Isabelle's family tree

In my infinite wisdom as a new SCA member I chose a name on a whim. I wanted something French and Celtic, and Fancy.  So I ended up on Wikipedia in it's earlier days and found the House of Montfort of Brittany in the time I was focusing on.  The family had unknown daughter that died as an infant, and decided I wanted to learn about how her life could have been. I poked around a bit, and saw Isabelle quite a common name in the tree so dubbed myself Isabelle Montfort de Bretagne, and after a small debate about de vs du in French names my name was accepted.  I was quite surprised years later when that that wiki page was updated and the daughter was actually named Isabelle.

Opps.

One of my goals is to understand her world. Not just the fashion, or even just the material culture, but the meaning behind the fabrics, how politics, status and trade impacted her life. The mindset of the key players in her life. Food, art, pageantry, education. Castles. Popular stories and authors.  

Isabelle Montfort de Bretagne was born in October 1388, in Bretagne, and died in Dec 1388 along with her 1 year old sister, Jeanne.  

Her Parents- 

Her father known as John IV of Montfort in English, Jean IV the conquer in French, or Yann IV in Breton. He was the Duke of Brittany, and the Earl of Richmond. He was also knighted into king Edward's Order of the garter.

John IV coat of arms (Wikipedia) 

His father was also John of Montfort, from an ancient and powerful Breton with bridal ties to Navarre, French, Scottish and English Royalty.  

John of Montfort's Father, Authur II, set up the first democratic estates in Brittany. Authur's first son John III had an extreme dislike for his step mother. He tried to have the marriage annulled and his half siblings discredited, naming his niece Joan as his heir. (In Breton tradition women were equally able to inherent.) However, towards the end of his life, he made peace with his half brother, writing a will stating John of Montfort was to inherent.  

John of Montfort had wrestled for control of the dutchy from Joan of Penthievre and Charles de Blois  they contested the will and sparked the war of Breton Succession. Charles had the French King's support, for the king wanted control of Brittany, for the advantages it would give to fight the English. John of Montfort had no choice but to seek aid from the English. 

After John de Montfort's death, the dutchy was still unsettled, his wife Joanna of Flanders, sought sanctuary with young John IV in the English court, while continuing to support efforts for her son to reign. Charles de Blois became the de facto Duke. The Bretons saw Charles as a French imposter, and much preferred the Montforts. 

In 1362 John IV returned to Brittany and petitioned Joan and Charles for peace, Yet Joan wouldn't yeld. In 1364 Charles de Blois was killed at the battle of Auray, Joan conceded. In 1365 John IV was able to unite Bretagne into an independent dutchy with a treaty recognizing male inheritance first of the Montfort line, the Penthievre's second.  But despite the fact the Montforts won with the English king's support, John IV pledged feality to France.

Isabelle's mother, Joan of Navarre, was the daughter of the king of Navarre and also a granddaughter of king Jean II of France. She was John's 3rd wife, married in 1386, long after John was done conquering, and seemed to have a relatively peaceful time. They'd host the English Kings often, while remaining relevant to the French court and culture.  

Joan as Queen of England (Wikipedia) 

They would have 9 children. 

Jeanne b 1387 - d 1388

Isabelle b 1388 - d 1388

Jean V duc de Bretagne- b 1389 - d 1442

Marie de Bretagne b 1391 - d 1446

Margaret de Bretagne b 1392 - d 1428

Arthur III duc de Bretagne b 1393 - d 1458

Gilles de Bretagne b 1394 - d 1412

Richard de Bretagne (Count de Benon, d'Eschampes, and de Mantes) b 1395 ‐ d 1438

Blanche de Bretagne b 1397 - d 1419

The Duke would pass away in 1399, leaving Joan as regent for John V, who was 10.  

Joan had met King Henry IV when he had been a guest of the Breton court during his banishment. It was reported to be a love match. In 1402 she left her son's in the care of Phillip II the Duke of Burgundy, and took her daughters to England where she married king Henry.  Isabelle would have been 14.

