OT[Sca-cooks] Pennsic Help

[Elaine Koogler]

I just re-read your message, and thought I'd send you the same idea I sent
to someone on the sca-jml list.  I'm not sure how inexpensively you can get
silk, but you should be able to get it reasonably from Rupert, Gibbon &
Spider...they do have a website, I think.  And the pieces of fabric you give
out needn't be more than, say, 12" x 12" or so.  The idea is tie-dyed silk,
as it is done in Japan (and was actually done much this way in period!!)
Here are the directions I sent to the others...if you have any questions,
let me know.

> OK.  Best I can remember, the way to set it up and run it is:
>
> 1.  Materials:  as cheap a silk as you can find (should be silk or
> wool...won't work with cotton or linen), Kool-aid in various colors,
water,
> plastic tubs/wash basins/shallow trash cans, various items for tie dye
> (small stones, marbles, string, rubber bands, binder clips in various
> sizes), scissors (to cut silk into pieces for participants), a drying
rack,
> paper towels.
> 2.  Mix Kool-aid according to package directions, omitting the sugar, in
one
> of the tubs.
> 3.  Set up a second tub with clear water for rinsing.
> 4.  Set up drying rack or clothes line (bring clothes pins if you go this
> route) for drying fabric.
> (If you do this inside, you might want to cover the floor with newspaper
or
> a drop cloth.)
>
> To do:
> 1.  Create tie-dye pattern...ideas:
>       --scrunch up a piece of the fabric and put a rubber band around it.
>       --put a marble in a section of fabric and stretch the fabric around
> it, holding it in place with string or rubber band.
>       --use a binder clip to bunch up a bit of the fabric.
>       --do the same thing as above (with marble) with a small stone.
>
> Get the kids to try different kinds of things with their piece of
> fabric...just to see the different kinds of effects you can get.
>
> 2.  Once fabric is "tied", dunk it into the Kool-aid mixture, making sure
it
> gets thoroughly soaked.  You might want to use a wooden spoon/stick to
stir
> it around to keep the dye off of your hands. (or use rubber gloves)
>
> 3.  Pull fabric out of dye bath, and wring it out.  Dunk it into the clear
> water until it stops bleeding.
>
> 4.  Hang up to dry.
>
> Lots of fun!  If the kids really experiment with the stuff to tie die, the
> results can be impressive.  In fact, the way one of the period techniques
> was done was to tie fabric around a bundle of bamboo twigs...this produced
> much different effects than if they had simply tied up a bunched piece of
> fabric!
>
Hope this helps!

Kiri
----- Original Message -----

> Hello all. I've got an unusual request.
>
> I'm coordinating activities for Children's Point at Pennsic this year.
> Naturally, this means one of my topics is going to be medieval food. I'm
> looking for a few good ideas: Sotelties or other food projects kids can
> create that involve NO heat, little equipment, and are reasonably
> inexpensive.
>
> It's a tall order, I know. And to set the ball rolling, I've already got
the
> graham cracker gingerbread house thing down. Not sure I'll use it, but
it's
> on paper already. So please, feed me some ideas---the more historically
> authentic the better.
> Cheers
>
> Aoife
>