Seven panels together

Today started out with me making a decision in the shower - the grommets had to be replaced. We'd used some nickel grommets, which reliably split upon hammering on nine out of the ten holes. I chose nickel simply because I felt that the silver color would be a lot less noticeable against the white tent fabric than the brass grommets. However the quality was such that I'm pretty sure I'd be replacing ropes in a season or two and that will not do. We replaced the nickel grommets with brass, which went in flawlessly. Grommets are not period-correct of course, having been invented in the nineteenth century. Another concession to structural integrity, but it'd be nice to have a viable alternative. I could hand-stitch eyelets, but I'm insecure about durability. My kid's sleeping in this tent after all. I just hope it's something that the living history folks can overlook.

Things progressed fairly slowly today, as both Robert and I are still recovering from our late night Friday. We did add three more panels on the tent top, and the eighth panel is pinned in place ready for sewing tomorrow evening. I feel fairly confident that we can finish getting all the panels assembled tomorrow night, although stitching the dreaded last seam may have to wait until Tuesday.

I have reconsidered my decision to make the valance and pole casing out of un-treated canvas. I figure that if this tent gets mistreated - which it will - I don't want to have to replace even a part of the fabric. In the morning, I'll be contacting Davis Tent again, inquiring about colored Sunforger. I don't know what they'll have, so I'm not making plans about color, but I'm thinking that we've got enough red in the camp already.

I've been thinking about the dagging on the valance. I really like the dagging on the tent to the far right of the illustration to the right - it's reminiscent of foliate ornamentations in illuminated manuscripts. But it'll take days to do. I'll probably go with more conventional ovoid dags; they're both easier to make and probably more typical. The valance could also be left un-dagged and painted instead. Hmmm. Maybe white Sunforger would work?

Looking at these original sources brings up another issue - and another project - the Northstar needs a pennon. I'll have to get out the silk painting stuff. Additionally, I'm struck by the amount of color the illustrators used for the tents they painted. Whether this is artistic convention or a reflection of reality I don't know. But my impression is that our SCA camps seem to be unnaturally white from the predominance of white canvas tents.