Rosalie's Medieval Woman

Rather excited to find this web page which has existing medieval recorders on it. Super cool! http://www.recorderhomepage.net/medieval.html

My newest aquisition. I really love old books, and though much of the information becomes not current as new and exciting discoveries are made in the world of archaeology, I love old costuming books.

Title: English Costume
Author: Dion Clayton Calthrop
Language: English

From the Introduction by the author:

As you will see, I have devoted myself entirely to civil costume—that is, the clothes a man or a woman would wear from choice, and not by reason of an appointment to some ecclesiastical post, or to a military calling, or to the Bar, or the Bench. Such clothes are but symbols of their trades and professions, and have been dealt with by persons who specialize in those professions.

I have taken the date of the Conquest as my starting-point, and from that date—a very simple period of clothes—I have followed the changes of the garments reign by reign, fold by fold, button by button, until we arrive quite smoothly at Beau Brummell, the inventor of modern clothes, the prophet of cleanliness.

I have taken considerable pains to trace the influence of one garment upon its successor, to reduce the wardrobe for each reign down to its simplest cuts and folds, so that the reader may follow quite easily the passage of the coat from its birth to its ripe age, and by this means may not [vii] only know the clothes of one time, but the reasons for those garments. To the best of my knowledge, such a thing has never been done before; most works on dress try to include the world from Adam to Charles Dickens, lump a century into a page, and dismiss the ancient Egyptians in a couple of colour plates.

It's actually turning out to be very, very readable as well as informative.

For anyone not familiar with the Gutenberg Project, I'd like to draw your attention to it. As you know, there are a lot of old books out there, many in the public domain since the copyright has long expired. As a collector of old books, I do love to have and hold them and not just read them, but vintage books are both rare and expensive. This is where it gets lovely.

The project offers free electronic downloads, in a bunch of formats, kindle and e-reader friendly or just html files, so that you can, with no charge, have a copy of these books. The service is staffed by diligent volunteers, and many of the books have the illustrations scanned in as well. Check them out. And if you download, be generous and make a donation to keep them going. It's still probably cheaper than hunting down that rare and vintage volume.

And yes, there are costuming e-books.

http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/

Question today from a young lady who asks:

I am researching both 13th century noble women and men, (specifically in the Ulster region of Ireland). I have actually had a more difficult time trying to find a website that contains the same type of information on the personal lives of medieval men, as your site provides on medieval women. Please send me any recommendations you have, and thanks for making research fun again!

I am thinking sensibleken might have some pointers? Anyone else?

Hear ye, hear ye, if you're looking for it, the website is down for a few hours this afternoon while I reload a bunch of stuff. Please call back again a bit later!

Newly updated at the website http://rosaliegilbert.com are the HATS, HAIRSTYLES, VEILS, WIMPLES pages. The shiny new HEAD-DRESSES page is still underway with many of the sections completed and only a few more to go.

I'm going to be going back through the website and doing more cut-outs of images to give the entire site a cleaner, crisper look. This of course, is between sewing projects, so will be an ongoing thing when the enthusiasm strikes and time permits.

My girlfriend Larissa is having a medieval-themed wedding. Now usually this kind of thing fair brings tears to my eyes, but as she's such an adorable girl and as she's marrying a Scotsman, I'm sure this will be more than a hoot and a half, and so I agreed to make her The Dress. I'm making her a really lovely 14th century silk kirtle, back lacing, in stunning vibrant Limbourgh Brothers blue. It's still got quite a way to go, but the eyelets are coming along nicely and the seams just go on forever and ever but what bride doesn't want a big dress with a train, right? She's wearing underskirts for her special day but will be able to use the kirtle afterwards at proper events and wear it the proper way, so I don't mind!

To make the day even more special, I'm MC for the evening, and as it's meant to be a light-hearted event, I have the go ahead to make all the monty-pythonesque and shrek-esque jokes I like. In fact, it's positively encouraged. I have it on good authority that one guest is coming as Shrek, so it's that kind of wedding. I feel a huge-tracts-of-land gag coming on.

