A&S 50 Challenge
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Project-Blog:
To provide some basic information about the challenge I copied Lady Jahanara’s text about the challenge from the Embroidery Workshop Blog:
Greetings unto the Dragon’s Embroidery Guild from Jahanrabanu Vivana,
I would like to bring to your attention a challenge that has issued forth from our cousins across the ocean. It is a challenge that I know we are capable of meeting. First I must thank Lady Katerina von Danzig for bringing this challenge to my attention!
Lady Albreda Aylese of the Mountain Freehold in the East Kingdom has issued forth this challenge to all Knowne World Artisans. She has challenged us to undertake the making of 50 things by the Society’s 50th Anniversary (2015 by current reckoning). She has made knownthree approaches the Depth Challenge, which is to simply make 50 things from your favorite art or science. The Breadth Challenge tocomplete 50 things from a variety of arts and sciences. Finally, the Persona Challenge to undertake 50 things that your Persona wouldhave done/made. There is also an option for a group to complete the challenge together. If we wanted the guild could participatetogether, or we can participate individually. Any Guild specific challenge projects can be completed for this challenge as well!
50 may seem like a daunting number, but can definitely be accomplished in the time allowed. Your challenge items must be madebetween 1 May 2007 and 1 May 2015, that’s 8 years! Surely we all complete 6-7 projects each year. If you are looking to push yourself in a particular area or to learn new arts this is a way to accomplish that goal!
Those who are interested in more information may consult the A&S Challenge home page. I would encourage everyone who will be participating in the challenge to join the Blog community and make yourselves known! *cut*
YIS,
Jahanara
I decided to take part in the breadth and in the depth challenge – for my first breadth challenge I want to make things for my wardrobe because I don’t have many dresses or veils, tunicas, aprons, headdresses… (or a Gambeson) and therefore I started my “A&S50 – Wardrobe” challenge – hopefully I will have enough garb soon that I am able to attend a war in Germany, Aarnimetsä or Nordmark – an event that takes longer than 2 or 3 days 
…and because I sometimes make things for other SCA-members of our Kingdom and give them away as a gift therefore I decided to make 50 things for the kingdom (50 things for other SCA-members I won’t get paid for) and I called it “A&S50 – Kingdom”.
A&S50 Stitches/Techniques
…and last but not least my depth challenge “A&S50 Stitches/Techniques” – because I am an embroidery geek and also think that some sewing & needlework techniques are quite near situated to embroidery techniques/stitches I want to learn and/or practise and upgrade at least 50 different embroidery, sewing and needlework stitches and techniques (and also a great chance to document the stitches and techniques I can do or actually do for myself
1) A&S50 – Wardrobe (breadth)
1.1) my blue 12th century dress with gathered body part
A dress for Fiona’s Coronation ceremony (Midsummer Coronation 2008 – completely handsewn 
1.2) a veil for the blue 12th century dress
light yellow – handsewn
1.3) underdress for my blue 12th century dress
natural color – sewn with the sewing machine
1.4) a male loan Tunic
sewn with the sewing machine
1.5) cap for Heavy Fighting
1.6) girdle book
1.7) a Gugel / hood with dagging
1.8) a veil for my 12th century dress
1.9) Woman’s hose (ca. 14th century – made from woolen fabric)
1.10) a coif
1.11) 12th century dress II
in progress
*) Gambeson for Heavy Fighting
in progress
2) A&S50 – Kingdom (breadth)
(or: “50 things for other SCA-members I won’t get paid for”
2.1-2.7) 7 Designs for Fionas coronation dress
silk thread – surface couching, some pearls added
2.8) Illumination for an AoA-Scroll
2.9-2.13) 5 Gifts for the Pennsic Queens Basket
Renaissance Dyeing wool thread – Klosterstich
2.14) “A Crafty Challenge” – n° 1 – a gift for Brooke
