About
Me on the left with Mistress Zaynab, Baroness Antonia, Baroness Collette, and Mistress Nezkha at Baronial Border War 2019
In the Society for Creative Anachronism, I am called Melike bint Nikola from the region of Pentamere in the Middle Kingdom. My main research focuses are Sixteenth-Century Ottoman women's clothing and Islamic bookbinding.
As of June 2020, I am an apprentice of Haniam Zaynab Yasmin bint Hasan after being her student for several years.
Outside of the SCA, I graduated from Roosevelt University with a degree in history and textiles and materials studies in 2014. Recently, I finished my Master of Information from Rutgers University with the goal of working in an academic library with a focus on conservation and information literacy. I have two cats, a corgi, and a loving husband.
Awards & Honors
Guardant Ram (Baronial Award for Service) - 3/28/2009
Award of Arms - 11/7/2009
Salient Hart (Baronial Award for A&S) - 4/23/2011
Award of the Purple Fret - 6/15/2013
Order of the Willow - 9/19/2015
The Bolt (Baronial Award) - 9/17/2016
Order of the Silver Oak - 2/11/2017
Award of the Purple Fret - 06/15/2019
Award of Diligence - 08/09/2020
SCA Resume
Offices
11/2009 - 10/2010 | Chronicler (Incipient Canton of Nordheim)
10/2010 - 01/2012 | Chatelaine (Incipient Canton of Nordheim)
01/2012 - 07/2014 | Minister of Arts and Sciences (Canton of Nordheim)
09/2015 - 10/2017 | Seneschal (Canton of Nordheim)
02/2016 - 02/2019 | Minister of Arts and Sciences (Barony of Andelcrag)
06/2018 - 01/2019 | Deputy Webminister (Canton of Rimsholt)
10/2018 - Present | Social Media Officer (Barony of Andelcrag)
01/2019 - 07/2021 | Webminster and Social Media Officer (Canton of Rimsholt)
06/2021 - Present | Middle Kingdom Social Media Deputy of Emerging Technology
Activities Organized
2009 | A&S Coordinator & Lunch Tavern Steward (A Day at the Castle)
2010 | A&S Coordinator & Lunch Tavern Steward (A Day at the Castle)
2011 | A&S Coordinator (A Day at the Castle)
2013 | Feast Steward (A Day at the Castle)
2014 | Autocrat (A&S Goes Camping)
2015 | A&S Coordinator (Summer’s End)
2016 | Co-autocrat (Andelcrag Baronial Althing)
2016 | A&S Working Socials Organizer (SCA 50)
2016 | Middle Kingdom Hafla Co-organizer (SCA 50)
2016 | A&S Coordinator (Summer’s End)
2018 | A&S Co-coordinator (Return to the Castle)
2019 | Website and Co-Royalty Liaison (Baronial Border Wars)
Organized monthly A&S nights for the Barony of Andelcrag for 3 years and Nordheim A&S nights with themes and teachers for 4 years.
Classes Taught
2009 | Venetian Masks (A Day at the Castle)
2015 | Cordial Making (Summer’s End)
2016 | How to Write a Research Paper (Val Day 2016)
2016 | Woven Buttons (Andelcrag Baronial Althing)
2016 | Woven Buttons (SCA 50)
2016 | Assisted Mistress Zaynab with her classes (16th Century Ottoman Clothing and Ottoman Tarpus Hats) (SCA 50)
2016 | Cordial, Ottoman Clothing, Woven Buttons (Summer’s End)
2018 | Woven Buttons (Val Day 2018)
2018 | Woven Buttons (Return to the Castle)
2019 | How to Write a Research Paper (Andelcrag A&S)
2020 | How to Write a Research Paper (Val Day 2020)
2020 | Woven Buttons (Online)
Numerous Individual Private Lessons for Cordial Making, Elizabethan Clothing, Ottoman Clothing, & Woven Buttons
Competitions Entered
2011 | Andelcrag Baronial A&S Championship - Won
2011 | Baronial Border Wars - Baronial Bean Count
2016 | Pentamere Regional A&S - Received a II
2026 | Midrealm Kingdom A&S - Received a II
2020 | Val Day 2020: Queen’s Prize Tourney