To make the wedding even more special, my Most Incredibly Beloved may be able to escort me, (if the archery qualifiers aren't on that day) and yes, that means medieval clothes for him too! He's a non-re-enactor, so this will be his first garbed event, even if it is a fun thing. I have ordered some very nice 14th century accessories for him and will be making some clothes. Although the fabric is a little on the pretendy side and I will be machining his outfit (it'll be going into the pile of things to loan for friends for banquets afterwards), it will be quick and gorgeous, and if he ever wants something proper for a real event, he can choose his fabric and style of clothing himself.

I'll post pics of the bride in her gown (without underskirts) after the wedding to share.

I'm delighted that my new tournament gown for Abbey Medieval Tournament is finished- a gorgeous short-sleeve silk kirtle with buttons down the front and patterned pin-on sleeves. I have yet to start on the headpiece- which will be another coronet-with-cauls type arrangement. I've ordered new shoes. And I've got three and a half of the woollen undergown seams sewn already.

I've also got some new woollen hose for myself (at last) on the go and garters with buckles half finished and my bathhouse babes silk chemise more than half made.

I still have a lot of the Working Class Collection to finish off, but that's now little things which can be done as they are required. I also have a banquet dress for my friend Karis, a medieval wedding dress in stunning blue for my friend Larissa and the trim to add to my friend and medieval reproduction potter Kim Schoenberger and my own blue, silk kirtle for the Abbey Medieval Kids Fun Day to finish. And an overdress to re-style.

I'm very busy!

http://www.historyalive.com.au/home.html. Oh dear. It's only 6 weeks until History Alive, our multi-time period event run by our re-enactor insurance body in Queensland. It's a great event, but so cold down on the river. Must make a woollen underdress.

And in other related news, I was cleaning out my fabric stash and found enough wool to make an underdress. It's black, which isn't my first choice, but it won't be seen, and it will keep me from catching a chill, which is the main thing. Sewing is underway, just a basic 4-seam medieval underdress which laces at the front, but it will be toasty warm!

I've been shamefully bad at medieval buttonholes. For the last ten years, try as I might, they always look like something horrifying. Today I'm pleased to say, I'm feeling like I'm making some progress on that front, so here they are to share. Now, I know many of you ladies have far superior buttonhole-making skills to me, but I just wanted to celebrate this tiny little landmark in my life. Buttonholes that don't suck like anything. I'm sure now I've got this far, I will improve to the point that I love them like my groovy eyelets, of which I'm quite proud. But for now, I'm no longer ashamed to let people see them!

http://www.cornwallharpcentre.co.uk/history.htm is the link for a neat site about historical harps and some great medieval music. The lady has a new CD out, and it's here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snN0EApT-Z8&feature=email&email=comment_received -definately great stuff!

I'm delighted that the delightful Paula Winkel is making such lovely belts for me and now also coloured leather pouches in a great range which will add to the genenal festive look ofthe Working Class Collection.

I managed to get hold of some great apple-green 100% linen at full price this morning along with some mostly-wool in a darker green which will make a nice set of tunics and a few hoods. I really hate paying full price for fabric, especially linen as it can be extremely expensive, but the colour was just perfect for a festival and if I waited for a sale, it would be gone.

The sewing continues and continues... most outfits are complete enough to allow photographing and can be completed if they are booked for the tournament.

http://rosaliegilbert.com/stallhireclothes.html is the link for the stallholder hire range for 2012. Only a dozen outfits, and I still need to photograph them on actual people becasue they look terrible lying on the ground, but the idea was to show the entire outfit and colour combinations. These are all hand made, hand stitched by me. There's a few pieces which aren't finished, but I'll see if they're needed for this year so I can maximise my sewing time on the outfits which are needed for this year. The belts and pouches may vary in colour but essentially that's what's up for offer this year. Click on the link to see what's up for this year!

I still have a medieval wedding dress in blue silk to sew, my own storytelling medieval dress for the kids fun day and my new tournament dress for this year as well.

I'm excited to be the storyteller for the Medieval Kids Fun Day as part of the tournament festival. I mentioned earlier that I was looking for suitable story suggestions and it seems I have 6 stories to tell. I think I'll probably make them all pieces of the Robin Hood saga. Littlies will enjoy them and the older kids will enjoy the action-packed adventure part. The Kid's Day is on the Tuesday before the tournament at the Abbeystowe grounds at Caboolture on the Bribie Island Road (and follow the signs). I would really love to have my Squirrel Chair made by then! And possibly a new dress! Now to decide on the ones to tell!