While Joan had a good relationship with her step family, especially her step son Henry V initially, It appears that the English court wasn't friendly to the Bretons, they thought her greedy and stingy and exiled much of her Breton court. 3 years after thier arrival in England, about 1405, John V demanded his sisters return to Bretagne.

Her siblings- 

John V- John the wise. His guardian until he came if age was Phillip II the bold of Burgundy. John would keep a life long alliance with Burgundy. John inherited Brittany in a time of peace, and was known for playing sides in the hundred year's war. He was a patron of arts and education. He built cathédrales and a school in Vannes.

A graphic depicting the lands owned and acquired by Jean V during his rein as Duke. It also shows the Rohan family lands.

He married Joan of France, the daughter of King Charles IV, the mad, of France in 1396.  Most likely arranged by his father and Charles as he was only 7, and she 5 years old. 

In 1420 John was abducted by his father's Penthievre rivals trying to claim the Dutchy. His wife Joan captured the countess and John was released and the Penthievre's were forced to sign a treaty giving up thier claims to Brittany.  When Henry V, his step brother, invaded France John supported the French King, but after missing the battle of Agincourt, the good will release of his brother Arthur, and some agresssion in Brittany by the mad French King he and the Burgundy duke supported Henry. He sent his son Gilles to be raised in Henry's household. Often trying to play a neutral and mediator between France and England, but diplomacy failed, after his death, Gilles was murdered, and at the Treaty of Tours his brother Authur severed all Breton ties with England.  

It's clear that as Head of the Household he took responsibility for his family seriously and there are many reports of his interactions with his family.  

Seal of John IV (Wikipedia)

Joan of Valois (Wikipedia)

Marriage of Duke John V and Joan of Valois (Wikipedia)

Marie- before his death, John IV aranged a marriage in 1396, to John I Duke of Alençon a great grandson of King Phillip II of France. She was married in 1398, at the age of 7, but Marie was reported to be with her mother in England until 1405. After her return to France they would have 5 children.  John I would die at Agincourt fighting Marie's stepbrother Henry V. 

Marie's son John II was captured by the English and he sold his fiefdom to his uncle John V for the ransom, and after his return tried regain his territory by force which led his Uncles John and Authur to siege Alençon and induce him to make peace.

Margaret- she married Alain IX viscount of Rohan in 1407 at 15 years old. The house of Rohan was a powerful Breton family that decended from the old Breton kings. This marriage created a powerful union to unite Bretagne. They had at least 6 children.  

Authur- also Authur de Richemont, after the English earldom of Richmond from his father, which the English never recognized. He was leading military commander during the 100 years war. He remained committed to the French. Fought alongside Joan of Arc, and became constable of France. He brokered peace between his Bother John and the French, and the Burgundians and the French. He became the Duke before his death when his nephew Phillip died. He married the widowed Margaret of Burgundy (Nevers), granddaughter of the Duke of Burgundy, in 1423. He had no legitimate children, but had one daughter naturalized daughter Jacqueline. 

Authur (Wikipedia)

Gilles- Lord of Chantocé and Ingrande. Not much is known of him. He died young at 18 years old. It appears that John V named his youngest son after this Brothers and gave him his tile and land of Chantocé. 

Richard- In his lifetime, he held many titles and positions. He was appointed captain-general of Guyenne and Poitou in 1419, became the count of Étampes through his marriage to Maragreite of Orléans, and lord of Palluau, Bourgomeaux, and Ligron, and count of Mantes. Maragreite was the granddaughter of king Charles V of France , a granddaughter of John II of France, and neice to the Duke de Berry, whom which she inherited the county of Estampes from her uncle. She was said to be pious. Richard commissioned the book of Heures for Maragreite in 1421, two years before thier marriage took place in 1423. It's renowned to be one of the most exquisite examples of fifteenth-century French illumination. They had seven children, and their son Francis II would become the Duke after Arthur's death. 

