The Tudor Revolution

It seems like many people are connecting and sharing information through Facebook. This includes a wide range of historical clothing enthusiasts. Join in the conversation and look at some of these pages and groups! The Official Tudor Tailor Facebook Page The amazing ladies at the Tudor Tailor are ready to help with questions from the public. They also post photos of on going projects and research. German Renaissance Blog's Facebook Page Genoveva is an amazing researcher with lots of knowledge of 16th century Germany. Realm of Venus Facebook Page Want to know what is going on with realmofvenus.renaissanceitaly.net ? Bella posts information about her challenges and updates on this Facebook page. 16th Century Italian Workshop This group was originally started by a group of women making clothing for an event in Arizona, and now has grown into a great place to share research and ask questions. Historic Hand Embroidery This group covers many different time periods and if f

While at Pennsic I had took a class from Mistress Amy Webb of the East Kingdom. She used a term I had not heard before - English monochrome embroidery. Mistress Amy went on to explain that this embroidery has a few characteristics: Stitches are worked in a single color of silk thread. Sometimes gold threads are used to create interest. Stitches used are varied including stem stitch, satin stitch, and double running stitch  Images were taken from English country gardens Stitches are not consistently reversible or counted We have several extant examples of women's coifs embellished with English monochrome embroidery in museums around the world, but very few are seen in the portraiture of the time. If you think about it critically, coifs are more personal (intimate) articles of clothing. Unless the sitter was being painted in a birthing bed, or another intimate setting, there probably wont be a painting of them wearing an elaborately embellished coif. Portraits were usually d

A few words on pins. Some of you may have heard the phrase "having your pin money" at some point. The meaning of this phrase is to have a little extra money left over to do something special or treat yourself. Modern women might think of this in terms of having extra funds for cosmetics or shoes. The origins of this phrase are in fact in the Tudor period, or possibly earlier. At this point in history you had to have "pin money" to dress well. Pins were used to hold up placards on gowns, sleeves, veils, and arrange jewelry. At later dates they were also used to arrange skirts and ruffs. Extant Brass Pins from the Victoria and Albert Museum Today's reenactors have been lacking in quality brass pins for their dressing needs for some time. Often we resorting to steel straight pins for sewing. The problem with these is that they are not sturdy enough to stay in the fabric without bending. For anyone willing to pay $2 a pin plush shipping there is a good solutio

Most of you out there have probably seen and used the Tudor Tailor's French hood patterns. I do love the look of my hoods I have created using these patterns, but they do not travel well. When transporting them they must either be worn or packed carefully into a hat box. Making French hoods out of plastic canvas gives them increased durability, but also adds significantly to the weight. If you have had problems transporting your hoods you may be in luck. Have you tried the research and pattern by Sarah Lorraine. Sarah's patterns involve layering pieces to archive a final look which is spot on for several of the portraits and profiles we see of period women in their headdresses. It also sits lower to the head in keeping with research being done on French hoods between 1510 and 1540. Take a look. Try it out. Share your thoughts. When my versions are done there will be an update. Happy August! http://www.modehistorique.com/research/ReconstructingTheFrenchHood_06-2009.pdf

So I have been quiet for a bit, but I return with new experience and insight. Ottoman Turkey was a major trading partner and military opponent to Poland, Hungary, Italy, and France during the sixteenth century. Without their presence the political climate of the time could have been very different. So get ready to fall down the rabbit hole into some research on the clothing of Ottoman Turkish women. Mistress Sabiha,OP, come to our tiny town to teach a class on 16th century Turkish clothing. Her wealth of information made my head spin as she walked us through patterning the layers, selecting fabrics, and general information on Turkish women. After this class I sought to make an outfit so I could better understand the construction and assist some of our local group make their own. Women of the Palace, 16th century For those of you who are new to Turkish clothing let me talk you through the layers we discussed. 1. Golmek- This is your underwear/ against the skin layer. Upper cl

I am still working on some of the finer details to my Venetian outfit based on The Concert by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo. One major detail I have been holding off on is finishing the goldwork embroidery on the partlet aka  gorgiera. Now that my copy of The Royal School of Needlework's Goldwork Stitches is here I will be reading it furiously and trying to sketch out the subtle goldwork designs in the painting. Wish me luck! and from what I have read of the book so far it is big on technique, but very light on historical context. A full review will follow later.  Giovanni Antonio Fasolo, c1565: " The Concert " (fresco detail) Vicenza, Villa Campiglia Negri de' Salvi

Back in September I volunteered for a small but important project. Countess Illora, then Queen of Atenveldt, was stepping down in German high-renaissance clothing. Sarah Grace's end product was beautiful, but my embroidery is only visible to a few members who helped to dress the Queen. Sarah Grace pre-smocked the embroidery for her Majesty's undergarment cuffs and neckline. I then used a stem stitch in white silk thread to outline the design I had chosen from some period patterns. The cuffs are a simplified version of one of Holbien's paintings in Basil, and the neckline is from an Italian sampler. Flower and vines for an inspiring woman. Cuffs worked in white for a subtle beauty.  Neckline in a floral pattern.