I managed to squeeze in a few machine-embroidered belt favors for Kingdom awards before it was time for Coronation.
These are all from my standard embroidery library, sewn on a gray heavy trigger-type cotton fabric.
A “baldric” is a type of sash, typically used in the SCA to show heraldry, denote an award of some kind, or designate the wearer as a holder of an office. These are similar to belt favors (link, link, link, link, link, link) but they are a little more formal and are visible from the front. Anyway, I was told that until I made the Arts and Sciences Belt Favors, the office of Kingdom Arts and Sciences Minister had possessed absolutely no regalia. Since this is a serious office that sometimes requires participation in court, I decided to at least partially remedy this lack.
These are linen baldrics about seven feet long total, though of course they are doubled over. I guess they are about seven inches wide. The Kingdom populace badge is one of the professionally embroidered patches I had made, and the A&S badge is machine embroidered. this kind of baldric is meant to be worn from the left shoulder, draped diagonally across the body to the right hip, with the badging over one’s heart.
Ad gloriam!
In other late-breaking project news, I made some belt favors for some SCA Kingdom awards, too.
Here is a reminder: I have a page of free downloadable VP3 embroidery files.
When you receive an award in the SCA, you usually receive a scroll to hang on your wall, and a medallion or other favor to wear on your person. Many of my braids are donated to the Barony or Kingdom to become cords for medallions. It is quite a treat for me to walk around at events and see my cords worn by some of the SCA’s most talented and dedicated members. I have done a number of embroidered “belt favors” for awards, but a long time ago I bought a few packages of “frame charms” on clearance at the craft store, and I have been meaning to make some medallions ever since.
I tried making a medallion for the Aethelmearc‘s “Order of the Sycamore” using actual sycamore leaves, but even though I used the tiniest leaves I could find they were still too big for the charms. Recently, I sat down to hand paint some paper inserts for the charms, and I am pretty happy with the results. At some point I will donate these to the Kingdom and I hope they will be bestowed on some talented artisan.
The Order of the Sycamore is our Kingdom’s order of merit for the Arts and Sciences. These medallions are hand painted using Japanese watercolors on Hosho paper. The frame charms are “antique brass”, but the crystals on the front are just plastic.
Each painting is only an inch in diameter, so it is difficult to get enough detail on the leaves to identify them as sycamore leaves. I have some digital scans of an actual sycamore leaf that I was able to shrink down, print out, and trace so that at least the shape would be vaguely accurate.
At the 12th Night celebration of the Barony Marche of the Debatable Lands (the local SCA group), I was inducted into the Order of the Keystone of the Kingdom of Aethelmearc, the order of merit recognizing service.
The scroll reads:
The quiet rabbit shapes wood, building a sound foundation of service upon which our society flourishes. Always stepping forward, Ishiyama serves through representation and organization, helping others learn the crafts of our times. Timothy and Gabrielle, Emperor and Empress of Aethelmearc, see this hard working rabbit, Ishiyama Gen’tarou Yori’ie, and bestow upon him a keystone at BMDL 12th night, January 18, AS 54.
Words by Baroness Isabel Fleuretan
I am deeply grateful to their Majesties Timothy and Gabrielle, those who recommended me for this award, and the two fine artisans who created my award scroll.
