NOW OPEN Fantasia 107 Main St. Marlborough (508) 480-0350 Tues-Sat 10am-6pm Medieval, Metaphysical, Music, Books, Gifts, Jewelry, Fantasy, Clothing & Crystals The friend says that the proprietor has done a lot of costume work for King Richard's, and that the place might be worth looking at for garb. Anyone near Marlborough want to take a look at it, and tell us what you find? -- Justin ************************************************************** Subject: Re: Fantasia -- new store Date: Mon, 09 Sep 91 09:25 Store report: Well, I went to the store on Saturday, and it's not that difficult to find. It's a few blocks away from rt. 20 and rt. 85 (which can be reached from rt. 9). Take rt. 20 to Marlborough, and if you're coming from the east, turn right onto Main St. (the light after the one at which 20 takes a left). You'll cross 85 in a couple blocks (if you're coming from rt. 85 from the south, turn left onto Main shortly after the intersection with 20). Park immediately after the fire station. If you're coming from 20, there'll be little fire station signs to follow. The store is in the brick building next to the parking lot. The store itself is rather fledgling. The jewelery selection is rather small, but nice (predominantly fantasy based). She carries a few books, a lot of powdered insence, some nice leather covered books (spell books/books of shadows), a smattering of garb (nothing special) and baby clothes, and my personal favorite: treasure candles. These are candles in the shapes of globes, pyramids, stars of david, five pointed stars, and christmas and easter ones can be ordered (among other things). As you melt the candle down, things appear out of the wax. I believe each candle contains three things, one of which is a quartz crystal. I bought one in the shape of the globe, and so far I've gotten the crystal, a pewter pine cone, and a silver whale fluke pendant. They're great gift ideas (you should always buy gifts for yourself, too...) The shopkeep is a Wiccan woman from NERO who is quite pleasant to talk to, considering that you'll probably be the only ones in her store. She'd heard about the SCA, but didn't know much about us. I think that she thought that we were a D&D type of thing, because she asked us about our magic users and said that she'd heard that we use live steel. We straightened her out (we being myself, Br. Andrew, and Jenny Reed(Miriam)). All in all, I'd say that the store is worth the trip for the candles and the conversation. She does nice clothes herself (the sub-standard ones on the rack were made by someone else), but she seems to do most of her work for NERO people on an order basis. In fact, the store is pretty much emptied out and brought with her to NERO events, because she got her start merchanting there. Hopefully she'll be successful enough to offer more selection over time, but don't go to the store expecting much right now. -Siubhan jap.laspau@mhsgw.harvard.edu ***************************************************************** Date: Mon, 09 Sep 91 12:12:06 EDT From: Kathryn Gandek Subject: Stores To: carolingia@bloom-beacon.mit.edu I finally stopped in two stores this weekend that I've passed multiple times, and I thought I'd mention them as they carry things of interest to SCA types. Can't say the stock of either is loaded with real medieval recreation items, but there's a lot of merchants at Pennsic that look like these folks. The first is Unicorn Books on Mass Ave in Arlington (T and car accessible)> It's a serious new age/astrology/wiccan/eastern/self-help/etc. bookstore, with the usual collection of tapes, stones, silk bags, wind chimes, crystals et al. However, it also has what looked to be (at a quick glance) a really good children's sections for fairy tale, legend and knight of horseback books. The second is the Wizard's Workshop on Mass Ave in Cambridge. I needed a phone book, so I walked in to this place figuring they wouldn't be too busy to help me. Not only did the guy provide a phone book, when it didn't have the number he called directory assistance and the restaurant for directions (which was what I needed in the first place)! In ten minutes of conversation and perusal, I found out he carries Crafty Fox jewelry (and is a friend of hers), had had Danamus (the brewer and celtic drummer) teach a mead brewing class at his shop (Danamus/Gary is a friend also and gave him the Celtic drum hanging on the wall), and a few other non-SCA connections. In addition to Crafty Fox jewelry, he carries the work of someone from Maine that included what appeared to be a nice torc. The shop also carries an assortment of pewter and wood figures, crystals, herbs, lots more jewelry, etc. (I got lots of perusing time in while he and Michael discussed mead!) He's not SCA, but he does know of us. So, there's two more shops for anyone interested. Catrin ******************************************************************* From: dagoura@Athena.MIT.EDU To: carolingia@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU Subject: A Reasonable Facsimile Date: Thu, 07 Nov 91 21:39:39 EST Because so many of you have asked, and because I think it's