Richard (Wikipedia) 

Maragreite d'Orléans (Wikipedia)

Blanche- She married John IV Count of Armagnac, Fézensac, and Rodez. He was involved in the intrigues related to the Hundred Years' War and in conflicts against the King of France. He was the Grandson of Jean Duke de Berry, and great grandson of John II of France.  They had one daughter Bonne in 1416. Bonne is depicted in the Très Riches Heures de Duc de Berry in the Avril marriage scene. 

Henry IV of England- step sibling. His father Henry seized the English thrown in 1399, the same year Isabelle's father passed away. 4 years later he would marry Joan of Navarre. Henry IV would ascend to the English thrown in 1413. He reinvigorated the 100 years war in 1415 and became known as the warrior king. After Agincourt Henry had taken Authur as prisoner, and it damaged the relationship with his Step mother. In 1419 Joan's fortune was taken and she was imprisoned until 1422. He would sign a treaty making him heir to France and marry Catherine of Valois  in 1420 as a tactic to place himself on the French throne. 

Henry IV (Wikipedia) 

He died before he could do so, but his son, Henry IV, was eventually crowned king of both France and England. He couldn't hold the territory in France, and all but Calis had reverted back to the French by the end of his reign.

So what does this mean for Isabelle? 

Isabelle would have grown up in Brittany, most likely at Château de Suscinio the family seat. Her Breton heritage is full of powerful women who were educated and inherited the dutchy in their own right.  Her grandmother and mother being regents themselves. It appears her brother, John V, made sure his siblings were highly educated and culturally relevant. She would have spent her teenage years in England, returned to Bretagne (probably for a dynastic marriage), While her brothers had cultivated powerful connections with, the English and French kings, the dukes of Burgundy, Berry, and Orléans. 

Château de Suscinio. John IV and V had expanded the resident quarters. 

She would have had had access to education, music and art. She probably could read and write. She would have spoken French, Latin, English, Probably a bit of Breton and maybe a bit of Basque from Navarre. She would have been well traveled. She would have known about politics and factions of the time. She would have known how to run a large household, how fashion, food, and hospitality reflected status. She probably would have some basic stitching knowledge, but otherwise would have her clothes made for her out of the finest fabrics and latest fashions. She probably would have been married young for political alliance and not allowed to remain a widow for long. 

The extant Pourpoint of Charles de Blois would have been worn by her family's rival.  

It also means that when I'm looking at manuscripts or inventories, or other period documents, these are people who are related to the Montfort family through blood or marriage.  These are characters that would have been KNOWN to Isabelle.

The connection to the Berry Manuscripts and the Duke's inventory-

For Example let's take the inspiration image from the GNC gown I did. 

It's the April Folio from Les Très Riches Heures de Duc de Berry, 1416.  

It depicts the marriage of Charles, Duc d’Orleans and Bonne d’Armagnac at the Chateau de Dourdan.  

Now if we look up Bonne, we find her parents are Bertrand d'Armagnac and Bonne, the daughter of the Duke de Berry.  Below is a snip of thier children.  

Isabelle sister, Blanche, married Bonne's brother! His second wife, Isabelle of Navarre, was a cousin.

Isabelle's brother Richard Married Margaret the sister of Charles d'Orléans! 

Her nephew, John II Alençon, his first spouse was the daughter of Charles d'Orléans and his second wife Joan de Valois, The neice of John V wife, also related Duke de Berry also. His second wife was the daughter of John IV Armagnac with his second wife Isabelle, who happened to be a cousin of the family too! 

Setting aside the awkwardness of medieval views towards incest and child marriage, it's clear that these people are close. 

Looking at the contemporary people depicted in the Berry manuscripts, they could be relatives, or people who would be known.  Are Isabelle's siblings or potential friends in those Miniatures? Could be. Isabelle's family, or herself potentially could have had access to the items listed in the Duke's de Berry's trésorerie.  Maybe they saw the manuscripts in person, and it inspired them. 

