Apis Occupatus

Apis Occupatus A page dedicated to the A&S pursuits of THL Elspeth Selwode, a gentle of the SCA in An Tir.

At last, I can share this project with you all!Last August, I heard that my princess, Sina, was very fond of my blackwor...
05/31/2026

At last, I can share this project with you all!

Last August, I heard that my princess, Sina, was very fond of my blackwork needle books, but that she didn’t want to keep a largesse item for herself. I resolved in that moment to create a needle book that would be specifically for her, and, more importantly, one that was worthy of her.

The inspiration for this piece came from Sina herself. Many know of her love of Wonder Woman, and she had embroidered a beautiful double headed eagle onto her garb. This *had* to be the front cover. I usually like to use a smaller fill pattern for the back cover, so I sat down with my graph paper and charted the Wonder Woman logo as a blackwork design. I figured that I would be able to find a double headed eagle cross stitch pattern at a later date that I could convert to blackwork or Assisi work, but the designs I found were very blocky and crude. So it was back to the graph paper! Working from the photo of Sina’s garb, I faithfully rendered the eagle she had already done.

I found that it was fairly simple to make it reversible, and I really enjoyed the challenge to do so.

This is the needle book I am most proud of. I created the patterns for both covers, it is completely reversible, and it perfectly suits the recipient. It was a joy to create, and I hope it conveys to Sina how truly beloved and treasured she is, and how deeply I love and admire her.

Today, I’d like to shine a light on another artisan in Tir Righ. Inga Mara is a lovely lady, and I have had the pleasure...
05/30/2026

Today, I’d like to shine a light on another artisan in Tir Righ.

Inga Mara is a lovely lady, and I have had the pleasure of commissioning several lengths of inkle woven trim from her. She consults with her customers to ensure that the end product is exactly what the recipient wants.

Most recently, I commissioned a length of weaving for a satchel strap for my heart-child, Tova. Inga Mara inquired about colour preferences, and then put a level of care and attention into pattern selection and work that resulted in something that is perfect for Tova, and that both Tova and I love.

Thank you, Inga Mara, for your time, your talent, and your heart for others; it is greatly appreciated.

Finished up two blackwork needlebooks this past week or so. I am extremely happy with how these turned out. I can only s...
05/29/2026

Finished up two blackwork needlebooks this past week or so. I am extremely happy with how these turned out. I can only show you one (plus the spine of the other) as it’s a gift that hasn’t been delivered yet.

Musings:Sometimes, you can be trucking along on a project, fully confident in your skills and abilities, and still find ...
05/26/2026

Musings:

Sometimes, you can be trucking along on a project, fully confident in your skills and abilities, and still find that you miscalculated. When that happens, you have a few choices: keep on trucking and hope for the best, undo whatever’s not working and redo it, or get frustrated or upset and put the project into time-out for a length of time.

To be honest, I’ve done all three things in the past. I’ve never really been satisfied with my results when I just keep trucking. Even if the mistakes are hidden from the casual observer, *I* know that they’re there, and it’s going to bug me for eternity. Likewise, putting a project into time-out only ended up making me feel guilty for not following through, and it certainly didn’t get the project finished! The more experience I gain as an artisan, the more I find that the worthy path is the one where I undo my mistakes and redo it. I am far less likely to be upset about it, I’m happier with the final result, and I learn far more about my practice in the process.

If something is worth doing, it’s worth taking the time to do it right. You owe it to the art, to yourself, and to the final recipient of your work - even if that’s you. Good work is worth the doing, and there is a very specific joy that I derive from that. It has really enriched my life as an artisan, and makes me so much more appreciative of the time and talents of others.

I think this is the most beautiful needlebook spine I’ve made yet 😍😍😍
05/23/2026

I think this is the most beautiful needlebook spine I’ve made yet 😍😍😍

Putting the finishing touches on something. Then it’s time to cut it off the frame and help it take its final form. More...
05/19/2026

Putting the finishing touches on something. Then it’s time to cut it off the frame and help it take its final form. More photos once it’s been given to its forever home ❤️

Bighorn stormtrooper?What on earth is she up to now?
05/15/2026

Bighorn stormtrooper?

What on earth is she up to now?

Hard at work designing something new! Once it’s given to the recipient, I can share the whole thing 🤫
05/13/2026

Hard at work designing something new! Once it’s given to the recipient, I can share the whole thing 🤫

Here are the tools and supplies that I used to paint my device onto the champion’s belt. Army Painter paints in Matt Whi...
05/10/2026

Here are the tools and supplies that I used to paint my device onto the champion’s belt.

Army Painter paints in Matt White, Daemonic Yellow, Royal Blue, Greenskin, Matt Black, and Gloss Varnish. Escutcheon shape from the template that Wulfstan 3D printed, and his brushes: a 4 round, a 00 round, and a 00000 round. And finally, my trusty light-up magnifier glasses for close work.

I laid down a base of white in the escutcheon shape, then using first the blue and then the green, I marked out the edges of the bend. Filled in the blue and green, and painted the threaded needle. Once that was dry, I laid down the shape of the bees first in black, then in yellow. A coat of gloss varnish finished it off nicely.

I’m quite pleased with how it turned out.

Painted my device onto the Champions belt tonight. It’s ready to hand off to my successor!
05/09/2026

Painted my device onto the Champions belt tonight. It’s ready to hand off to my successor!

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Chilliwack, BC

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