a good cause, I am posting the purchasing info for A Reasonable Facsimile. The tape you may have heard me play is "about as close as you can get: street and popular music from the Renassaince and a little bit later." I contacted Rob Burns via email, and this is what he sent: >So to answer your question about ordering. We have two cassettes out: "about >as close as you can get" and "the Merry Pranks of Robin Goodfellow". This >last title has an optional songbook (the one you took a photocopy of). >Cassettes are $10.00 each, songbooks $4.00 each. Add $1.50 for 1st item ordereplus .50 for each additional item for shipping. Make checks payable to >Second from the Bottom Music. > Order from: Second from the Bottom Music > P.O. Box 294 > Rochester, MI 48308 > >We realized when we made the tape that the dance tunes were played at a speed >too fast for dancing. We have had many requests for a tape that had the >dances played at dance tempo. About the only folks to request such a dance >tape has been SCA members and a few others. We're not sure that there is a >broad enough market out there to make the investment in a dance tape a wise >one. Still, we do think about it from time to time :). Perhaps if everyone who orders a tape and wants a dance tape puts "SCA needs dance music" at the bottom of their check.... In service to a muse ... or two Tibicen ******************************************************** Date: Thu, 12 Dec 91 22:17:25 EST From: "Emmanuelle of Southbanke" Subject: Calligraphy To: "Carolingia" Unto all those who are interested, I had been told by a calligrapher that platignum pens were good starting pens, but a little difficult to find. If you are looking for one, Boston University Bookstore is selling beginner sets (Italic) for both left and right handed people for $19.95, this is five nibs, a pen body, a refillable cartridge and a disposable one. They are also selling individual nibs. This is not an ad, really!!! Thank you for your time and patience, Emmanuelle of Southebanke PS The bookstore is in kenmore square, the pens are down in the basement. ************************************************************ A few people requested this address, so I'll post it publicly: Folkwear The Taunton Press 63 South Main Street PO Box 5506 Newtown, CT 06470-5506 If you haven't heard of these people, they make patterns for historical and ethnic clothing. Most of it's 19th and 20th centuries, but some of the patterns are adaptable for SCA use. --Radegund ************************************************************ Fabric Place - Woburn Mall wool: 60" wide $10/yard precut lengths in the 1 3/4 to 3 yard range mostly black, some red, some blue-green and a few other randoms They also have a sale on linen (1/2 price, but I don't know how many bucks - I was avoiding temptation!) If you venture out there, check out the button department - there are some very nice very fancy big buttons that would look great on cloaks. They are black fabric with geometrics worked on them in beads and silk. They are sold one by one, right behind the cash register in the buttons/thread section and on sale for 1/2 price. Meriadoc sharons@juliet.ll.mit.edu ******************************************************* Over the years a number of people have asked me if I can obtain Gum Arabic, but I've never found a convenient source or supplier. I now have: the 7 Arrows Herb Farm in Attleboro has it and will sell it in small quantities (so you don't have to buy 5 pounds of it!). The address: 7 Arrows Herb Farm 346 Oakhill Ave. Attleboro, MA-02703 508-3 508-399-7860 This is a wonderful place to visit, BTW. Last time I was there they had a renaissance recorder consort playing out in the garden. Idyllic.... Steffan ap Cennydd m/k/a Steven Mesnick, RPh *********************************************************** Bead store (beads by the string, etc.) It's "Little Russia", and there's one in Brookline, too. (Now how would I know *that*? :) -Yelizaveta ********************************************************* I know that Pearl Arts and Crafts sells various kinds of paints specifically for decorating clothing (i.e. stuff that will be going through the washing machine). I have not used any of them (not having any real urge to paint on fabric at the moment), but the illustrations on the packages look very promising. The one time I *did* do fabric painting, I needed white paint on a pair of bluejeans. At the time, my father was remodeling the kitchen, so I impressed a small amount of latex wall-primer into service. Seven years later and countless wash cycles later, I still have the jeans, and they still have the original design without any deterioration at all. The paint has not cracked or peeled or faded or harmed the fabric. (I have no idea about the kitchen, though.) Where there is paint, the fabric is stiffer, but it is still flexible. The paint was opaque, but had to be applied rather thickly (as with any paint going onto something that has lots of fuzzly, straying fibers), and it's a bit rough in texture. All in all, I am quite impressed with the stuff! Tibicen *********************************************** Tibicen