The Inventory of the Duke de Berry and The Bookkeeping of Robinet D'ESTAMPES (not be confused with Richard count D'ESTAMPES) shows the Duke de Berry often exchanges manuscripts with Louis d'Orléans and his duchess. He also had the collected works of Christine de Pizan.  Woot! 

The connection with the Inventory of Château de Chailloue-  Château de Chailloue was a holding of the count of Alençon. Marie's spouse. This inventory was taken at 1416, right after the death of the count at Agincourt. These items detailed in this account belonged to Isabelle's sister.  The Château was defaced in the 100 years war, and eventually sold for John II's ransom. It was rebuilt in the 17th century.  

The Connection with Burgundy- 

One of the inventories I've read heavily and drew a lot of material culture from are the death inventories of Dijon from 1390-1408. 

Some of these inventories would have been from the exact time in which the Duc de Burgundy was gardian of the Montfort Boys when thier mother went to England. Because the Montfort's kept close ties, and even marriage with the Burgundians it would make sense that Isabelle would have been subjected to the Burgundian fashions when ordered back to Bretagne. 

Paul Limbourg started his career in Burgundy in 1402 as painter in the Court of Phillip II the Bold, the same year Phillip became gardian of the Montfort Boys.  (Famiglietti p21) Limbourgs painted the Manuscripts of Jean De Berry. He was close enough to the Duke of Berry that Jean captured a bride with great legal complications for Paul. 

Les Grandes Heures of Rohan, Per Wikipedia- "A theory suggests that The Rohan Hours was commissioned by the House of Rohan, as indicated by their arms shown on some of the pages (blazon: gules, in chief seven mascles d’or). The commission would have been made in 1431 to celebrate the marriage of Charles of Anjou, Count of Maine, to a daughter of Alain IX of Rohan, however that marriage never took place." I personally believe that due to the arms and title the book was originally intended for this marriage but was given to Charles for the Anjou bride instead. Or the artist Master Rohan was from the dynastic family. 

Les Heures de Maragreite d'Orléans was commissioned by her brother Richard, and depicts her sister in law. I've no doubt that it would have been inspired by the manuscripts in the Duke de Berry's collection.  

Christine De Pizan Was one of the first female writers, and was considered very feminist in her life.  She often wrote poetry and manuscripts for king Charles, the Duc de Burgundy and the Duc d’Orleans. Christine dedicated Le Livre des Trois Vertus see also digital copy to the dauphine Margaret of Burgundy (Nevers), the future wife of Authur, advising the young princess on what she had to learn.

And yes, most of this family history comes straight from Wikipedia.  I'm aware of the follies of this. But tracking down that much family trees just isn't high enough priority. 

An Extant Velvet and troubleshooting a modern velvet garment

 

This is an extant 15th century cut velvet piece that was acquired by Charles de Bourbon that he graciously allowed me to handle. 

I suspect the colors were a originally black velvet pile on a gold silk ground.  

The plie on this fabric is only a couple millimeters high, and the ground is a tight woven plain weave silk. It's at least a 20mm weight, if not heavier. 

Close up of the ground.  

Modern 100% silk velvets however are on a lightweight and flexible organza ground. meaning they have very different properties than period velvets in terms of weight, drape and stretching. 

In my houppelande I attempted to reinforce the modern velvet with period methods of using linen,  flat lined, as an interlining and a pad stitching nearly every inch. This method worked well for my sample piece. 

However the weight and bias stretch of dozens of gores was more impactful than I had anticipated.  

Over a the course of a year of stitching and ONE day of wear the shoulder seams stretched over an inch, the sleeves 4, and the hem close 6 to 8 inches. Some of the silk threads in the seams and pad stitching are starting to pop out and one of the lining seams needed repair already. Considering this isn’t a rushed project, and my other hand stitching garments that have lasted a decade with minimal repair, it's not a stitching skill issue. Since the threads are slipping instead of breaking it tells me to fabric isn't holding the threads in place either.  

