Squwark plate

I made a plate for my friend Phillipa. She's pretty awesome and loves her chickens so when I found the following image I couldn't help but modify it. I believe the original is supposed to be peacocks, but their little bug eyes and beaks made me think of chickens. So they became chickens.

Bowl. Iran, Nishapur 10th century. Earthenware, buff slip, underglaze slip-painted,. LACMA M.73.5.289. (No direct link is possible, check out items 30 and 52 of 99)

The LACMA have two bowls in this style. The other one (M.73.5.266) has a lot more intricate detail but a similar peacock shape. The buffware with this figerative style is specific to Nishapur, Iran. The Meteropolitian Museum of Art conducted a number of digs in the city in the early 20th century and recovered numerous artifacts (1). The style is closely linked to sgraffito but lacks the incised decorations (2). A good example of sgraffito ware can be found here for those curious as to it's styling.

The finished plate complete with a variety of personalized chickens.

I've been doing a number of yellow and green items recently. I quite like the colour combination, but I'm also aware there a much more experienced artist who produces sgraffito in my Kingdom, Alex the Potter. Since I don't make my own bisque yet, I'll be steering clear of sgraffito and limiting my emulation of buff ware.

I'm really happy with how this turned out. The green/yellow/white/black contrast looks great and is appealing to modern tastes as well. I only hope Phillipa likes it as much as I do.

1) The Met at Nishapur. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/nish/hd_nish.htm
2) Sgraffito from Nishapur. http://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/ruminations/2015/production-history-of-sgraffito-ware-from-nishapur

3) The extant plate - http://islamic-arts.org/2011/ceramic-vessel-collection-at-lacma/

Pelican outfit #7: The completed outfit

Testing the outfit the night before - who wore it better?

I'm really happy with how my Pelican outfit turned out. It's by far, the best thing in my closet at the moment. I'll wear it at other peoples special occasions. HUGE thanks to everyone who took photos for me, the Peers who spoke of the virtues. My crazy friends who helped me sew the hems, and make the hats and wings and were generally supportive of my ideas. Massive thanks to THL Elizabet Hunter who painted some lovely silk banners of key virtues I believe any peer should uphold and Sharon of Elizabet's Handspun who handspun the black silk thread I used to embroider the golden cloud collar. I love you all!

Pelican Outfil #6 - The hat and wings

The hat (and wings) on a Peri. The hat often has the same texture as the wings.

The hat has been viewed in passing but was the best part of the whole outfit (in my opinion). The hat came about when discussing my vision with Iglasia. She and Ciara encouraged me aim high and ignore my doubts about allegorical hats. While I was in my home town, frantically embroidering, Iglasia and her husband Edmund whipped up a base for the hat and wings because they're amazing and creative.

Not being hatters we went with a theatre style base - coat hangers with a stocking stretched over it. 

Once I reached Brisbane, we created a knob out of polymer clay which we baked in the oven and painted gold.  I had originally considered making leaves of silk with lightweight wire to support the flare. After long discussions with a variety of people, I decided to use ostrich feathers instead. So we went on a mad dash through Brisbane to buy some large white ostrich feathers before the event. Norm from the Feather Duster Superstore was amazing and provided us with some lovely quality feathers! (Check them out here - their website has had a makeover since last year and is MUCH easier to find what you might need). We got enough to make the hat AND a set of wings.

Late that night, the night before the ceremony, Ciara sewed the feathers to the hat by whip stitching their stems to the frame. Helen and Iglasia helped me with embroidery and finishing the hems on the dress while everyone helped make the wings happen. I'm so appreciative of my friends staying up late to help me when I had underestimate the amount of time this project would take - and then added the Hat and Wings on top!

If I had of given myself more time, I might have decorated the feather stems with gold sequins or something. Still, I love how it turned out and can't wait for a chance to wear it again.

Pelican Outfil #5 - Test collar & dress

I got so heavily involved in making the outfit, I never actually completed the outfit diary. The 1st anniversary of my Pelicaning is fast approaching, so here it is:

I made another test piece with a dark blue brocade (with modern roses). I designed a collar of silver silk with red and blue silk embroidery. The intent of this was to test our my patterning skills, my embroidery skills and to create a backup outfit just in case I didn't get the final one done in time. In the end, the Lovely Iglasia wore the backup and we looked fantastic!

The embroidery was a simple design based on some of the pottery I'd been working on. I started by tracing my collar pattern onto the silk using a washable marker pen. I included a seam allowance and then free-handed the design. Once I was happy with the design, I simply tensioned it using a cane hoop and split stitched my way around each of the symbols and created

Once the embroidery was complete. I cut out the pattern with my sharpest scissors and sealed the edges very carefully with Fray Blocker. This made the edges a little crispy but it was worth the effort to ensure that the applique doesn't fray and lift of the dress.

I'm aware that many of the extant images show the collar crossing the shoulder tip however I'm not very good with attaching sleeves so wanted to leave my options open. As a result, the collar just kisses the sleeve seam. I pinned it down and then sewed in the lining. The meant the collar and front opening would be as tidy as possible. I then folded the rest of the seam allowance under, and invisi-stitched the whole thing down.

Buttons for the dress were created by wrapping silver coloured ripple beads in the same colour silk thread. A small bead was used as an anchor and I created a pin with my trusty long nose pliers.

Here I am in the finished dress feeling quite smug about what my limited sewing skills can produce. I quite like how fitted this dress is to my bust without being restrictive. These photos also made me decide to wear a lighter coloured under-tunic on the day as the black sleeves don't contrast well.

