New in Shop: Bishop's Mantle

I'm very excited to finally add another piece of armor to Athena's Armoury! It's actually been made for quite some time, but I had been waiting for the right femaille (fe'maille' -- get it??) model to show it off.

The traditional use of a chain maille bishop's mantle is as armor that protects the neck, shoulders, and upper chest from blades. A nontraditional use of this piece is as a capelet as shown in the femaille model pictures.


Historical methods of weaving were used in the creation of this mantle, including expanding Euro 4-1. This piece represents countless hours of work with approximately 3000 16 gauge 1/4" ID bright aluminum and copper rings all coiled, cut, and hand woven by me with seamless closures. Because it was made using bright aluminum (which is 1/3 the weight of steel) and a single row of copper, it weighs only 6 oz. Maille will protect against an edge of a weapon, however padding should be worn underneath for additional protection.

There are many options to customize this piece for your individual taste: a high collared neck with a draw string can be added, different metals used, additional length, or even daggers around the bottom edge. I love custom work and will design a piece to your request.

Available both in Athena's Armoury Etsy Shop & Artfire Studio.

Meet Gawain, My Male (or maille - *snort) Model

Mantle available in the shop soon.

Well, I couldn't call him Arthur or Lancelot -- that's waaaaaaay too obvious.

I rescued Gawain from the depths of the theatre where I work. He appeared to be abandoned and unloved for quite some time (evidenced by the somewhat unclean fabric and marks at the neck).

Today, Gawain is modeling the mantle I made forever ago and was waiting for the perfect model to try it on. The mantle was woven using historical methods of weaving in Euro 4-1 (bright aluminum with copper trim).

Athena's Armoury Featured on NeatoStuff.com

Very cool news: Athena's Armoury has been featured on the homepage of a shopping guide website called NeatoStuff.com! It's a ring called Finger Armour. It was made using the Euro 4-1 chain maille weave which is the very same weave used to make armor for centuries. I've been told that the ring will be on their homepage for a full week and then be available in their archives for forever and ever. You can go directly to their listing here.

If you click through on the picture on that last page it will actually bring you to the ring section of my shop, so it shows that I have other ring options available, too. Yay!

Moving Right Along

My local Costco is now carrying Caravan Canopies! Yay! I will be able to make a tent purchase locally and be able to save on shipping. I'm so happy. Now, I only have to figure out how to decorate/disguise it. I have a few ideas that are very earthy and nature oriented, but need to think more about how to suit it to my metal. The thought of maille curtains crossed my mind.

I just recently finished one of my Crown Royal sized Dice Bags for a friend at work.

Now that that's done I'm moving on to bulking up my inventory with more armour. Coming soon: a Bishop's Mantle. I can't wait to start on a big project again. I actually enjoy them more than the smaller scale jewelry items. Work in progress pic's to come soon. First though, I have to coil and cut all of my rings.

Tagged, Tagged, and Tagged

I've been tagged by MrsDragon, Izile, AND MyFairyBabies!! I'm a bit behind on my blog lovin', so lets see if I can catch up on all of this insane tagging. . . Luckily, all three have the same rules.

The rules of tagging are:
1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Okay, six things. . .
1. I love museums. I love learning about art, history, and culture. Even if I don't necessarily understand or 'like' a piece, I can still appreciate it. I love soaking it all in. When I was a child and I would visit a museum, I was inevitably drawn to the ancient Greek and Roman sections as well as the arms and armor. Little did I know that I'd eventually take up making armour.

2. I am an only child, so I grew up in the company of adults as well as entertaining myself for hours. I still have no problem hanging out by myself, in fact I am very much a home body. That said, it's also kind of difficult for me to make friends because I'm so used to being by myself.

3. The beach is my solace. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed lately and went to the beach over the weekend. Despite getting a bit of a burn (first time out this season, it was inevitable), it felt wonderful being there. I even got a forty minute nap in while I was there.

4. I never in a million years thought I'd have a cat. I've been a 'dog person' my whole life and then Jack showed up. I love my little kitty cat.

5. I really want to get my tragus pierced! The tragus is the small area of cartilage that juts out in front of your ear canal. I think I would love a tattoo, too, but I have absolutely no idea what I would get or where.

6. I hammered my thumb yesterday. It's got a teeny, tiny little bruise under the nail. I really need to get a bigger anvil. . .

Okay, so now I have to tag six people:
Kirsten Skiles with the Etsy shop knitsteel
Cat at Darkling Woods Studio with the Etsy shop of the same name
Up From the Ashes with the Etsy shop of the same name
Joey and Aleethea with the Etsy shop of the same name
Kristin at the fantastical ramblings of aquariann with the Etsy shop aquariann
Helen at Visiting the Muse with the Etsy shop krummenacker

Craft Fair Tomorrow!

Sneak Peek from my living room.

If you happen to be in the area. . .

Athena's Armoury will be participating in the Grand Opening Celebration and Craft Fair for Kids Kottage in downtown Safety Harbor, FL on Saturday, March 7. Kids Kottage is a resource in the community for families, businesses and artists. No child will be charged a fee for accessing any of their services. The celebration includes games, live music, food, archery, and . . . a trapeze act?!