Sigh. 

Luckily, I anticipated taking the lining off for the next phase of gold work. I'll adjust the shoulder length and add twill tape to the seams to support them better.

To stablize the stretching, I'm going to apply a modern solution of a lightweight cotton fusible interfacing directly to the pad stitched linen interlining before I start the embroidery.  

I should have just fused a silk backing to the velvet before I cut it. But I was trying to make it work without fusing because I'm not sure if it’s a period method for the 1410s.  Lesson learned.  However to do that now, I'd have to rip apart the entire garment and a year's worth of work. I simply don't have the time to start over on the project. 

Houppelande ACT I

Well after a year of hand stitching the out shell is wearable! 

The lining isn't tacked in yet, but the next phase will be Gold Work embroidery,  and the lining is going to hide all the messy bits. 

Here is the write up! 

The Velvet Houppelande ACT I

Mémento Mori

Death has once again touched my house. So in a weird way of coping I've gone down the rabbit hole of how Medieval people handled death which was a large part of life. 

Here's a few links.  

https://youtu.be/9lOhVjCX2r4?si=sG_rQR0g6Gytns03

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/deth/hd_deth.htm

https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/death_middle_ages/

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/blog/blog-posts/momento-mori-lets-talk-about-death/

A Gold Silk Cotte

So if I'm going to have a fancy velvet houppelande then I'll need a fancy cotte to go under it right? 

Looking at my favorite manuscript, Très riche heures, mai, 1415. The lady in black at the center has a long red drapy cuff with fringe. There are more examples of this sleeve in the next folio of this manuscript along with a few les ostentatious ones in Le Livre des Femmes Nobles et Renommees 1403, like the one below. 

In this image from Roman de la Rose (MS M.245 fol.25c) the lady in yellow is shown to be wearing a fitted cotte with the drapey sleeves. Confirming these sleeves are a part of the middle layer. 

Here I choose a Indian cream silk with metallic gold, and a gold boullion style fringe.  You see many contemporary 14th century Italian images of gold silks that have a similar all over pattern, and are often referred to as tartar silks, they have fallen out of favor on lieu of larger motifs by the early 15th century, but given I'm not entering this layer into an A&S competition, it's close enough for me. It's bougie and fit the aesthetic without clashing with my skin tone too much, or my bank account.

In progress photo

I'm using an existing fitted pattern with an extra 1/4" ease in the seam allowances because this silk doesn't stretch. It's fully lined in linen, except the cuffs which are lined in white sill, because the floats on the back of the silk would catch and be irritating. It needed a bit of adjustment in the torso and bust which is pretty typical of every fitted garment. It's has side lacing because the fabric doesn't have enough give to be pull over, and pervious experience shown that I'm not a fan of the front lacing with this type of silk. This gown is machine sewn, with hand done where stitching is visible. 

While working on this gown, Petranella, a laurel here in Northshield, produced a similar gown and she advised a 3/4 circle. I played with some mock pattern for the length I wanted and came up with this pattern.

It's an oval shape, the circle matches the sleeve wrist circumference. The wedge at the top of the oval is what creates tension on the cuff and gives it the lovely flowy drape, while reducing the bulk at the top of your hands. 

I'm very happy with how the cuffs turned out! These are so fun with the fringe. 

A Court Baroness!

This was an award that wasn't anywhere near my radar, while I was A&S champion, there is still quite a bit of imposter syndrome here. I am deeply honored that their former Majesties choose me to become one of their court barons. 

This scroll was done by Mysie (Mellisa Vigil) in a early 15th century style, that was inspired by my 1410's black and gold bombard sleeve surcotte that she helped stitch at Griffin Needle Challenge 2023. It also closely mirror's Godefroy's Court Baron scroll given at the same time, both because he was apart of that GNC team and because we are clearly close.

