Fiadnata ó Gleann Àlainn
From MiddleWiki
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 Mistress Fiadnata ó Gleann Àlainn | ||||||||||
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 Party per fess embattled, Sable and Or, Three Crosses Avellane, counterchanged, In chief, a Candle enflamed Argent. |
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Persona
Fiadnata is a master fiber artisan, always willing and eager to share her knowledge and fiber skills with others. She was grateful that her parents saw fit to educate her in the research skills available from the local schools, as she can now also delight in sharing her own research materials, gathered over many years, as well as the research materials hidden in the homes of the scholars around her. (Browsing Books Is Never A Bad Thing.)
Website: Fiadnata's Notebook
Offices & Positions
Librarian, Royal University of the Midrealm December 2017-Present
I serve as part of the administrative team for the Royal University of the Midrealm, adding my expertise to assist with revisions to the Royal University Degree Program and website. I am also adding a Browsing Library into Royal University events, as well as other large Kingdom events. I want to bring the private research collections housed in so many homes of our populace out into the light, so that others can become aware of the material around them.
Head Retainer, Her Majesty Isolde de la Ramee October 2016-Sept. 2017
I coordinated the retainers for Her Majesty at larger events (particularly Pennsic), as well as being the point of contact for matters dealing with Her Majesty from the public. I also acted as the Court Retainer responsible for sorting and handing forward medallions for all awards being given. I also covered whatever lesser details She might need handled (under the “other duties as assigned” umbrella).
Pennsic Fiber Arts Pavilion Coordinator Pennsic 44/2015 – 45/2016, 48/2019 (in absentia), 49/2022
I have created a pavilion devoted to the Fiber Arts, and available for the duration of Pennsic. I want participants to meet other fiber artisans, take a class, teach a class, or just bring their fiber toys over and relax with like-minded folk for a morning (or afternoon). I am making fiber toys available in the pavilion, if people would like to get acquainted with new equipment before they invest. The pavilion will be whatever people want to make it. I have also created a Facebook page to facilitate everyone talking with each other as we plan for each year's Pavilion, and work to develop the Fiber Arts community at Pennsic and, by extension, within our larger Society.
Drop-Dead Deputy for SCA 50-Year Celebration Arts & Sciences Division
I was the emergency replacement and deputy for the supervisor of the Arts & Sciences activities at the SCA 50-Year celebration. As such, I found organizers for the individual activities and the topical days that were being presented. I acted as liaison to the upper management of 50-Year for individual organizers for some of the activities, and suggested solutions to specific problems that came up in various situations. I tracked the problems that percolated up to my level, and noted which were solved here, and which needed to be taken upward for final resolution.
Deputy Kingdom MoAS for Special Projects Sept. 2010 – October 2016
I used this post as a way to make my long experience in A&S administration available to the Kingdom MoAS when special projects needed to be completed. Essentially, I acted as jack-of-all-trades for the A&S Office.
Artisans Row Coordinator, Pennsic University, Pennsic 39-41 (2010-2012)
I created an Artisans Row for Pennsic University, arranging for each topic to have use of one of three tents for a one day slot, so that individual topic organizers could show off their particular A&S passion with the rest of the Known World and try to attract others to join them. I filled 18 of 30 slots in the first year, when nobody knew what we were doing and we had a less-than-optimal location. For the second year, we were in a much better location, and had 24 slots filled. The third year, we had 25 slots filled, of a possible 27. We had many repeat organizers who eagerly signed up as soon as they could, and quite a few people who eagerly joined in with the different activities being offered to them.
A&S Class Scheduler, Pennsic University, Pennsic 38 (2009)
I scheduled 1100+ class sessions of ~800 classes for over 400 instructors, covering 10 days and 15-20 class locations. I negotiated with the scheduler for the Aethelmearc Scribal Symposium (at that time, an independent entity), and brought those classes into the overall class schedule, so that their specialized topics could be better coordinated with other calligraphy & illumination classes. (The Aethelmearc Scribes have continued to schedule through the University structure since that time.) I took over entertainment scheduling for the Performing Arts tent when the scheduler there disappeared due to Real Life Issues. I worked with the University Chancellor and my technical back-up to put the scheduling system (in Microsoft Access) back together, after it had been lost the previous year.
A&S Information Point Coordinator, Pennsic University, Pennsic 34 (2005)
I was in charge of coordinating all volunteers and volunteer activities at A&S Information Point. I handled all the details of running Information Point, so that the A&S Coordinator, Master Sion Andreas o Wynedd, could deal with all of the other details of A&S activities around Pennsic.
Deputy Kingdom MoAS for A&S Education & RUM Liaison. June, 2000 - Jan 2006
This was a new office, which I created and defined. I served as an information resource and a teacher/facilitator for A&S activities within the Kingdom, particularly ones associated with familiarizing potential participants with A&S Faires. I designed and taught classes aimed at people entering A&S Faires for the first time, and classes for both new and experienced judges.
Northern Oaken Regional Minister of Arts & Sciences July 1995 - July 1997
Oaken Regional Minister of Sciences September 1993 - July 1995
Regional Science Officer for 30+ local groups. Combined the Arts & Sciences at the Oaken Regional level. I successfully organized regional A&S Faires, for both Northern Oaken and the combined Oaken Region, including Faires with 80+ entries.