The address is 255 5th Avenue South, one block south of Main Street. The craft fair will be open from 9:00am to 3:00pm with the rest of the event going from 11:00am-3:00pm.

Hope to see you there!

Maille is More Than Just Jewelry

I realize that not everyone knows what chain maille is. What I find to be a continuous source of amusement, however, is that many of the people who have heard of it think that it can only be jewelry. Friends, a good portion of the maillers out there today do, in fact, make jewelry using these centuries old weaves. However, when these weaves originated (as early as the 4th century BCE) they were used to make armour. It wasn't until the 14th century that plate armour began to supplement chain maille.

Modern uses of this ancient armour continue to include protective clothing for people such as butchers, scuba divers and animal control officers, as well as splatter masks used by tank crews in WWI (see left). Maille remained in use as a decorative and possibly high-status symbol with military overtones long after its practical usefulness had passed.


It is only recent trends in chain maille artwork that has allowed for it to be adapted for decorative use in sculpture, jewelry, headdresses, Christmas ornaments, and chess sets. It is thanks to these non-traditional uses and the ingenuity of maillesmiths the world over that hundreds of new weaves have been invented.

In the spirit of using the ancient Euro 4-1 chain maille weave for a modern use, I'd like to introduce a new item in Athena's Armoury:

Napkin Armour

Now available at Athena's Armoury

Trying to add a touch of class to the bawdy great hall? These napkin rings will do the trick! They won't break if a brawl breaks out nor will they rust if a bit of wine spills on them. They were made using extremely strong and durable stainless steel rings; stainless steel is also corrosion and rust resistant. Lovely blue glass beads, reminiscent of sea glass, adorn them with little rosettes on either side. With regular use, stainless steel will remain quite shiny. However, if you notice that they are dulling, just wash them with some hot, soapy water and they'll be shiny once again. 1 1/2" diameter.

History Comes to Life

I've always been interested in the medieval and renaissance time period. Even as a child, I would go to museums and gravitate towards the armour and swords of the time period. I took a medieval art course in college and learned that although I wasn't a huge fan of the painting, I loved the sculpture, stained glass, and tapestries. I love reading historical fiction, especially with strong female characters. I've always been a creative person involved with scrapbooks, candle making, collages, sketching, macrame and knotwork, and eventually beading. The thing with beading is that although I find beads to be quite beautiful, I've always loved metal jewelry more. So, when I came across a tutorial (Euro 4-1 Bracelet) to combine my interest in the past (armour) and my love of metal jewelry I just had to try it. And, as they say, the rest is history.

So, it confounds me to admit that despite this interest in history, armour, and entertainment I had never been to a Ren Faire until just a few years back. I'm originally from New York and just a few hours upstate is the famous Sterling Renaissance Festival as well as the New York Renaissance Faire. It wasn't until I moved down to FL with Scott that I ventured to the Bay Area Renaissance Festival. Why hadn't I done this sooner? My theatrical background loved the entertainment and my inner geek thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere.

Although, it doesn't have a strict storyline like many other faires, it is still deeply rooted in the history of King Henry VIII and his sixth and final wife Catherine Parr. I also recently found out that there is a special day dedicated to bringing school children in; allowing teachers the opportunity to truly bring history to life for their students.

Unfortunately, I was unable to make it to the faire last year, but one way or another I plan to make it to at least one day of it's seven weekends this year. I have to. For research. . . ;)

Happy New Year! Huzzah!

*This entry is for the Etsy Bloggers Street Team weekly Carnival. This week it's hosted by AliciaMae.*

I hope everyone had a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season.

Mine was relatively quiet. Things at work have been a bit busy, so when Scott and I were both home at the same time for Christmas Day, we totally just vegged out. It was nice.

What's in Store for Athena's Armoury in '08? And what was with the "huzzah" in the title of this entry?

I feel the winds of change stirring in my life. In a good way. I have been a successful theatre professional my whole life, however in recent years I've been feeling like I'm in a rut. I could not for the life of me figure out something else that I would rather be doing with my life. Scott kept saying to me, you should think about doing Ren Faires. And I kept thinking no, I could never do that. Until recently, it dawned on me: "Why the hell not?" It will allow me to continue to be involved in an extremely theatrical environment, I would be able to work for myself, making something I love, and (hopefully) have fun doing it. I've started researching how to get started and all that it involves so that I can start making some concrete plans. In general, I plan to start bulking up my inventory big time, so hopefully that means continuing to list regularly at Etsy. Now, I have to learn to speak with an accent and learn the Elizabethan language. . . and get a costume! Look out geekdom, here comes Athena's Armoury!

Cat and Coif

Not cat in coif (although I've seen that before), but updates on the cat and the coif.

Okay, the coif first. I keep forgetting to post these pictures. While Scott and I were still in the apartment, his sister and her kids (who live overseas) were in town visiting. They all so sweetly made a fuss about my coif and we managed to get pic's of two out of three of the kids wearing it and holding Scott's Gandalf sword from The Lord of the Rings Collection. Check 'em out. Don't they look awesome?

