I Won!

So, the past two weekends have been really amazing for me. I won the Athena's Thimble Craftsman Triathlon, and the Founder's Award for the most period Item. Then, this past weekend, I won the A&S Competition at Mudthaw! There were some really spectacular items, so it was really an honor to have one. There are so many talented and knowledgeable artisans in the East!

Here's a pic of my coif on display:

There are so many people who have offered advice and encouragement with this project, and I am truly thankful to have their input and support. :)

Sweet Bag documentation

Here's a link to my revised Sweet bag documentation: link.

At Kings and Queens Arts and Sciences competition, I had a long talk with Sir Mord, also OL, who really helped me figure out what was missing from my documentation. And although I am a constructivist by nature as an educator, I was completely failing to include ANY sort of context in my documentation. While I would reference extant pieces, I wasn't communicating that I understood anything about late 16th century English embroidery, other than "how-to" make it. Which really isn't enough- anyone can be a skilled embroiderer, and know how to do specific techniques. What separates the scholar from the craftsman is a fuller understanding of just why these pieces came to exist, and what meaning and place they had in their society.

It's also why I plan to teach at Pennsic, but not "hands-on". There are some really great videos out there that teach stitch techniques; what is missing is the "why" of Elizabethan embroidery, which I feel able to do.

It's Finished!

And in case anyone missed it, here's the link to my documentation: Polychrome Coifs

Updates, and Documentation!

One of the latest pics:

And a link to the documentation: Polychrome Paper

Thanks for looking!