Laces and Leather[Tag Conor]

[Kate Miller]

Laces. A nice added detail to any garment where it would fit in with the rest of the outfit. But they were just another expense in the world and Kate hadn't been able to buy any for some time. But having taken some of the money out of the pouch that Marian had given her before the Silver Arrow Contest - Kate made her way over to the leather workers house to place and order. If he had some made then she could just buy them then and there.

She knew Conor hated making laces more than anything - so she didn't want too trouble him more than she had to. If she could, she was going to see if he had an scraps of leather going spare as well. There was always some little detail she could find to use it for - and they were always cheaper than buying reams of it.

Walking over the green towards the small thatched building she made sure her money pouch was out of sight - Allan's 'stealing lessons' made her weary she knew how easy it could be to steal from somebody - especially in such desperate times. A small village girl, no match for any thief. So the thief would think anyway.

Tucking her hair behind her ears so let out a small breathe and knocked gently on the wooden door. This trip was going to leave a dent in her pocket no doubt.

[conormccarthy]

OOC: ilujen

Hearing a knock on the shop door, Conor pinned the last of the hare fur to the drying rack, checked the ties and grabbed a damp cloth to wipe his hands with as he left his leather-working room, headed down the passageway toward the Smith's house and opened the less-used side door that usually only his customers used. Seeing Kate, the young man gave a slight smile. "Kate. Come in." He said, stepping back from the door to allow her entrance.

The seamstress was a welcome regular as their professions overlapped when it came to garments. Being as Kate lived not more than a few houses away, it was quite surprising that he hadn't seen her in a little while. He wondered if she'd found another leather-worker who was a little less expensive. Conor was fairly good at what he did, and Arnold insisted on squeezing what he could out of the younger man's trade.

"What can I get you today? More fur trimmings? I have some fox pelt around somewhere..." The Irish man led her back down the hallway, absently trailing off and running through the bits and pieces that Kate might find useful. She usually liked the castoff pieces of leather and fur to add to her garments to add decoration or strength to certain pieces. He wondered if she might like some of the tails he had saved up. Winter ermine and bushy fox tails made extravagant tassels on noble-wear.

Before he reached his workshop, Conor opened a door into a cool dark room and bean rummaging in the semi-darkness. The store was where he kept most of his products -- primarily skins and furs before they had been put to use. Being a diligent worker, he'd amassed quite a few. With a noise of triumph, he pulled out a sack from the back of the room and opened it up, showing Kate the sleek tails that had been carefully processed and cured so they were now boneless yet still whole without the risk of rotting. "Any use to you?" He asked, quite glad for the distraction Kate had brought. Most customers were just interested in the wares, but Kate usually had a few words to share with him.

[Kate Miller]

The door opened, Kate had taken a few steps back and was looking around the outside of the stables. Scatters of hay, every clear sign that yes there were horses about. Kate was weary that Arnold would make himself known at any moment and she really wasn't in the mood for his toothless grin. Especially if her father had been speaking to him recently.

"Hey Conor," she beamed as she stepped through the wooden door. She took a quick look around like she did whenever she visited just to see if he did have anything else she could have, with her quite heavily loaded purse in her hand she could afford little more than usual. "Don't hate me," she started and turn to face him, a small grimace on her face, "But I'm after some laces," after the demand that the silver arrow competition had had on her trade Kate was in dire need of some to make any easy adjustments to dresses. The ones with laces sold well with the younger girls who were still growing as it gave them the adjustment room that they would need to be able to keep the dress for a longer period of time.

As he led her back down the hallway towards another room, she considered anything else she could get. She’d first have to check how much o the money the laces would take, and weigh up how much more she could afford to spend without her father going to mad at her.

”Some of the pelts would be really useful,” she said as his list finished, with Autumn beginning to settle in and Winter not far behind, it wouldn’t do any harm for her to start making some garments ready for the ‘winter rush’ not that it was all very rushy any more.

She took the tails that he handed out to her and looked over them, ”They would be excellent thank you,” she said reaching for her purse, ”With some laces, well a fair few laces, how much would that cost me? You know what dad can be like, can’t be spending too much.” she smiled up at him before turning her attention back to the pelts he had, there were a few colour variants, she could make it work and the richer people certainly would be able to afford it.