Chipping Away.....

 

Looking Good So Far.....

In the History of Castle design, Dear Readers, it is important to remember that these buildings were meant to be defensive structures. Comfort was not a part of the plan, but survival was the essence. In this light, decoration of any kind was superfluous. It was only later, as the world became more settled, that decorative elements were added and lifestyles became more comfortable. Windows initially had no glass and were very narrow openings so soldiers could defend them easier. It is only later that glass became available and larger windows let in light. Along with this development came an increasing use of carved stone decoration on windows, doors and fireplaces (themselves a late invention!). For my Castle Dollhouse, I have compromised accurate historical rendering in favor of anachronistic decoration in many parts, chiefly, the painted ceilings and the windows. But still, I am trying to preserve an "Early Medieval sensibility" to the project as a whole, especially the exterior facade. This is not meant to be a nineteenth century Romantic Gothic castle, but a good old Norman Keep! And one of the earliest window decoration treatments used was a "saw-toothed" arch over the window. It is the signature motif (if there is one!) for this Castle. I have used it over the Great Hall Doors, The Main Entrance, and the Great Hall windows (facing the back wall). So it was always clear to me that the clerestory windows on the front of the Great Hall had to have the saw-toothed design. Of course, it is not easy to make! You can see in the above picture, the basic arch shape I cut from the 7/32nd inch thick scrap of luan plywood I have saved for years.

 

Here you can see I have begun cutting the sawtooth design. 

It is tricky because it is not cut all the way

 through to the back of the arch, 

but "straddles" the front curve of the arch.. 

It is tricky to hold, impossible to measure

 and I simply have to "wing it" 

with my razor saw and exacto blade. 

 

Because you are cutting across the grain of this plywood,

 it is very easy to cause a "chip" of the saw-tooth" point to chip off,

 necessitating an elaborate reconstruction...

 which you can sort of see under way in the above picture. 

The clothespin is holding the tiny scrap in place while the glue dries.

 

Here you ca see the glued on fragment 

before I carefully trimmed it to shape... 

which I forgot to take a picture of.

 

Here you can see the notches completed on the first window!

 

And window by window I got the notches cut. 

I had to take breaks to rest my hand... 

the angle of holding the piece was hard to maintain.

 

Here you can see the four arches have been notched

 and just have to be painted...

 

Which required primer....

 

 

Then the first coat of gray paint... 

the light is giving you a real look at the saw-tooth effect!

And then the darker gray stone shading effects....

 

And... Ta da.....!! 

in position on the windows!

They have not yet been glued in place,

but, Wow, what a difference they make! 

 

And as for the Tapestry, Dear Readers, 

I have chipped away a bit at the design!

 

I wanted to see how the shading of the three

 brown threads would work on the horse's legs... 

so I worked on them next.

 So far, I think they are looking good.

 But I really needed to work out the rest of the 

chart for the Horse's position and saddle. 

Remember, I am using every square inch

 of the cloth that I can, but I have to leave 

about 1/4 inch on either side for hemming the tapestry.

 

 

So I spent a few hours refining the position 

and researching the actual structure 

of saddles in the fourteenth century! 

My go-to source is a hard-cover copy of

 "Medieval Life and Leisure in the 

Devonshire Hunting Tapestries" by Linda Wooley.

It is an incredibly sumptuous book! 

 

 

Mostly the "Lords" are in the saddle making it hard to see...

 but there are a couple of places where you can see the saddle... 

from the back on the horse way to the left at the edge of the tapestry... 

and you can get glimpses of the pommel 

with the two Lords on the horses at the front...

 and their girths and stirrups...

 

 

And you can see some of the saddle

 under the small guy at the right...

 probably a groom holding the extra horse.

 

And a look at another empty saddle on the horse at the left.... 

showing a very uncomfortable looking wooden structure!

 But perhaps this one was intended 

to carry home the quarry.

 (This is the Bear and Boar Tapestry).

 

At any rate, I have begun to stitch the

 rear end and rear legs of the Horse.

 All of him will not fit within the cloth...

 but this is why I claim these pieces I have stitched

 are only fragments of a larger Tapestry.

Who knows, I might just have to keep designing

 this "Mystery" missing Tapestry!

 

I still have a long way to go, Dear Readers, 

but I have been chipping away at these projects

 and so Far, I think they are Looking Pretty Good!