Baronial Minister of Sciences, Red Spears January 1993 – Sept. 1993
Miscellaneous Positions held:
Autocrat, Winged Hills Collegium and South Oaken Arts & Sciences Faire, A.S. 52 10 March, 2018
Sole Speaker, Baile na Scolairi Fiber Arts Day, A.S. 43 14 July, 2007
Taught classes on fiber preparation (washing, carding, combing, drum carding), spinning, weaving and tablet weaving to 20+ participants
Co-Autocrat, Kingdom A&S and Spring Crown Tournament, A.S. 42 27-28 May, 2006
Deputy A&S Coordinator or Shift Supervisor, A&S Point: Pennsic 26-32, 37 (1997-2003, 2008)
Judged and acted as Administrator at Regional and Kingdom A & S Faires, including assigning judges, and teaching judging to all the participants at Kingdom A&S Faire 1990 -present
-- All Regions of the Midrealm, including Ealdormere and Northshield
Feast Steward, Spring Coronation, 6 May 1995.
A&S coordinator/Class scheduler for numerous local events.
Minister of Arts & Sciences, March of Winged Hills, Barony of Flaming Gryphon, October, AS 50 – October, AS 53.
Advisor for establishment of historical weaving program, Hocking College, 2005.
Instructor, Adult Liberal Studies 305, "Medieval Life in the Current Age," University of Toledo, Winter term, 1993
Founder and Administrator, ProtoNet e-mail list, September 1998 - 2014.
Administrator, Pennsic Teachers e-mail list, January 2010 - 2020.
Administrator, Pennsic Artisans e-mail list, January 2011 - 2020.
Associate Administrator, SCA Natural Dyes e-mail list. June 2011 - present.
Camp Master, Barony of Flaming Gryphon, Pennsic 42 (2013)
Administrator, Pennsic Fiber Arts Pavilion (Facebook page and site at Pennsic, in Atlantian Royal encampment), August 15, 2015 - present
Awards
Middle Kingdom Awards
- Order of the Laurel -- September 10, 2022 (A.S. 57)
- Order of the Pelican -- May 2, 2020 (A.S. 55)
- Baroness of the Court of TRM William and Isolde -- Sept. 23, 2017 (A.S. 52)
- Royal Augmentation of Arms: TRM Edmund and Kateryn -- March 4, 2006 (A.S. 40)
- Order of the Evergreen (Tablet Weaving) -- January 17, 2004 (A.S. 38)
- Order of the Dragon's Heart -- January 11, 1997 (A.S. 31)
- Order of the Willow (Cooking & Cooking Research) -- July 1, 1995 (A.S. 30)
- Award of the Purple Fret -- October 10, 1992 (A.S. 27)
- Award of Arms -- May 8, 1982 (A.S. 17)
Baronial and Out-Kingdom Awards
- Order of the Flaming Brand -- July 8, 2006 (A.S. 41)
- Order of the Gryphon's Plume -- January 8, 2005 (A.S. 39)
- Baronial Artisan -- January 24, 2004 (A.S. 38)
- Order of the Boarsbane, (A&S and Service) 4 March 1991, 5 Oct 1992, 1 July 1995
- Order of the Boars Eye, (Archery) 18 Feb 1995
- Order of the White Wolf -- October 6, 1984 (A.S. 19)
Kingdom of Aethelmearc
Shire of Abhainn Ciach Ghlais
- Fellow of the Fiber, Fabric & Fighting Event (for teaching over 10 times at the event.) 18 Nov, 2017
Pelican & Laurel Lineage
Protégéed and Apprenticed to Baron Brusten de Bearsul, OP, OL
(A link to my Vigiling: [1])
Local Group Membership
Barony of Flaming Gryphon (Dayton, OH): 2000 - present
Shire/Barony of Cynnabar (Ann Arbor, MI): 1995-2000
Shire/Barony of Red Spears (Toledo, OH): 1988-1995
Shire of Dragonsmark (Lexington, KY): 1984-1988
Shire of Silver Swords (Battle Creek, MI): 1983-1984
Barony of Northwoods (East Lansing, MI): 1974-1983
Interests and SCA-related hobbies
I have taught classes in fiber preparation (both wool and flax), spinning, weaving, warping a floor loom, warping and weaving on a warp-weighted loom, history and development of looms, natural dyeing, tablet weaving, warping tablets to weave, brocaded tablet weaving and double-faced tablet weaving. I have provided technical assistance to a University for setting up their Historical Activities instructional program.
Expanding beyond fiber arts, I have also taught classes on research, documentation, both entering and judging at A&S Faires, and locating and evaluating Web resources.
I have helped organize, provided a large percentage of the equipment for, and participated in, an annual sheep-to-shawl demonstration at the regional mundane “Wool Gathering” since 2001: cleaning, carding and spinning the wool, warping the loom, weaving and answering questions on the process. I have also added special features to this demo, including: demonstrating weaving on a warp-weighted loom; demonstrating natural dyeing with walnuts; and demonstrating flax processing and preparation for spinning. We average 10,000 – 15,000 people going past us, over the course of two days, every year.
I have also been active in many other demonstrations around the Barony of Flaming Gryphon over the years, including demonstrations for the university-based groups and several within the library series of demonstrations for the public.