Klosterstich, Stem Stitch, needlemade lace: “Glattes geschlungenes Stäbchen” (Abb. 866, p. 604) & “Gewöhnlicher Tüllstich – Erster Spitzenstich” (Abb. 890, p. 611) – see chapter “Nadelspitzen” in the book “Encyklopaedie der weiblichen Handarbeiten von Thérèse de Dillmont”
2.15) “A Crafty Challenge” – n°2 – a gift for Lorelei
a “Girdle book”
2.16) a badge for our Heavy Fighting Marshal Otti
2.17) Pelican Badge for Jaelle (for the hood sale/dragon’s den for the kingdom)
2.18) Marshal Badge for Barobrand
2.19) “A Crafty Challenge” – n°3 – a gift for Cristine Stolte
a “Needle Roll”
2.20) “A Crafty Challenge” – n°4 – a gift for Alenn
2.21) “A Crafty Challenge” – n°5 – a gift for Eleanor Deyeson
a “Girdle Bell”
2.22) A gift for Mistress Bridget
2.23) 3rd AoA scroll (blank)
2.24) 4th AoA scroll (blank)
2.25) 5th AoA scroll (blank)
2.26) 6th AoA scroll (blank)
2.27) patch for the “Coat of Arms Wallhanging for Drachenwald”
2.28) 7th AoA scroll (blank)
2.29) 8th AoA scroll (blank)
*) Anya’s Laurel Cloak
in progress
*) Pelican Badge for Jaelle (for the hood sale/dragon’s den for the kingdom)
not started yet
3+4+5) A&S50 – Stitches/Techniques (depth)
(3: Embroidery, 4: Sewing, 5: Needlemade Lace)
3.1) Embroidery – Surface Couching
embroidery technique – for Fiona’s coronation dress, for the roundels for Anya’s Laurel cloak, for the “gold” embroidery at my blue 12th century dress with gathered body part,…
3.2) Embroidery – Klosterstich
“self couching technique” – I used it for my wallhanging project and Brooke’s “A Crafty Challenge” gift,…
classes: Summer Coronation 2008 (Insulae Draconis)
3.3) Embroidery – Refilsaum (Bayeux tapestry technique)
…here used for the coat of arms…
3.4) Embroidery – Stem Stitch
I use it for the outlines of the Klosterstich and Surface Couching areas,…
3.5) Embroidery – Satin Stitch
embroidery technique – for the roundels for Anya’s Laurel cloak (-> leaves)
3.6) Embroidery – ‘Diapered‘ Work
also a kind of couching technique – used for the roundels for Anya’s Laurel cloak
3.7) Embroidery – Pearls…
some pearl embroidery for the neckline of the 12th century dress
3.8) Embroidery – Chain Stitch
…used for my new hood/Gugel with dagging and for two decorative lines for the bell girdle,…
3.9) Embroidery – “Russian Pearl and Gold Embroidery”
…used for Anya’s Laurel Cloak
3.10) Embroidery – German Brick Stitch…
used for Cristina Stolte’s “A Crafty Challenge” gift, used for a pouch for Mistress Bridget
3.11) Embroidery – Feather Stitch
3.12) Embroidery – Feather Stitch – double
…in the middle of the right Feather Stitch you can see the double Feather Stitch…
3.13) Embroidery – Bullion Knot / Stitch
…I added a Bullion Knot between the Daisy Stitches and the Trailing Stitch…
3.14) Embroidery – French Knot
…I added a French Knot in the middle of the single blossoms…
3.15) Embroidery – Couching Satin / Trailing Stitch
3.16) Embroidery – Daisy Stitch
3.17) Embroidery – ‘Finishing the seams of 14th/15th century pouches’
4.1) Sewing – running stitch
…used for sewing (Woman’s hose)
4.2) Sewing – back stitch
I use the back stitch instead of the running stitch for the sewing technique like described in the book “The Development Of Costume” by Naomi Tarrant on page 15 – 3rd row, picture in the middle for my new 12th century dress – I feel much more secure and comfortable with the backstitch than with the running stitch (used for the Gambeson, Woman’s hose, blue 12th century dress, 12th century dress II,…)
4.3) Sewing – blanket/buttonhole stitch
I sometimes use this stitch for decorative seams,…
4.4) Sewing – hem stitch
…used for sewing (blue 12th century dress, 12th century dress II)
4.5) Sewing – stab stitch
(for holding tobether multiple layers, worked at right angles to the material – one stitch at a time)
…used for sewing (12th century dress II)
5.1) Needlemade Lace – “Geschlungenes Stäbchen”
Abb. 866, p. 604 - see chapter “Nadelspitzen” in the book “Encyklopaedie der weiblichen Handarbeiten von Thérèse de Dillmont” – used for Brooks “A Crafty Challenge” gift (-> the small part on the right side that looks like a small flower)
5.2) Needlemade Lace – “Gewöhnlicher Tüllstich – Erster Spitzenstich”
Abb. 890, p. 611 – see chapter “Nadelspitzen” in the book “Encyklopaedie der weiblichen Handarbeiten von Thérèse de Dillmont” – used for Brooks “A Crafty Challenge” gift (-> the net lace)
