions.html. We don't wear garb at Project Day meetings
Meetings are followed at 5 PM by a fun potluck supper. Bring about eight small servings of whatever you like, as long as it is not pork. Period foods are always welcome but not necessary. No need to bring feast gear.
For early meeting notices and discussion, join our Yahoo Group at : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scatowers/
Our meetings--future and past--are listed here to give you an idea of what we do. Please scroll to see all projects.
CURRENT & FUTURE PROJECT MEETINGS:
More information about our next meeting will be posted soon.
PAST PROJECT MEETINGS:
JULY 9th, 2011 -- Towers folk met up in various site venues and for an early dinner at the Great North Eastern War. Most of us hung out at the archery range or the A & S barn, and some of us walked the Field of Agincourt with Kali.
JUNE 12th, 2011 -- Creiddylad taught a large gathering how to make a Hare Net for hunting. She put together little kits, and we bartered as Emelyne did for the heddle weaving session. Everyone had a good time and the nets looked great!
MAY 15th, 2011 -- Our trip to the Prospect Hill Forge brought out 20 folks. We were hoping to produce 8 "portable holes"--stakes for roping off an area. But with Fritz and Michael's excellent instruction, we were able us to produce 14 stakes! You can visit the forge and find out about group blacksmithing lessons at http://www.prospecthillforge.com Everyone had a great time and we shared our potluck supper at the forge, where many hot dogs, chicken, and sausages were roasted.
APRIL 10th, 2011 -- Emelyne will teach a session called: Weave your own basic trim using a rigid heddle. This is a great first project for anyone who has ever thought that weaving looks like fun but hasn't wanted to buy a loom to find out. Emelyne will be making heddles and shuttles for you to play with and take home with you. She will also have an inkle loom and a few other types of looms for people to try.
MARCH 13th, 2011 -- Planning and preparation for the Towers exhibit at the upcoming Arts & Sciences Project for the Barony's 40th Anniversary.
FEBRUARY 13th, 2011 -- We enjoyed a great & well-attended field trip to Dabblers, a crafts & hobby store at 119 Commonwealth Avenue in West Concord. (Cynthia Virtue works there during the week.) They have lots of great craft items, kits, etc. They also have a nice cafe and a demo room for teaching. We brought home kits for bead making, braiding, and catapults, as well as knitting and felting supplies. Dabblers has a website with a schedule of classes (many free) at: www.dabblersconcord.com
JANUARY 9th, 2011 -- Twelfth Night! Our annual, in-garb, potluck party for the entire Barony. Wear your finest period garb and, this year, a silly hat! The party starts at the Carmichael's at 5 pm (see address link above). NOTE: there is no 3 pm Tower's activity, just the party.
DECEMBER 12th, 2010 -- A two-fer! Bead making with Mistress Mirabel (back by popular demand) and a cookie swap. For the cookie swap, just make as many cookies as you wish, bundle them into bags containing a half-dozen cookies of a single kind, and trade with others! You get a half-dozen cookies for each half-dozen that you trade. Be sure to label each bag and bring a list of your ingredients (we can copy the list before the swap if you don't have a scribe).
NOVEMBER 7th, 2010 -- A Medieval history lesson by Master Kali on the Crusades and a movie (Kingdom of Heaven) to illustra te same! Fiber crafts for those who wish to have busy hands.
OCTOBER 10th, 2010 -- Fabric dying at Creiddylad's home in Newburyport, MA! Bring your own fabric or wool for a natural dyeing workshop. Observers are also welcome. The address is 14 Myrtle Ave., Newburyport.
SEPTEMBER 2010 -- All about bees! Cynthia du Pre Argent gives us a look at her honeybee hives and tells us all about the history and process of keeping bees.
AUGUST 2010 -- No Towers Meeting this month, due to Pennsic.
JULY 10th, 2010 -- Informal Towers get together at the Great Northeastern War in Maine! Come for the day or camp for the weekend.
JUNE 13th, 2010 -- Brewing with Baron Aquel. Master Aquel will be demonstrating and talking about a Sir Kenelm Digby mead recipe: Weak Honey Drink. This will be a listen-and-watch session, rather than a hands-on brewing workshop.
MAY 2nd, 2010 -- A complete arrow-making workshop with Kynar to produce a set of arrows for the Company of Bowman.
APRIL 11th, 2010 -- Glass Bead Making with Mistress Mirabel. A hands-on workshop in making beautiful glass beads of different designs and colors.
MARCH 14th, 2010 -- Basket Weaving with Ronnie McEntee. A hands-on workshop, Ronnie brought small basket kits for us to work on and everyone made a beautiful basket with very different shapes. Much enthusiasm for the craft is the result!
FEBRUARY 7th, 2010 -- Bread Making with Baroness Johanna. A yummy warm event on a cold winter's day.
JANUARY 9th, 2010 -- Towers Twelfth Night Party! (note: this is on SATURDAY)
DECEMBER 13th, 2009 -- Lady Emengar la Fileresse, whom many of us call Creiddylad the Wanderer, taught a class in the art of Sprang, a kind of stretchy weaving technique. A small frame and some wool are all that are needed to make wonderful items in interesting patterns.
NOVEMBER 8th, 2009 -- Lady Pamelina taught a tunic-making workshop in which fabric can be measured, cut, and pinned for later sewing sessions at her house in Concord. (We will provide more information on how much linen fabric to bring for tunics or under-tunics later.) Pamelina brought a large wardrobe of garb from different periods that participants could reference during this session. When she has completed her move, Lady Pamelina will hold a tunic workshop in her home.
OCTOBER 4th, 2009 -- Mistress Mirabel taught a class on shoemaking, including selecting leather and tools, and estimating costs for the shoes we want to make. Actual shoe-making for participants will take longer than one class, so Mistress Mirabel has offered to run construction workshops at her house in Lowell on Tuesdays nights beginning November 10th and running to the end of the month. Participants will learn to make lasts, cut, sew, and turn their own shoes. We are most grateful for her help in this process.