This honor means ALOT to me. I know that my health, financial, and family obligations prevent me from showing up consistently in the SCA in ways that I want to be, and that would be expected of if I were to be recognized as a peer. So instead I focus my precious spoons on the things that I both enjoy and can be picked up and set down as my limitations allow. 

I want to take a moment to recognize that this goes beyond me. I have an amazing support team that allows me to do the things I do. Sometimes it's a fabric fairy, sometimes it's paying my travel costs, or giving me crash space, sometimes it's the moral support to simply get me through the hard days. 

A deep heartfelt thanks to Edwin, Godefroy, Annetja, Meadhbh, and Remi. I simply wouldn't have be able to do what I do without you. You have saved my life in more ways than one. I love you all. 

Now I'm off to plan shiny hat shenanigans! Bisous

Yours in service,

Baroness Isabelle Montfort de Bretagne

A Pyxis!

Well overwhelmed is the word that comes to mind with the recent awards that I've received pretty much back to back. 

My award, done by Goda (Rebecca Gustafson) an embordered silk velvet purse, with tablet woven edging, styled after extant purses. Embroidery is based off a French 14th century extant embroidery fragment. 

Story time! Our household ended up with a tradition after a few of my siblings getting their pyxis at WW camp via a roaming court, in their period undergarments. It's become a household tradition. Godefroy had been threatening to catch me with one for a handful of years.  

This year at St Radgins Faire, he finally was able to catch me. 

Friday, I was deeply on the struggle bus and so after camp setup, I went to wander and found myself a bit tipsy at a bardic fire, when my HH sibling appeared to fetch me back to household camp, which I was a bit put out about, but figured my laurel was checking in on me. When I arrived, a handful of usual crew was around, nothing sus, and I was told it was scotch night, and G said household "needed" to be there. I was bit frustrated I was pulled away for that, plus the hem of my gown was wet and getting muddy from the dew, and I was sweaty from the day, so I decided I was going to give my moody self a moment to decompress in my tent and change my garb. 

Just as I had peeled off all my layers, quite nude, Ethini's standing in my doorway to fetch me. What. why? And I hear my name being called into court. I threw something hastily on, and made my way to the social space to find close to 30 people standing in camp, I might have lightly cursed G, and then I was inducted into the order of the Pyxis. I received an amazing hand embroidered purse from a geek I deeply admire. There were hugs and tears. 

The fact that Godefroy knew me well enough to know that I was going to change was the exact moment he called the royals into camp, He managed to one up his threat and actually caught me in the nude. Add in that he had orchestrated for many of my closest folks to be there, hiding them around the corner as I was hauled into camp so I wouldn't be overwhelmed (or suspect shenanigans), meant the world to me, even if I wasn't quite ready for that in the moment. The purse I received was perfect, I felt so deeply loved and seen. I broke down and cried for a good while afterwards.

This kind of became a core memory for me and I'm so grateful to my people. 

Navigating A&S in Northshield

 After watching a few folks struggle with A&S recently I've decided to write up a guide to help new folks navigate A&S here in Northshield.  I also have it in a shareable Google doc here.

Also don't forget to check out the Kingdom Art's and Sciences Page, there are a lot of resources there to!

A GUIDE TO A&S COMPETITIONS (in Northshield)

By Isabelle Montfort de Bretagne (Raven R Cutrano)

Identifying the kind of competition-  

• Display- You just want to show off your geek, can be face to face or not. You might receive kudos, some informal feedback if in person, and get a chance to connect with others doing your craft. Open to the populace. Documentation is helpful, but this is a good way to showcase your art if you struggle with documentation or being judged.

• Bean count- A display with a bean count, usually not much Face to Face interaction or feedback provided. Documentation is helpful, but this is a good way to showcase your art if you struggle with documentation or being judged. Open to the populace, Note, shiny projects tend to get the most beans.

• Informal- Usually judged entries, at an event where A&S isn’t the primary focus- events like 12th night, or the Barony of Jara’s A&S come to mind. Generally low key. You will have a judge and a rubric that can give some advice and feedback. Expect to be able to provide at least a few pages of documentation for your item. Verbal discourse can be a factor in your score. 

