Armagh Rhymers (babw)

I'm planning on making an Armagh Rhymers (link to their website, in case no-one knows who they are) costume for Thomas Marshal the Lion. This will be needed for May, though a little later in the month than the Viking Warrior one.

If you look at the gallery photographs on the website, you can see different photos. I really like the costumes made from old grain sacks, the ones with the blue writing. Though at £30 a grain sack, I won't be buying one of these. Instead I am going to fashion something myself. Will source a couple of blue striped teatowels and I can either embroider the print or "print" the print. Then I can dye it with teabags. For the mask, I plan on knitting it and then crocheting around it to make it look like wicker. Will also try and fashion a Bodhrán (Irish drum that is held in the hand) for him.

Placed a bid on traditional pyjamas (blue striped ones) for babw last night and won the bid. They will make the perfect base for the outfit.

I can easily print over the top of these, as described in above post. Plus I know they will fit him properly, save me a bit of time trying to fashion something out of a teatowel.

Which mask are you going to make?

Now that is a question! One of these ones lol in the second photo, the brown bull.

Purely by accident I got something today that I can fashion a mini Bodhrán from I might even do a celtic design on it it will be fiddly, but a small one wouldn't be too difficult to do. The pj's came today So I can make a start altering those. Plan on doing some print work on them first then tea-dying. It seems to be coming together I've been thinking about the mask, it might be easier to french knit one. Though I did see a child's toy today with a horse's head on it and was nearly going to buy it and alter it. Didn't have enough ££ on me, maybe tomorrow I'll nip back in there with the Lion and see if it's doable. Rip the head off the toy and stuffing out and shove the Lion's head inside, then cover it with french kniting so it looks like wicker. It's one of those things that is basically a glorified stick with a horse's head on it. In my day you just used a broom (now that does make me sound old).

Will keep you all updated with the progress.

Looks like I'll be making the horse mask then. A friend is sending me this

Someone gave it to her as a gift for her children, she says & I quote "It creeps me out! You can have it, do what you want with it." So I can remove it from the stick and the inside stuffing and hopefully it will fit ove the Lion's head. Might be sound inside, so I can remove that bit and might use it at a later stage. If it fits the Lion, I can easily cover it it brown french knitting to make it look like wicker.

I've made a start on an Armagh Rhymers costume for Thomas Marshal the Lion (clicky here for their site). This is the costume I'll be making (photo taken from their site).


The "annoying toy" came from my friend. It's a horsey's head on a stick and if you press the ear, it makes a noise.


I removed it from the stick and then had to take this photo I'm sure a lot of you will get the reference It HAD to be done


The stuffing in the neck area has been removed, the sound from inside has been removed and the black harness and rings have been removed. The back of the neck has been cut to allow the Lion to put his head inside. Poppers will need to be added to the back of the neck so that it will be a good fit. The mane will be removed and I got the wool needed today. This will be french knitted and then weaved into each other to look like the wicker, then sewn onto the horsey's head. The eyes will stay as they are. Two slightly different shades so the detail will be seen more easily.


Now onto the costume, I got blue and white striped babw pj's that I painted with blue paint. Next I'll cut the front of the top so it looks similar to above, then I'll tea-stain it.

Photo of costume so far, the tea-stained outfit has dried. I think it looks well, might do another bit of "weathering" to it if I get the time. Horsey's head on the Lion, it will need poppers attached to the back of the neck where I cut it to allow him to put his head into it. Also might attach it with poppers onto the top as well. Waiting on a black tshirt to arrive for underneath the top, but this will give you an idea.


Progress update of horsey's head. The french knitting that you see is roughly pinned onto the head. The ears will be made larger, will be keeping the eyes the same. I'm going to be doing ordinary knitting in about 1" - 1&1/2" strips and weaving these through the french knitting. This will give it more detail and a more accurate look. The knitted strips will be done in the other colour of wool.

Knitting nearly finished Thought it was time for an update, thanks to mama bunny who offered to knit and then knitted the strips for the horizontal weave for the mask. I knitted one so she knew what length to do then she knitted 9 more. If 10 isn't enough she said she'll knit some more I'm going to do french knitting for the ears, they will be a bit larger than the ears of the horsey's head. Also the black tshirt for underneath the top of the costume arrived earlier this week. I also love how the french knitting around the eyes are slightly different Mama bunny says it makes it look that bit more authentic.

An update without be an update without photos The last photo is just to give you a rough idea of how they both look together.

Last night started on the weave of the long strips through the french knitting and sewing it onto the horsey's head. Looks well so far, will try and take photos later. Things are a bit crazy here at the moment. Got men in cleaning up the tiles, re-grouting and such.

I've been working in the background on this one. Time for an update I think to show you the progress of the mask. Started from the bottom and working my way up. As you can see the long strips weave in and out of the french knitting. It's coming along well The second photo, I have one ear done with french knitting, the loop bit, will be filled in and that will be given a more horsey ear shape.