The Tudor Revolution

Yesterday I went to an SCA event 4 1/2 hours from my home to watch a dear friend of my receive an award I have known he was destined for since I first met him almost 8 years ago. My people call moments like that stardust. It is something special to watch someone who has given so much time, talents, and self to a group to be recognized with their highest award in that area. I also had a bit of stardust sprinkled on my head when the Queen of Atenveldt chose my display on 16th century corsetry and accessories as her favorite of the day. On my drive home I reflected on the experience and decided to post an edited version of an article I wrote for USITT Desert Conference's news letter about my experiences with costume and stardust in the SCA. I hope it warms a few hearts out there in cyberspace even a fraction as much as mine was warmed yesterday. A Different kind of Apprenticeship Costuming in the Society for Creative Anachronism Maridith Feher      ...

Tintoretto Portrait of a Lady Over the last several months I have been haunting the jewelry sections at my local craft stores and beading shops. My goal has been to find supplies to make a new belt. There are plenty a beautiful pieces on the market right now,  just not what I was looking for. Being picky with my design also gave me time to research pieces. The two principal styles of belts worn by middle to upper class Venetian woman  between 1550 and 1600 could be thought of as jewelry more than accessories as we see them today. The first style wraps around the waist and has a tail dangling down the center front of wearers' skirts. Style number two also wraps around the wearer's body, but does not extend down. It appears that wealthier women would have a large "belt buckle" while the middle class would simply hook the two ends together. I already have 3 belts with dangling pieces, so I decided to try the second style. Cross from the late 16th century. Gold w...

Anne Boleyn from Wolf Hall. Photo from bbc.com After months of waiting, Tudor history fans in the USA finally got access to the series Wolf Hall. Many costume bloggers have been gushing or ranting about the costumes since the first press release photos hit the internet last year. Personally, I was skeptical the drama would live up to the dream many of us have of a period correct drama for this time period. Now that I have taken the time to watch the first episode on pbs.org I am hooked. No huge farthingales in the 1520's. All the ladies and gentlemen are wearing hats. One of the details I was most impressed with was the period correct table manners during a banquet scene. Notice what Cromwell and other are doing with their napkins and how large they are compared to modern napkins. The entire production team's work, love, and research shows in each frame. I hope all of you will take advantage of this airing for free on PBS. If you are like me and can not always commit to b...