Journeyman's Challenge

I've been spending the last few days finishing up the paperwork on the Costumer's Guild Journeyman's challenge.  I had to start from scratch since the records from the Junior and Senior levels were lost somewhere.  I received the gems in the mail for having achieved them, but when I went back to do my Journeyman stuff, they were not able to locate it.  Then I couldn't remember exactly what it was that I had entered, so I wasn't sure what I could enter for Journeyman.  It was a fiasco.  In short, I decided I'd just start over.

For the Junior level, you just have to prove that you have made a garment or taken a costuming class.  Easy enough.  Do you know how many costuming credits I've earned?  Lots.  I chose Basic Rectangular Construction, a class I took in 1996.  Done.

Senior level is a bit more complicated.  You need to make a garment, make an accessory, and two of the following:  take a class, enter a contest, provide service to the guild, teach a class, or write an article for the guild newsletter.  Then, you have a choice of any of the previously mentioned items.  I chose:
* Garment:  14th century Tunic (child size)
* 14th century Liripipe hood (also child size)
* Class:  Costume History (1993)
* Taught:  Making a Bocksten Bog style tunic (2009)
* Article for newsletter:  Turkish Women's Clothing article

So that's all done.  Now for the tough part.  The Journeyman's level.  This is a mixed bag of requirements that took more than a few minutes to wrap my head around.

First, there's a written test.  I haven't taken it yet, but I'm supposedly allowed to take a gander at some sample questions prior, but I may just go ahead and take it.  Hopefully that can be accommodated.

Then, there are 10 requirements.  Now, the time frame that the SCA operates in is from approximately 600 AD to 1650 AD.  These time frames are broken down into 8 time ranges on the X axis of the chart:  pre-600; 600-899; 900-1199; 1200-1399; 1400-1499; 1500-1549; 1550-1599; and 1600-1650.  No more than two entries can be in any one of these time frames.  So you can have three different tunics, but only 2 can be from the 14th century, and the third has to be from another time period.  OK.  Easy enough.

Now, here's the curve ball.  The chart is then broken down into 10 categories on the Y axis.  You've got British Isles; France & the Low Countries; Germanic Cultures; Iberian Peninsula; Italian Peninsula; Middle Eastern/North African/Greece; Scandinavia; Slavic Cultures/Eastern Europe/Russia; Eastern Asia & Nomadic; and None of the Above.  Each of those categories falls under the same guideline:  no more than two items can fall into any one of those categories.  Again, three tunics:  two can be Scandinavian, but the third must be from somewhere else.

Ready for the kicker?  You need two garments, two accessories, two teaching/writing, two classes/contests/services/judging, and two items of the challenger's choice.  So you can do four tunics...but then you have to make other stuff and stuff.  Are you as exhausted as I am?  Good.  I hate feeling this way alone.

So...after much agonizing, re-arranging, and a little bit of cursing as I agonized and re-arranged some more...I came up with this:
Garments:  14th century Middle Eastern chemise; 16th century Flemish Gown
Accessories:  16th century Elizabethan ruff; 15th century Pilgrim bag (counts as French, I think)
Teaching/writing:  Pre-600 "Bog Coat" article (ready for publication); Pattern Drafting (taught 2012)
Other: Medieval Underwear (class, 2003), Shirts & Smocks (class, 2003)
Challenger's choice:  11th century Egyptian socks; Picture Parsing (class, 2003)
And for the bonus, just in case something is thrown out:  14th century Italian Ren Chemise (class 1993)

I have gathered up all my pieces, written up my documentation, printed and put it into a binder, and now have to pack it into a suitcase, clean out the car, get the oil changed, finish this week's chaos and mayhem, and then I can head down to the event. 

In the meantime, I'm finishing up on the Turkish entari I made last week by making woven buttons to put on it. I have 3 finished, one in process, and I figure if I make six or eight, that should be enough to decorate the coat.  I was really excited to see this--it's fairly quick, easy and inexpensive, and it looks sharp!  The wooden beads show through more with the flash than they do in average sunlight. I can't wait to see what it looks like on my new coat!