By now, you have probably heard that the Iron Comet Challenge, which is on June 23rd, requires participation in three martial categories AND the A&S competition.
You have a great A&S entry, but you wouldn’t mind making a tiny bit of effort to impress the judges, right? You can use all the help you can get, right?
Documentation!
Yep, documentation is a quick way to up your score, and I am here to tell you how to do it easily.
Idea #0
You should do this no matter what. On a nice whole clean sheet of paper or a notecard of any size, neatly print what your item is and your name. If you are a young person, write down your age too. Ask your mom or dad, they’ll know if you need this. Here’s what it might look like:
Inkle Woven Dress Decoration
made by Ima Youth (age 10)
Idea #1
If that looks a bit simple to you, you can add detail about your work, like what it is made of, or what gave you the idea to make/do that item.
Here’s what it might look like now:
Inkle Woven Dress Decoration
Pattern #75 from Inkle Weaving by Helene Bress
made by Ima Youth (age 10)
Idea #2
If you did any research about what this thing was like in period, you can include that information too. If you looked at a painting online, or read a book or two to find a recipe, tell the story – where you found the original, what it was made from, how it was made in that time period, everything you learned.
So, in addition to the basic information above, you might include something like this:
I saw a picture of an actual dress from 1410 CE that belonged to Princess Important Lady. It was online at the British Library website at www.bl.uk/princessclothes/754690. There was a beautiful woven band on the neckline of her dress. According to the website, the band was woven of silk, using a method called tablet weaving, in the colors that were right for her heraldry.
Idea #3
Is your thing exactly like the thing you were inspired by? Maybe, but probably not, but that’s OK. To make your documentation more informative, explain the differences between how the item was originally made and what you did. Most importantly, tell why you made the changes.
So, in addition to the information above, you also might include something like this:
To weave the band, I needed both red thread and blue thread. The original string was silk, but silk is very expensive and beyond my budget, so I used Aunt Lydia’s Crochet Cotton, size 10, in Bright Red and Royal Blue. I was able to buy two balls for $5.00 at Pat Catan’s and got enough to complete my project.
Even Better Ideas
If you do not know how to tablet weave, or if you are just learning to weave, that is good information to include, too. Also, if the pattern is different from the original, describe that too. You might also say where you got the loom, how long it took to make your item, and if you had to experiment or repeat your work to get it right.
Final Words of Encouragement
Any documentation is better than no documentation. Anyone (of any age) (I am looking at you, adults!) can write the documentation for a project by following the ideas above. If writing is something that you find worrisome or difficult, start before your project is due. Like, now. Use short declarative sentences to tell your story. You will probably fill up less than a third of the page, so it won’t even take weeks to write.
Even though this may sound like it is written for children, adults can follow this outline also. You might provide more detail, or use more complicated words, or describe more completely the steps it took to produce your item, but the process is the same.
Finally, if anyone of any age would like help with their documentation, type up your first draft. You can bring it to practice on Sunday, or you can email it to me, and I would be happy to offer suggestions. My email is ansminister at debatablelands.org. Don’t delay, there is only one more week to the Iron Comet Challenge!
In service,
Elss Augsburg