The key challenges with this collar revolved around finding a way to stop the silk from fraying. Fray Blocker works but needs to be applied with a brush or toothpick otherwise too much and it'll leech into the silk and darken / stiffen it. Silk that's been saturated in Fraw-blocker won't be easy to puncture with a sewing needle so it's importing to ensure it doesn't take up all of your seam allowance.

Names from Kalhana's Rajatarangint, a Chronicle of the Kings of Kasmir, Translated by M.A.Stein

SCA reference names for the indian sub-continent.
In the format of NAME, Occupation, sex, date, caste (where possible)

Out of order and not quite secondary (i.e mentioned in introductory sections)

Kalhana, author, male, 1148-49 (meaning 'happy' or 'blessed')
Canpaka, minister, male
Harsa, king, male, 1089-1101
Prayaga, chamberlain,male
Mukta, menial servant, ?
Kanaka, Canpakas son, male
Jonaraja, commentator, male, ~1400
Asoka, king, male
Kumarapala, king, male
Bilhana, poet, male, 1080
Bana, author of Harsacarita (historical romance)
Harsavardhana, king, male
Yasovarman, king, male
Mankha, poet, male, 1128-1144
Alamkara, poet, male (Mankha's brother)
Kalyana, poet, male (possible alternative to Kalhana)
Sussals, king, male
Alakadatta, patron and minister, male
Kalyana, queen, female
Kallana, queen, female (alternative spelling to Kalyana)
Sussala, king, male, 1121
Uccala, rebel brother to Sussala, male
Gargacandra, Lord of Lahara, male
Radda, official then King (for a day), male
Salhana, half brother to Uccala, male
Bhiksacara, grandson of Harsa, male
Jayasimha, king, son of Sussala, male
Lothana, brother of Salhana, male
Salhana, ?
Mallarjuna, nephew of Lothana, male
Bhoja, son of Salhana, male, 1143-1145
Rilhana, minister, male
Alamkara, scholar, male
Mankha, minister, male
Udaya, lord of the gate, male
Ksemendra, poet and historian, male, ~1000
Padmamihira, chronicler, male
Helaraja, ascetic and chronicler, male
Chavillakara, chronicler, male
Meghavahana, king, male
Tunga
Ananta, male
Suryamati, queen, female
Cippata-Jayapida, ?, 813
Lalitaditya, king, male
Yudhisthira
Cakravarman
Jayapida, Brahman, male
Gargacandra/Garga/Gaggacandra/Gagga
Losthaka/Lothaka/Lothana
Rajavadana/Balahara
Ghatotkaca, prince, male
Jayasimha, king, male
Rajavadana, rebel, male
Yudhisthira, Pandava hero, male, 653
Gonanda, king, male

Section II
Hiranyakula, king, male
Vasukula, king, male
Mihirakula, king, male
Baka, king, male
Ranaditya, king, male
Durlabhavardhana, Karkota king, male, 600-636 CE
As'oka, king, male
Gonanda, king(s), male
Huska, Turuska King, male
Juska, Turuska king, male
Kaniska, Turuska king, male
Kaniska, Kusana prnce, male
Huviska, Kusana prince, male
Abhimanyu, king, male
Mihirakula, king, male, ~500-550
Narendraditya, king, male
Khinkbila, king, male
Hiranya, king, male
Toramana, brother to Hiranya and regent, male
Siladitya-Pratapasila, ruler of Malava (Ujjain), male, 580 CE
Pravarasena, king, male
Toramana, ?, male
Matrgupta, king, male
Lahkhana-Udayaditya / Lahkhana-Narendraditya, king, 209-222 CE
Khinkhila-Narendraditya, king, male, 250-214 BCE
Candrapida, king, male (also known as Tchentolopili of Kasmir), 713 CE
Tarapida, king, male, brother to Candrapida, 720
Muktapida-Lalitaditya, king, male 699-735 CE
Mu-to-pi, King of Kasmir, male, 736-747 (aka Muktapida - chineese spelling)
Durlabhavardhana, King and founder of the Karkota dynasty, male, 600-636
Tu-lo-pa, King, male, 627-647 (chinese spelling)
Mihirakula
Toramana
Pravarasena
Lahkhana

(anything pre 7th century has dodgy dates except those above which are corrected by Chinese accounts and artifacts such as coins)

Gonanda, King of Kasmir
Jarasamdha, King of Magadha
Krsna
Balabhadra
Damodara, Son Of Gonanda I
Yasovati, Gonanda's widow, female
Lava, founder of the Agrahara of Levara, male
Kusa, founder of Kuruhura, male
Khagendra,founder of Khagi and Khonamusa
Godhara, founder of Godhara
Asoka, king, male
Sacinara, king, male
Sakuni, Asoka's great-grandfather
Jalauka, King and son of Asoka, male
Avadhuta, saint, male
Isanadevi, Jalauka's queen, female
Damondara, king, male
Huska, Turuska prince, male (Turuska - Turkish buddhist sovereigns)
Jusja, Turuska prince, male
Kaniska, Turuska prince, male
Abhimanyu, king, male
Vibhisana, king, male
Indrajit, king male
Ravana, king, male
Vibhisana, King, male
Nara, king, male
Kimnara, king (aka Nara), male
Siddha, king and son of Nara, male
Utpalaksa, king, male
Hiranyaksa, king, male
Hiranyakula, King, male
Vasukula, king, male
Mihirakula, king and son of Vasukula, male, 515 CE
Toramana, king, male

107, 77