Classes Taught
Embroidery Related: Technique How-tos, projects, lectures, slideshows
Manuscript Design and Illumination: Technique How-tos, lectures, slideshows
Heraldry: How to interpret a blazon; designing your own armory
Calligraphy Related: Technique How-tos, intro to tools
Other Topics of SCA Interest: Technique How-tos, lectures
Engineering and Mathematics: lectures and hands on classes
Embroidery Related
Intro to Sweet Bags. July 2004. A lecture and slide show for El Segundo Blue EGA. 2 hours introducing sweet bags in general and a slide show of examples.
Introduction to Threads for Embroidery March 2004, Collegium Caidis. 2 hr. Hands on play with different threads.
Llangorse Textile. Sept 2003; Collegium Caidis. 2 hr., co-taught with Rheinwen. Lecture and Discusssion of the embroidered tunic found in the water near the Llangorse Crannog, from ca. 900AD. Including video of the BBC programme about the crannog.
Sweetbag in a Night (Jan 2003) Demonstration of the various techniques to make an Elizabethan style purse.
An Elizabethan Sweetbag (Aug 2002 – May 2003) – pilot program for the book. Essentially a Group Correspondence Course. I provided the text as we worked through it. We met once a month for an afternoon.
Butterfly and Vines. February 2002; El Segundo Blue EGA, evening program. An original Assisi cover for a needle book using historical stitches (not cross stitch).
Tassels and Fingerloop Braiding, Mar 2002; Collegium Caidis. 2 hr. hands on.
Sweet bags, Mar 2002; Collegium Caidis, 2 hr. lecture with handouts so one can design a sweet bag in class that conforms to those done in period.
An Elizabethan Pansy Pincushion, Mar. 2000; Collegium Caidis, 4-hr. program. Raisedwork pansy in yellow and purple with silver and silver-gilt accents.
An Assisi Pincushion, Nov 1999; El Segundo Blue EGA chapter program. Teaching Janet Salerno’s pattern from National, with added notes on history.
Historical Blackwork and the Modern Revival. June 1999; for Azure Verde EGA; a lecture with hands-on examples on the variety of blackwork styles used in the 16th-17th century, and how the modern revival in blackwork interest has chosen a unique new path.
An Elizabethan Experience. March 1999; for Santa Clarita EGA annual fundraiser. I was one of six people providing a glimpse of Elizabethan culture. We demonstrated cooking, clothing, embroidery examples appropriate to the era. Also done in Oct, 2002 for EGA National Seminar with Louise, Giles, Angelina and me.
Cleaning Needlework. Spring 1998 for Needles and Knots, a TRW employees association club; noon-time program
Intro to Blackwork. History and double-running stitch on a small project
- for Needles and Knots, noon-time program, Spring 1997
- for El Segundo Blue EGA evening program, Spring 1998
EGA Master Craftsman Program. Oct 1997; for El Segundo Blue evening program; I was one of three panelists, each at a different stage in different MC Programs.
Clothing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. June 1996; for El Segundo Blue EGA evening program. Provided some history and a dress-up opportunity
Renaissance Assisi Embroidery. 1997 for SCA Collegium Caidis (CC) ; 4 outline stitches and 4 filling stitches on a small project, plus some history.
Intro to Elizabethan Embroidery. 1997 for SCA CC; history, design, and 3 stitches
Pattern Darning: a 15th c. Mamluk Design. 1998 for SCA CC; history and pattern
Manuscript Design and Illumination
Insular Artwork
Knotwork: Roman, Coptic, Celtic and Arabic – 2 hr. dots method and how different cultures have made it their own.
Basic Insular Knotwork -- 2 hr. How to draw Celtic knots using the dots method
Intermediate Insular Knotwork -- 2 hr. More complex methods and designs
Knot Good Examples -- 2 hr. How the modern resurgence of interest in knotwork may mislead scribes who are trying to recreate the ancient styles.
Knots and Dots: The Evidence -- 2 hr. evidence that dots method used historically
Twistie Beasties -- 2 hr. Insular zoomorphic and ornithimorphic designs
Spiral Gyrations -- 2 hr. Basic La Tène decoration
Insular Page Layout -- 2 hr. first millenium Insular page design
Characteristically Pictish -- 2 hr. An analysis of ornament in carved stone (slides)
Other Styles and Techniques
Göttingen Model Book -- 1 day. Recreating decorations based on 15th c. German text
Playing with Powdered Pigments -- Using powdered pigments with binders.
Levigation -- Turning dirt into pigments using lots of water
Scroll Layout -- How to lay out an award scroll and get everything to fit
Heraldry
Beginning Heraldry for Scribes -- 2 hr. Standard blazon interpretation
Advanced Heraldry for Scribes -- 2 hr. Customizing blazon interpretations to specific historical times and places
Introduction to Heraldry for Embroiderers -- 1 day introduction to heraldry; design your own arms to interpret in embroidery.
Calligraphy Related
Insular Majuscule -- 2 hr. the hand used in the Book of Kells
Decorated Initial Letters -- 2 hr. 13th - 15th c. styles of decorating initial letters
Pen knives -- 2 hr. How to sharpen and care for them
Quill Cutting -- 2 hr. Curing a quill in hot sand and cutting it to write with.
Other Topics of SCA Interest
Introduction to and Designing for Leaded Glass -- weekend workshop to create a small leaded glass window.
Singing the Runes in Anglo-Saxon -- 1 hr. recitation class. learn the runic alphabet in Anglo-Saxon
What Does the Board of Directors Do? - discuss the functions of SCA BoD
SCA Peerage Roundtable -- discuss the practice of peerage in the SCA
From York to the Orkneys in the First Millenium -- 2 hr. lecture on the History of the northern half of Great Britain up to the year 1000 AD
An Elizabethan Smock -- 2 hr. Making a smock based on a photo of the 1570 original.
Engineering and Mathematics
TRW
Structured Analysis and Design (1990) A class for engineers and software developers; I taught structured design in Los Angeles and Huntsville.
Operator Training (on several programs, most recently 1992) Wrote users’ manuals and training manuals for software systems developed by me and my team of programmers. I spent much of 1992 training operators at various sites. Some sessions were lectures, some tutorials.
Customer and Reviewer Briefings (various times over the last 30 years) Briefed designs, research topics, and status of various software systems.
New Mexico State University
“Introduction to Probability” (1974) a freshman-level course. The class was 3 hrs. per week, for 1 semester. I was a Graduate Assistant in the Computer Science dept., on loan to the Math dept. as an instructor.
Laboratory for “Introduction to Computers” (1973) a freshman-level course. The lab was 4 hrs per week, for 1 semester. Dr. Hussein taught the class; I taught the lab, which consisted of exercises for students to solve.
This is an historical list of classes I have taught. I develop new classes as the interest strikes me.
If you are interested in having me teach one of these classes, please contact me, and we’ll see if it can be arranged.
