I finished this favor today just in time for tomorrow’s tournament. Actually, by the time I finish this report, it probably will be tomorrow. Lord Baccus Kaloethes is my current champion on the tournament field, and has been patiently waiting for a favor betterthan the ratty strips of blue and yellow cotton broadcloth he’s been using up until now. Although I am happy to be able to give him a better looking favor, I am not pleased with this favor from an embroiderer’s point of view.

The favor is a departure from my earlier two attempts, as the colored armbands used in Queen Aurora’s Byzantine tournament at this last Purgatorio Coronation was my inspiration. The favor measures 47 ¾” by 3 ¾” and took me 5 days to complete. I used blue and yellow cotton broadcloth for the exterior (one color per side, this time) and white cotton broadcloth to stabilize the embroidery. Much good that did me! Now I’m afraid that the favor is a little on the flat and stiff side, but I’m hoping that will work itself out in time. Baccus can wear it on both a belt and his arm, which is as good for fighting as it is for daily wear, as well as for outfits that don’t utilize a belt.

The embroidery was done in two strands of blue and yellow DMC cotton color #’s 796 and 725, respectively, in stem stitch. I culled a pattern for a Greek-style lowercase “α” from one of my Greek dictionaries and almost got there during execution. I first started by making an outline of the “α”’s on each end of each color, four in all, two blue and two yellow. I then showed it to Baccus who asked for them to be filled in. I was slightly perturbed by how it was already turning out, as the fabric was just starting to pucker inwards by the stitches. But I tried filling one “α” in with stem stitch, and things only got worse. The fabric puckered very badly, and I made the executive decision to only fill in one “α” for each color. As it turns out, this is all I had time to do anyway.

Looking at it now, I actually like having only two of the four “α”’s filled in, as it has an interesting effect where you’re not exactly sure what you’re seeing. They’re the same, but different! So I’m not too bent out of shape over it. They do look a little like fishes, but whatever. My current plan is to let him wear it out until it’s in tatters, then make him another one that I’m happier with.

The pictures on this page were taken by myself on 9/22/06.