• Formal- A key clue to this is there are divisions, either by level or craft. Kingdom A&S and Griffin Needle Challenge are formal competitions in Northshield. These events lean heavily into academic based documentation. You will be met with a panel of judges and a rubric. You will have a lot more in depth questions asked, and verbal discourse can be a factor in your score. 

Divisions-

• Beginner. This is for people who are brand new to this particular format and want to get their feet wet. Judging is easy and documentation can be pretty informal and judges tend to provide a lot of guidance and support. I recommend at least a page or two of documentation and an inspiration image.

• Intermediate/open. This is the category most participants fall into. There is an expectation of at least a handful of pages of documentation with multiple sources and demonstrates some academic integrity.  My expectations are outlined below.

• Advanced. These are for the folks who know the ropes, are doing deep original research, hand sewing everything, or folks who are getting above and beyond scores in the open divisions. 

Some documenting basics and pitfalls- 

These are some of the things I recommend and look for in a judged Intermediate/open division project. Note- this will be more helpful for physical objects. 

Remember that in Northshield we also accept verbal discourse for documentation if you struggle with writing.  However make sure to include the same information and sources as a written documentation would. 

Research-

• Read the Rubric and the Rules. 

• Look at previous years if the current year isn’t available yet. This will help you determine what level you are at, and the expectations the judges will have. If you can’t find it, please don't be afraid to ask!

• Research and take notes before choosing materials, tools or techniques! 

• You want to make some informed decisions even if the materials are coming out of your stash or being provided by another. 

• Plan ahead and leave time to write up the documentation.

• Keep an outline and/or notes handy while working on the project. 

• Don’t use only one source or image unless you are recreating an extant item. 

• Manuscripts reflect the noble ideal and expense of paint pigments, and are often stylized. 

• Could be a parody or religious convention

• Having multiple sources of information about the same item helps to show it would have been a recognizable and accepted item in period.

• Direct vs Indirect Sources

• Direct source is something that came from the period. Extant items, contemporary documents, contemporary artworks.

• Indirect source is someone talking about something that came from the period. Books, Write ups, research papers, blog posts, Sally says xyz. 

• A good way to tell if an indirect source is credible is if they are following the guideline of a proper source. Try to include as many direct sources as possible. 

• Identifying proper sources

• Have a substantial bibliography

• In text references.

• Images are sourced. 

• Line sketches and patterns reference original sources.

• Extant items, or museum references. Statues, funerary brasses, manuscripts.

• Contemporary documents or writing of the period, for example- inventories 

• Scientific data- Detailed information about colours, size, weave, etc… 

• Recommended by other experts in the field.

• Has up to date information or active research. 

• Author has established credentials.  

• Peer reviewed articles. 

• .gov .org .edu museum or mediaeval scholarly websites. 

• The author isn't Victorian. Exceptions- reprints or copies of period documents.

• With open source such as wikipedia, vendors, or reenacctor’s blogs, follow the links and sources to find out if they are legit!

• Language Barriers- Sometimes a project will have language struggles. Try your best to find credible translations, or a translator program. If you do, make sure to indicate that. 

• Choose a suitable project for a competition

• If you are finding that you are making a lot of substitutions or justifications for a project, then it might not be suitable for a judged A&S competition.

• Ask around for suitable sources for tools and materials. 

• Try to focus your research on a narrow time period, place, and status. It will help both you and your judges. If you have something out of sync you should be prepared to explain why. 

• Are there any religious or status overtones?

• Try to avoid vague statements like ‘possible trade routes*’ or ‘if they had it they would’, or elaborate stories of how it could have been.

Documenting the project-

• Connecting how it was done in period vs how you are doing it. 

• This should be a significant part of your documentation.

• Talk about the period techniques, tools and patterns, even if you aren’t using them.

• AND Show the techniques, tools, patterns you did use. 

• Use visual aids, and take photos of the process.