Okay, now the cat. After much stress of deciding what to do with her, I finally decided to go with my instinct of getting her inside. With no claws, it's just not right for her to be outside: no way of getting food, no way of defending herself, even no way for escape by climbing up a tree. So, I stopped by PetSmart on the way home intending to pick up only the very basics, just in case "Lost Cat" signs get posted over the weekend. I came home and I saw her across the street. I made the "psst, psst, psst" sound that attracts her attention and, I kid you not, she galloped across the street to me. I took out one of the toys (I had to get her her something fun, not just kitty litter) and played with her for a little bit. I opened the door, went in and left the door open and let her decide what she wanted to do. I didn't try to entice her or anything and she came in. I let her check out things for a little bit and when she didn't make any move to head back for the door, I closed it. I gave her some food and she just scarfed it down. Looking at me and meowing, I kind of got the hint that she was still hungry so gave her some more. It was a fairly uneventful night with the exception of when I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I guess she thought I was up and it was time to play, because she followed me back to bed and started purring and nudging my hand. She's also a fairly good wake up call. The second my alarm went off this morning, she meowed from down the hall and came running in and started purring and nudging me again. She had another whole bowl of food for breakfast and successfully used the litter box during the night. I think she's still a little confused about where she is, but she seems content.

The Coif is Complete

In attempting to actually accomplish the goals I set out for myself, I'm finally giving an update on my coif (which I just listed at Etsy, by the way). I first started working on this coif way back in May and blogged about it here in the beginning of June when I had only the beanie portion of it done.

After the beanie was complete, the neck covering of the hood was added to make it into a standard coif (head and neck protection). Unfortunately, it had to be put on the back burner while I waited to receive more rings. I decided not to coil and cut my own rings for this project because I knew there would be so many and I had much rather spend my time actually weaving this time. I actually love the look of the standard coif: it reminds me of the kind of bob-like haircut you may see fashioned on Cleopatra. I plan on getting some enameled or anodized rings in maybe magenta to make it into a wig style for club wear. =)


Last, I added the mantle which adds protection for the throat and upper chest. The mantle, like the beanie portion is more expanding rows of Euro 4-1. It was so much fun to do this project. I loved making fabric out of metal, it felt so cool in my hands. It's also such an amazing dichotomy for metal to feel so fluid.


Historical methods of weaving were used in the creation of this coif, including expanding Euro 4-1. This piece represents countless hours of work with approximately 6000 bright aluminum rings all hand woven by me with seamless closures. Because it was made using bright aluminum (which is 1/3 the weight of steel), it weighs just shy of 2 lbs. Bright aluminum rings, 16 gauge, 1/4" ID: These rings are a good strength for use in combat grade armour and will work for SCA armour. Maille will protect against an edge of a weapon, however padding should be worn underneath for additional protection and a helmet is also commonly worn.

Will Copper Turn My Skin Green?

Personally, I love copper. I love it when it's bright and shiny and even after it starts to oxidize and get darker. There's a bit more weight to it than bright aluminum or even sterling silver and has such a beautiful warm glow. I love mixing it with other metals for a two tone look. Also, I'm not an expert, but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest it might help people reduce the pain of arthritis.

I do get a lot of questions and comments from people about whether or not copper will make their skin turn green. Copper oxidizes by darkening and then turning green, just as sterling does so by tarnishing and iron does so by rusting. It's a natural process and the environment determines how quickly it happens. It happens faster in high humidity, but the speed of oxidation is also affected by the body chemistry of different people. Some people wear copper every day and it never turns green, some people wear it and it turns in one day. Some people can turn sterling dark in one day, too. We're all different in that way. I guess I'm lucky, because it actually takes quite some time for copper to even begin to show signs of oxidation for me and it also doesn't turn me green, so I get to enjoy wearing this lovely metal!

If you check out my last post, you'll find a quick, easy way to clean your copper if it does start to oxidize. Enjoy!

The Big Move Has Begun

After a somewhat rough patch where there were a lot of bugs and just general wonky-ness going on at Etsy, it seems like things might be stabilizing (for more info check out the link on the right to the Unofficial Etsy News Blog). That said, I'm finally starting to move all of my chain maille from Beach Bum Creations to their permanent home at Athena's Armoury!!

Working on the Coif!

I keep telling everyone that the opening of my second Etsy shop is contingent upon the completion of a fairly sizable maille project. It's my first ever coif. Here's the first pic from the work in progress:



This is the beanie or skullcap portion. All of the expansions in order to get it to the right size to fit around my head are in this section. It was a bit time consuming because I was figuring out expansions for the first time and, well, there's nearly 1,000 rings in this section alone. It's still got a long way to go: neck covering, throat closure, mantle. . .

With the exception of making some juggling balls, all of my maille projects to this point have been jewelry, so it's been a blast to be making something so big. I can't believe that I'm constructing a fabric made out of metal mesh. I'm making armour. So cool.