Storytelling will be running at the following times:

10.00am
10.30am
11.30am
12.00pm
1.00pm
1.30pm

The gates will open to the public at 9.00am, but all workshops begin at 10.00am.
Most workshops will conclude at 2.30pm, however families usually stick around for an hour or so after. Here's the page if you think you'd like to go!

http://abbeytournament.com/events-and-tickets/kids-medieval-fun-day/

My new e-business card for stallies and the page to the new Working Class Collection. I aim to have the collection photographed for this year's hire by the end of February. Meanwhile, here's the card and feel free to share it if it's relevant. That's my old stall and me in it from Brisbane Medieval Fayre 2004 or 2004.

Anyway, I now don't need more belts for the Working Class Collection

I was stressing so much that I had a quote from a gentleman which was far more than I could afford- considering the belts won't all be needed this year and not all outfits will be hired this year so many of them may not be needed.. although if they are needed, I need to have them ready. I really just wanted plain ones- not top class leather, plain inoffensive half-buckles, and maybe in two nice colours in two different lengths. A wonderful Lady-jouster is making them up for me at a bargain price. I will see if she can make 30 instead of 20 for me. Then I will have all the belts I need for the next few years to be sure. I also have a nice buckle-and-chape set which I'll see if she will fit to one of them for my own personal use

She's making an upper class man's kidney pouch, all hand stitched also for my personal use (at a sensible price) for Just In Case I have a need for one suddenly at tournament time.

I also have a second-hand wool hood coming in the mail any day now which will be for my own personal use. It has daggues and to be really honest, I really don't know what to do to the wool to make it so you can just cut it into daggues without fraying to pieces. Any advice there would be appreciated!

You can't believe the excitement I have finding a picture of the pews from Compton Castle which has the family squirrel carved into them above the coat of arms. I am totally up for having a throne chair made with the same ends on it for the tournament, in July and I have a woodworker who has a new carving tool he's dying to try! The original pews are oak, I think.

Anyway, here's a link to the National Trust at Devon which houses the pews and some other cool things.. (including a goffering iron, for the Lady who likes to goffer) for those who'd like a peek...

http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/224115.3

There's a gorgeous carved wooden trunk as well which is completely to die for here:

http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/224137

I bought the fabric for the tent lining and the Cloth of Estate which I'm going to either block print or hand paint or both. It shall be great! I'm going to use the coat of arms and also the family squirrel motif.

In other sewing news, I managed to cut down a T-tunic which had lost it's sleeves into a short-sleeved kirtle which will lace up the front for myself. I'm replacing the T-tunic which was part of a bunch of sewing I took for the museum for a fully complete T-tunic. It's in a slightly different fabric, but it has gores and it has sleeves and is a bigger fit than the old one, so it will be more likely to fit more people.

Patterning, cutting and pinning on the Wedding dress for my friend is complete and the stitching will start once I get my son's fiancee's wedding dress eyelets (about 50 hand sewn ones) done since she's getting married first. The bride has generously bought me a ticket to the Abbey Medieval Banquet in June, so I shall be going to that after all!

The Working Class Collection continues to grow and I have some shiny new business cards for it as well.

It's been raining rather heavily for the last few weeks and it's been a really good opportunity to get a lot of things on the to-do list happening.

Achievements this week include:
- stuffing a brocaded pillow with lavender for new throne chair.
- ordering new throne chair to be handmade by awesome friend and medieval woodworker.
- finding a supplier to make 20 medieval belts for the Working Class Collection.
- measuring the tent walls on the bell tent to finally make a decent lining.
- completed man's stone linen T-tunic for Working Class Collection.
- started lady's grey-blue linen T-tunic for Working Class Collection.
- updated the website.

I'm feeling very productive!

Things to do this week:
- trip to Spotlight for medieval wedding dress fabric in deep red.
- while I'm there, buy fabric for tent lining. 22.0m required.
- but more Raven Oil for dying leather belts- maybe some red as well? Blue? Green?

The red, linen lady's T-tunic is finished. The blue one is still going and I've also started the XXL Man's linen T-tunic in stone. I guess the more it rains, the more I'm getting done. Soon, there will be photos.

I'm a little behind with the hoods though. And I need to source someone to make me belts.