• Explain the deviations. 

• Don’t skip the basics for uncommon places or items. 

• Some places like the middle east or asian cultures are less known by judges. 

• So you should be prepared to provide more information to walk the judges through your process. 

• You will be asked more questions. 

• “Based on my interpretation I believe XYZ…” is a valid statement, especially if you are looking at an extant piece, an unusual item, or something from a different language. 

• Justifying substitutions and deviations- 

• If your material doesn’t jive with your inspiration, then what other sources show it being used in this context? 

• Is there a cultural, religious, or status significance that influenced a change?

• *Some trade routes are valid, but then be prepared to back it up

• Some materials or practices need substitutions for ethical or safety reasons. Explain and show the modern equivalent. 

• Sometimes period things just don't exist. Explain, and show the modern equivalent. 

• Does it need to accommodate a certain activity or personal limitation? 

• These are some really common pitfalls we ALL struggle with.  

• In my stash

• Time limits

• Too expensive

• Personal preference

For all of these, while valid limitations, we also want to see OTHER reasons why a choice was suitable. 

-For example people can rarely afford/access reproduction silk, so then what makes your fabric choice more suitable than a bedsheet? Is it because the substitute is the right fibre? Does it have a similar weight, weave, sheen, stretch, pattern? Recognizing your struggles and mistakes, and what you'd do differently next time.

Properly referencing the research-

In a judged competition your document shouldn’t read like a blog post. It should follow basic academic standards. 

• Sourcing photos, and referencing sources

• Always provide a caption and a source for any images, not only does it give proper credit, but lets the judges know what they are looking at. Talk about the photo in your documentation. 

• For detailed images it's helpful to print out a full page copy, or have it available digitally. 

• In text citations for ANYTHING that isn’t your original thoughts. If it’s a direct quote, make sure to include the quotations when you cite it. 

• Avoid AI for research writing. It’s a word prediction software, and It’s data is often wrong. Plus it's widely viewed as a form of plagiarism. 

• Reference links in documentation

• When possible provide a printout or at least name a link to the judges can follow it. Don’t forget to include it in the bibliography.

• Pro tip- You might want to pdf a website in case it goes defunct and you want to reference it in the future. 

• A proper bibliography

• All sources are fully named, with author, title and copyright date. Online citation generators are extremely helpful here.

• A mix of online and books  

• A handful of sources with at least one or two being direct sources

• Finding someone to proofread your documentation!

• Read your documentation out loud. It helps catch grammar and mixups, in addition to keeping it fresh in your brain, and reducing nerves. 

• Print out at least 3 copies of your documentation for formal competitions. 

• It's helpful to have a digital copy especially if there are links or detailed photos. 

• Bring any relevant books and resources to the judging.

Expectations- Putting yourself in a judged competition means you will have your craft judged. Whenever possible efforts are made to pair you with people who know something about your craft. You will be asked to go over your project and questioned to explain any gaps in your documentation, as a part of determining your depth of knowledge and skills. This is where having some of your resources on hand is helpful. Questions that you didn't consider often come up. If the judges are focused on a particular aspect of your entry there's probably a learning opportunity to be had and they are trying to get you to connect the dots. 

I know it’s not always easy feeling judged. It can be scary. Just remember the judges have also been in your shoes and are there to help. Shutting down or being defensive makes it harder on the judges to determine your knowledge and skill. Conversely, being positive and open to feedback may reveal helpful knowledge. 

If you are overwhelmed it’s ok to ask for a break. 

I don’t know, I need more information, are acceptable responses, and will often lead to learning opportunities or follow up!

Keep in mind scores are meant to be used to determine your level of skill and show where you can improve. The feedback given should be both positive and constructive. Not all rubrics are the same and also need to leave room for the full spectrum of competitors, So you could be doing extremely well while having 5 or 6’s. If you are scoring low or high you might be in the wrong division. 

If you truly believe something was unfair, or want feedback, reach out to the coordinator.