MY FANTASTIC TALENTED FATHER

MY FANTASTIC TALENTED FATHER  or Dad please can you make me a ..........

Though out my life my Father has made me things out of wood.  From the Noah's ark for my Britain's animals when I was a child to the seemingly never ending requests that I made while I was a member of a re-enactment society when I look around my home there is so much that he made me.

His profession was carpenter and builders joiner, always there was a bit of wood in his hands and a penknife whittling (mostly a model ram for which he became famous local folk circles )

http://www.lmster.webspace.virginmedia.com/etc/ECommon/Beast.htm 

This is a carving of Enfield's  heraldic beast 'THE ENFIELD' which my Father carved about fifty years ago.  

The items he made for me during my childhood included the Noah's ark mentioned above, which I still have complete with all my animals; a stable block for my Britain's horses and a sewing stool.

Someone told him you could not make a unbroken chain out of a single piece of wood. 

This is my Fathers response a chain carved from wood with a 's' hook and the bowl of a spoon - no joins in the links A beautiful piece of work.

So now you can see why when I needed equipment to look convincing as a Norman gentlewoman it was my father I turned to.  Not once did he say no.

To begin with I was a member of MILITES BE BEC 
http://www.debec.org/
but I later joined the group CONQUEST.
http://www.angevin.org/ 

I had a lot of fun while travelling the country as a member of both of these groups and I made many good friends.

The first TABLETS he made with a piece of tablet weaving attached.  These are made of plywood could not be used at shows.
And a piece of blue braid made on the inkle loom.

a selection of hand carved spoons

a cup, a comb and shuttles with my box

Distaffs and drop spindle

drop spindle, silk and wool fleece and some spun yarn

My father made me : - DROP SPINDLES, DISTAFFS, TABLETS FOR DOING TABLET WEAVING (2 SETS) TWO INKLE LOOMS, CUPS, BOWLS, SPOONS, BOARDS TO WORK ON, SHUTTLES, A BOX TO KEEP THINGS IN AND REALLY NICE SOLID STOOLS THAT PACKED FLAT AND WERE HELD TOGETHER WITH PEGS.  

I would never been able to afford the essential items that he made for me. PRETTY MUCH IF IT COULD BE MADE OUT OF WOOD AND I ASKED FOR IT MY FATHER MADE IT FOR ME.

 This is just the tip of a glorious wooden iceberg - I look around my home and there is so many items made by him.  And even more that have been packed away safely till I need them again.

THANK YOU DAD