Baronial Banners

A couple of years back, on learning that the 25th Anniversary of the Barony of Rowany was coming up, I had a vision:

'Wouldn't it be really cool if the Barony had a set of banners, one for each B&B past and present, for the event?'

And I figured it would be a really neat idea for Stowe, the Barony's only Canton, to give them as a birthday gift.

So I went off, had a bit of a think and came up with some ideas. Then I put a crew together, spoke to all the B&Bs involved and embarked upon the project.

The first incarnation consisted of handpainting and appliqueting 9 banners, but we quickly realised that this was going to be a very slow and costly venture and abandoned ship, putting the project on the shelf for a little while. In the meantime, the emergence of a silk banner making trend sparked off another idea. Hey! Maybe we could do them in silk! This time around there were another 2 banners added, but what the hey.

So silk banners it was to be.

Hunydd had a fair bit of experience with silk banner making and was happy to show us all how it was done. The banners were to be approx 50cmx2.5m and would be standards depicting the populace badge of Lochac with the main charge of the B&Bs devices, the colours of Rowany (green and white) and some funky Rs that we had found, which had also been used as Rowany livery badges, I believe. Plus mottos for each reign.

Rowan - Vom Anfang (of the beginning)

Torg & Lindoret - Lead With Honour

Richard & Alarice - Una Vera Baronia (A True Barony)

Corin & Keridwen - Build It And They Will Come

Hrothgar & Helene - Mit Begeisterung! (With Enthusiasm!)

Gui & Alefled - Senatus Populusque Roani (SPQR - Senate and Populus of Rowany).

We managed to get all the past B&Bs done, Gui and Aelfled will be something that can be done for them once they step down...or maybe sooner...

This was a huge learning curve as we discovered the joy and wonder of silk painting. It is so random! There are the odd skips and hops here and there and a lovely, slightly peppermint tinge to the white (and Rusty's shirt), but from a distance, they look really, really cool. Like. Really.

Hopefully there will be some photos of them at the feast...