says her latex house paint jeans are still in great shape. To this I add that Tentsmiths told us to use latex house paint on our pavilion if we wanted to make it pretty colors. I was a little doubtful because I thought it would crack and such, but they say no. However, I know that fabric paints will go on thinner. For all who saw our nifty new shop banner at the War, you'll know what I mean. My mother painted that (from Alek's design) with fabric paints on muslin. ...Yelizaveta ************************************************************** >*If* I am remembering correctly (and I don't guarantee that I am), >the Little Russia in Harvard Square has been replaced by a cookbook >shop. I remember that one of the stores in 99 Mt. Auburn turned into >a cookbook shop quite recently; I think it was Little Russia, but >I'm not 100% positive. Anyone in Harvard Square have a more definite >word on this? > > -- Justin > Nope --- it was another jewelry-type place next door, "The Inside Corner" (I think). I was just in there the other day --- got some lovely little turquoise beads. However, I happen to know that Fiametta has already checked there, as well as Pearl --- no luck. Anyone know whether Windsor buttons carries strings of stuff? ---Simon ************************************************************* Try Woolworths at downtown crossing. On the 2nd (or is it 3rd) floor they have fake pearls of all sorts of colors by the yard. Unbelievably cheap if I recall correctly. ************************************************************** Actually, Little Russia is still around -- the other bead & jewelry store in that mall, Inside Corner, is the one which has been replaced by a (very neat!) cook-book store... Thanks to everyone for their help, by the way! --Fiammetta **************************************************************** Nope, tumbleweeds is still there, too. As is Woolcott's, Duncharloch's source for Norwegian pewter cloak and tunic clasps (check them out if you haven't seen them --- they're wonderful!) ----Simon *************************************************************** **Buck-a-Book** next to 40 Court St., Boston (across the street from Gov't Center T [blue and green lines) ALSO approx. 1000 (+/- 100) Massachusetts Ave, Camb (east side of the street, on the #1 buss) ALSO several other locations M-F 7am - 7pm Sat 9am - 5pm Sun 12n - 5pm This store sells mostly hard covers, mostly at $1 each. There are signs all over the place saying "this is how we can do it", listing 4 reasons: retailer overstocks, publisher overproduction of hardcovers, something I forget, and buying in bulk. I don't believe it: I think that they are alternately knocking over Wordsworths and getting the books that retailers couldn't pay the customers to take away. The store is almost completely unorganized, with the books thrown onto the shelves (and on the floor) completely randomly, and *two rows deep*. The fellow at the counter said that when they get enough books of a kind to make a subject section that they will, and that they had already done that with fitness, business, and children's. Also, there was a table for "Paperback Best Sellers" that was *entirely* SF and fantasy: Clark, Heinlein, Foster, McCaffery, Lackey, McMaster-Bujold, et al.; BUT these were at half of the publisher's price (what's printed on the book). In the back there's a section "For just a little bit more..." with still-very-inexpensive-for-hardcover books were; here there was more SF/Fan, but it was about $5 (there was a leatheroid-bound, goldish-chased, boxed set of Tolkein for $10). And behind that was the "And for just a little bit more..." room for coffee table books. There were a number of art books focusing on a single painter there, but most of the books were about Americana of various flavors. I was hoping to find a book with *some* kind of pictures from period or about period, but only found one on historical Spanish furniture about 1/2 in period. ***WGBH Learningsmith*** Brattle St., across from Wordsworth's. (Harvard Sq.) (I didn't write down the hours, but I believe they were until 11 or 10 most or all nights of the week.) This store is the ultimate educational-toys-for-baby-(and not so young)-yuppies and PBS-stuff store. It is a fun place, though the day I went there it was *mobbed*. The front of the store rolls up like a garage door, and this particular day the weather was good. They had lots of educational Montressori-esque toys for little ones. They had lots of books: on history (some neet looking stuff on period); on science; on childrearing; on all sorts of things. They also carry braille books. They carry videos - stuff aimed at kids, and just PBS stuff like: _Dr. Who_, _Black Adder_, and more Monty Python than I have ever seen in one place. When I was there, the four enourmous screens stacked in the back were simultaneously showing _Fantasia_. They also sell software - I assume educational games (e.g. "SimCity", "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?") - on the mezzanine. They make a big deal of their policy of "Try it before you buy it!", and have two banks of computers of various stripes to try their software on. In general, it seemed the prices were not cheap. I don't know whether or not they were outrageous, but *I* couldn't afford most things there. But it was certainly fun to browse. **Woolcott and Co.