Hey everybody! So sorry I never got around to answering all your wonderful posts on thid thread! I have this unfortunate tendency to post something big, then wait a couple of days before logging back onto the forums - and when I finally do, I find myself totally overwhelmed at all of the response, so I put off replying until I have the time to do so properly. Sadly, this means sometimes I fail to reply at all.
In any case, let me try to adequately address all the points you lovely bunch of folks brought up!
First and foremost, Elleth!
Elleth wrote:Oh that looks delightful!
Going out and
doing things beats being cooped up inside on the forum any day.
Couple thoughts -
I had no idea you played fiddle - that's very cool!
I love love those mountain woods! As attached as I am to east coast hardwoods, those gold drops on the ground in cool mountain air are suuuuch a nice memory.
In the picture where you're cutting the cheese block, you're wearing an interesting top with a sewn-in.... armguard? What's going on there? Is it from somewhere, or your own design? How's it work in the wild?
Those hand stitched gloves are amazing! Did you work from a pattern, or sew around your hands, or pick out and resew a commercial set, or what?
I love seeing a travelling party that's not all Rangers - it's a nice composite.
The opening-and-closing season party is a grand idea. Now I'm jealous.
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
Yes, I am absolutely in love with the Rocky Mountains, what can I say. There's nothing quite like the crisp mountain air in the fall and the golden aspen leaves falling all around you. This particular outing was an absolutely magical experience. Everything I could have hoped for in an autumn hike! That said, I'm a bit jealous, myself, of the amazing colors of all those East-Coast hardwoods. Around here it's pretty much just a WHOOOOOLE bunch of yellow. Which is beautiful in its own way, but still. Dense deciduous forests are something we definitely lack around here.
As for the garb questions, yes, Greg is correct about the coat! I'll talk a bit more in-depth about that below, but first, the glove! Thank you! I'm quite proud of it! I only made one, I'm afraid, rather than a pair, and it was a bit of a pain, but I think it turned out pretty great. Like the coat, it's also a film-replica item. So I tried to match the one Viggo wore as closely as possible. I had initially intended to modify an existing glove, but in the end I decided to make one from scratch, and while that was a challenge, it came out much better than any mod I could've done. Basically, I used one of Sarah's glove patterns as a reference and then completely altered it for my purposes. Had to basically redesign it from the ground up, including drafting a longer lace-up cuff, finger gussets, and screen-accurate patches for the knuckles and around the thumb. Then the entire thing was hand-stitched with linen thread. It's comfy, functional, and I believe the most screen-accurate rendition of the glove maybe ever made by a fan (I'm humble, I know
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
).
So yeah, THE COAT. The green leather coat I'm wearing is my film-replica Aragorn duster. I hadn't actually intended to wear it that day, but I brought it along just in case, and as it turned out, the weather was quite a bit nippier than I had anticipated, so I threw it on last-minute. I LOVED IT! It's funny - I always used to hate that thing in the movies, but having now made one for myself I have fallen completely in love with it! It's warm, but the laced seams and open front allow some breathability. The leather I chose is wonderfully soft, and also quite tough. The long splits in the sides and Back make wearing swords and other accessories relatively easy, and it gives good coverage of my entire torso. If I were to change one thing, were I to make it again, it would probably be to give the upper arms a bit more room, but overall it's amazingly comfortable. I'm a convert!
As for the sleeve, yes, like Greg said, that patch is also present on Viggo's jacket, but I'm not totally sure of its purpose, other than just as a piece of visual interest. I suppose it could function as a lightweight arm protection in a sword fight, but it wouldn't do a ton of good. Perhaps the coat was torn and he decided to patch it with something a bit decorative? The Appendices state that they made it ornate to show his "elvish influence," or something of that nature. Not sure. But anyway, it was on his coat, so now it's on mine, heh. It's not a PERFECT copy of the original, as the one on the screen-used coat was extremely ornate and also very difficult to see most of the time, but I think I got it pretty close!
Oh, and yes, I do play a bit of fiddle! I'm not amazing, but I'm improving, slowly, over time.
Also, as a sort of post-script - it's wonderful to finally put a face to your posts, Elleth! And it's about darned time we got to see a glimpse of you in kit!
Maerondir Perianseron, also called “Mickel,” Halfling Friend - Ranger of the Misty Mountains