[Mid] A&S misunderstandings

I was at an event once where there was a nice craft display. I picked up
one of the pieces and turned it over to look at the back to see how it was
done, etc, and the woman behind the counter shouted at me, "It's supposed
to look that way. Put it down. Only modern state-fair embrioderers care
what the back looks like!"

She sounded so angry and offended I couldn't bring up the courage to say
"What are you talking about? I just wanted to see what stitches you used."
 I dropped the embriodery as fast as a hot poker and slunk off in my usual
scardy-cat way and avoided her ever since.

Just an example of a button being pressed, I guess. Why are we so
thin-skinned when it comes to A&S? I think it's the touchiest subject there
is in the SCA. Everyone I've ever spoken to has some story about an
insensitive judge, an authenticity police encounter, or somesuch. Whether
they are urban legend, exagerated, or true, we've all heard them.

I think part of it is, we're used to our crafts being received differently
in our regular, modern life. Any embriodery is oo-and-aah worthy. A
hand-made shirt will get you impressed gasps. In your circle of
work-friends you might be 'the' seamstress, 'the' artist, etc. But enter
into the SCA, and you're surrounded by a more critical audience. We crave
those oos and aahs, and we know that these people are our equals, also
amatures... it's hard not to be sensitive.

Eh, just a babble from me. I'll go back to lurking now. :)

Lyonnete

From: Marie Lillian Vibbert <mlv4@po.cwru.edu>
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Received on Wed Oct 18 15:14:53 2000