** 99 Mt. Auburn St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq., in the mini-mall next to Wordsworth's) M-Sa 10am - 6pm Thurs 10am - 7pm Sun closed This is a weaving, knitting, spinning and dyeing supply store. I didn't get in (I showed up after hours) but gawked through the window. Looked neet. I have no idea of their prices. **THE NEW FABRIC STORE OF TOO MANY NAMES IN CENTRAL SQUARE** (my title) Mass Ave, Cambr. On the east side, a block north of the Main Str. intersection (2 blocks north of "old Tosci's") (1) The proprietor owns the *building* and is leasing to the other businesses. He had had a fabric store in that location for some 15 years, then closed about 3 or 4 years ago. This time he's "Doing it right". (2) He will be getting inventory with the seasons; he plans on filling ~1/4 the store with winter cloths when they are in season, etc. (3) His main thrust will *not* be walk-in customers. He's talking about fabrics that are really for some *very* special clienteles: fashion designers, interior designers, historical and antique renovators, possibly theatrical costumers. He's got a warehouse of fabric stockpiled from something like the 1950's - fabric that is actually now of *historical* value (antique fabric?) for people interested in mid-late 20th cen. Let me tell you: they just don't make 'em like they used to. Thank god. (4) Right now, his store has some *really* *weird* *stuff* in it. Bizzarre plaid wool-polys. $100+/yd European tapestry upholstery fabric (yes, with passably period designs, damnit). '70's slipcover print fabric. (5) He's going to stock the store with pre-cuts. He doesn't know *how* long the lengths will be (he's figuring that out by trial and error) yet. His ambition is to have the abolute maximum number of kinds of fabric on display - because he's got a warehouse he can keep the large amounts in. Implied was that if you really wanted something, it could be ordered from the warehouse. (6) He's going to be trying to get things that wouldn't move off the shelves else where. ``Recycling'' he called it: he get things from other retailers and from manufacturers which they couldn't sell because of who-only-knows what reason (out of season, out of fashion, funny colors...?) (7) He's talking about to-you-door delivery. I don't know for how much or for whom. (8) He's going to have lots of dress fabric (clothes stuffs) and upholstry. No idea about what else though. ***Pearl Arts and Crafts*** Central^2, Mass. Ave, Camb - right next to the Central^2 Market Co-op. Red line, Central^2; #1 bus open ~10am-8pm, 7 days a week (I think) They have at least a little of the supplies for *every* visual art and craft I can think of. For some arts they have everything you need (painting seems to be an example). They outfitted me completely for an architecture class. They have a little fabric - I got muslin there for some garb (108' wide muslin [yes, muslin comes in 3 yard width]), and I've gotten supplies for costuming there. And, passing what is in my mind the ultimate obscure-and-overlooked-art test, they even have all you need to take up stained glass. Illustrating (drawing, painting, calligraphy, etc.) supplies are mostly on the first floor. Everything else is in their cavernous basement. ***************************************************** Woolcott and Co. isn't bad on prices. Their embroidery section is disappointingly small, but they fairly often get bargain bins. I picked up a very pretty wooden crochet hook there for a fairly decent price, so even though the periodicity of crochet is debatable, when crocheting at an event with this hook, I feel like I'm taking a step in the right direction. WGBH Learningsmith is probably so expensive because they discount GBH members. It gives people an incentive to get a GBH membership. BTW, with said membership, one can get a discount of $1 and up at Tower Records and 10% off non sale items at HMV (it feels funny to get discounts off punk music with a PBS membership...but it's worth it!) Buck a Book is an adventure. You really need to dedicate at least an hour of your time to the store because of the utter lack of order. It's the first bookstore I've walked out of because I didn't want to deal with searching the place. -Siubhan (who obviously spends too much of her paycheck in Harvard Square) ************************************** Tumbleweeds, the quilting store in Harvard Square (next to Little Russia) is moving to a new location on Eliot Street. So if you're looking for it and it's not there, look on Eliot Street. Even though the prices aren't the greatest, it's still one of my favorite places to look for cotton fabric, because they have just about every color imaginable. Taking its place is Allston Beat, a store of an entirely different vein (it's the only store I know of where one can buy a black t-shirt with a large white erect penis painted on the front). -Siubhan