I have been approached by many people asking about the documentation for Arts & Sciences competitions. One does not need to do a 10-20 page thesis (think of the time a Judge would need to read through them). You can write up a nice 2-3 page document that will cover everything needed. I hope the following information will be helpful to those who do enter future competitions.
Documentation shall consist of, but shall not be limited to, answering the following questions:

1. What extant item inspired your piece?


2. Where is this piece currently located?


3. What culture is the extant item from?


4. How was your inspiration piece used in period?


5. What century is the extant piece from?


6. What are the materials used in the extant piece?


7. What materials did you use, and if they differ from the extant materials, why?


8. Where did you find the designs for your piece?


9. What stitches and colors were used in the extant piece?


10. What stitches and colors did you use in your piece?


11. Remember to include a Bibliography/Resource section at the end of your
    documentation.


12. a photo of the original piece is also a good idea.

Questions 9 & 10 are mostly for embroidery pieces, but you can adapt them for other topics (metals used, wood used, dyes, etc.). If you answer these questions, you will have a nice documentation with all the needed information. You can either 1) write out these questions and supply the answers, or 2) write them in a paragraph form; which ever way is easier for you. Permission granted from Katherine de Langelei, WK Needle Guild Minister to use questions (#1 thru #10) from the West Kingdom Needle Guild’s Broider Program.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me anytime at
pjbarnes1@yahoo.com or ans@cynagua.org

Sorcha Fhionn inghean ui/Ruairc
Cynagua Arts & Sciences Minister