Cailleach Dhe ingen Chiarain

Challenges Entered: Stretch That Comfort Zone!, Embellish It

Project: 9th-10th century Pierced plate brooches & chain, Viking Apron Dress Embellishment

EK Wiki: https://wiki.eastkingdom.org/index.php?title=Cailleach_Dhé_ingen_Chiaráin

9th-10th century AD Pierced plate brooches & chain

My S..T..R..E..T..C..H..E..S Beyond Comfort:

For this challenge, I am stepping out of my comfort zone in multiple ways:

¡ Entering another A&S challenge, when I’m usually found quietly doing Service

¡ Making my first soapstone mold

¡ Creating the mold using a negative sculpt

¡ Finding my hypothetical methodology was WRONG

¡ Creating the piece anyway, using this as a learning experience

¡ Submitting incomplete documentation, using only secondary sources and photographs from Pinterest, due to timing issues of validating provenance

¡ While chainmaille is my go-to art, I have never coiled and cut my own rings before.

A complete ensemble of two pierced plate brooches and their decorative chain attachments; the brooches tinned, with a pierced rectangular headplate and pierced expanding triangular footplate, to the reverse of each a spiral fitting to secure the ends of a pair of finely-wrought chains formed from double-links, of unequal length in order to allow the outer chain to hang below and parallel to the inner. 170 grams, 71.5cm total; brooches: 61mm each (16 1/4").

From an important British collection; acquired 1990s. Cf. Lehtosalo-Hilander, P-L., Luistari (Finland), A History of Weapons and Ornaments, grave 1260; plate 57, item 7. (Pinterest)

Full documentation:

https://kldriscoll.wixsite.com/cailleachdhe/post/laurel-s-challenge-step-outside-your-comfort-zone

Viking Apron Dress Embellishment

How many of us start with lovely, but unadorned garb, but not know what to do to take it to the next level? I have been making my own garb for a few years, and sticking with the Viking Apron dress theme, have found different ways to embellish it.

Full Entry: https://kldriscoll.wixsite.com/cailleachdhe/post/laurel-s-challenge-embellish-it

Jan Janowicz Bogdanski wrote on May 29th, 2021

Outstanding! I loved the full process documentation and that you learned from the experience. The end result is lovely.

Morwenna O Hurlihie wrote on May 27th, 2021

Really impressive! Showing mistakes and stepping out of your comfort zone is so important.

Isabel del Okes wrote on May 24th, 2021

This is all so beautiful! I love the pierced plate brooches the most. They look wonderful on your overdress!

Amy Webbe wrote on May 24th, 2021

I love that you took a risk in doing this, and shared how you adapted from a mistake! I often think we learn more from those. ;) Thank you for sharing this beautiful piece. !

Guðrún Sveinsdóttir (Rosie of Mtn Freehold) wrote on May 24th, 2021

Beautiful work, Cailleach! Wow, I'm impressed...I've never carved soapstone, but I can't imagine it was easy to make it exactly how you wanted it to be. But the final product turned out awesome -- it's such a great reproduction! And I love all your different embellishments -- it's so fun to mix things up! Really nice inkle trim, and you got a great print from that printing block...very even and neat. Well done on all counts!