The Tudor Revolution

On April 15th of this year I had the privilege to be guided by friends in El Paso alion the historic Mission Trail. The history in these buildings reflect the determination of the communities they have serviced for centuries.  They have stood since the late 17th Century and been rebuilt and in one case relocated after a flood. In many ways it was magical for me to see how the traditions of painted church ceilings and grand alters from the previous century were interpreted in the New World. Our guides informed me the ceiling beams & decorations date to the original construction of the respective buildings.  Even more special walking through those buildings that day was all of the support and prayers being said for Notre Dame of Paris. Enjoy some pictures I was allowed to take of the missions and consider stepping back into history a bit on your next trip. Visitor Website for El Paso Mission Trail

In one of my recent posts I mentioned that about 2 years ago I was given the opportunity to move tyo Denver, Colorado. One of the many things I have come to love about this city is the world class museums we have. Currently many collections are in storage at the Denver Art Museum while the finish an expansion, but some works are still on display. Earlier this year I went to the traveling Doir exhibit the museum hosted & found this amazing exhibit of British painting through the ages. Notably I was able to see my very first Holbien in person in baby Prince Edward's portrait. The insdtallation is running through July 2020, so please check it out. I'm  including some of my pictures as teasers for you! https://denverartmuseum.org/exhibitions/treasures

Below is my documentation of one of my competition pieces earlier this year. I got side tracked by other projects and will be posting an update later with the finished cuffs. Currently I have 1 cuff 3/4 of the way done. Wish me luck and happy reading. Punto in Aria Lace Cuff  The Honorable Lady Isabelle de Calais  Kingdom Arts and Science Competition 2019 Punto in Aria Cuff from late 16th Century Venice During the 16th century intricate lace work became increasingly popular. With the increase in popularity the methods of creating laces diversified to include plaited laces such as bobbin lace, and needle-based laces such as punto in aria and reticella. These laces could be added to linen undergarments and housewares. One of the most popular uses for lace in this period was on accessories such as veils, handkerchiefs, ruffs, and cuffs. Making the Lace  Pattern Books vs. Professionals It is easy to assume that all lace was made by professional artificers in ...

Another Class Handout. This class is typically hands on and we demonstrate creating these hairstyles using this as a reference tool and for notes. I discovered Roman hair dressing while living in Arizona and playing in the SCA. There were many events where even indoors it was too hot to function with more than a sheet on. I learned a bit more about ancient and imperial Roman clothing and hair dressing as a way to beat the heat. One of the most fascinating rabbit holes I have fallen down in recent years is how many of the styles reappear during the Italian Renaissance. Imperial Roman Hair Dressing The Honorable Lady Isabelle de Calais Tudorrevolution.blogspot.com During the later periods of the Roman Empire women were dressing their hair in elaborate hairstyles. In the capitol the Hair Styles could change quickly among the elite depending on political situations, etc. This class is meant to be an introduction to basic techniques used in Roman hairdressing. Tools of the ...

Women’s Hair in in Mid 16th Century Florence  The Honorable Lady Isabelle de Calais  www.tudorrevolution.blogspot.com To most of Europe in the Renaissance, Italy was seen as a source of learning, culture, and beauty.. While many women across Europe were covering their hair under hoods and coifs, the Italians had a long history of elaborate hair dressing which was embraced with zeal as the continent explored and revived classical learning. This class will outline some of the basic tools, techniques, and accessories used to create Florentine hairstyles from 1540 to 1590. Tools of the trade “Dirty Hair”- Many popular shampoos we used today are mean to achieve modern straight silky hair styles. To make your life easier when creating period looks use products without silicone and parabens. My favorite shampoos to use prior to period hair are from Lush Cosmetics. If you are using shampoos with those ingredients in them please don’t wash your hair for a day or two prior to styli...

Blackwork Embroidery The Honorable Lady Isabelle de Calais V&A Museum T.112-1972 Ca. 1540 England, Silk embroidery on linen shirt About the Embroidery... For the purpose of this class we are going to focus on counted blackwork embroidery, also known as Holbein stitch, Spanish stitch, and other various names. These patterns are worked in a counted pattern, outlining a shape or design and using to contract between your ground fabric and thread color for visual impact. While black was the most popular color for this embroidery style, there are period examples of Red, blue, green, and yellow. Detail from a portrait of Bess of Hardwick by Master John, in Hardwick Hall. Ca 1560 This form of embroidery reached its peak during the 16th century in Europe, but there are earlier and later examples to be found in museum archives. One of the driving forces for these patterns to become so wide spread was the in introduction of the printing press. Full of these desig...

This post is long over due and was from my Spring Entry into Outlands Queen's Prize Arts and Sciences Competition. Trust to see more posts about these in the future with patterns for some of the different styles worn around Italy at the time. It has been almost 2 years since I moved to the Colorado Area and I've been so active with my local SCA chapter that I have barely had time to write about some of the fun projects that have been part of my time here. Over the next few weeks I will be working to upload version of many of my class handouts that I have been using over the last 2 years for classes as well as documentation on my mini projects. Stay Tuned! Gorgieras in Mid 16th Century Italy  The Honorable Lady Isabelle de Calais The Outlands Queen’s Prize  Spring 2019 Gorgieras in Mid 16th Century Italy Gorgieras, known as partlets in English, are a popular dressing accessory across Europe during the renaissance.This article of clothing is designed to fil...

For the last few weeks I've been on a spree of finishing my own projects and sewing for me. This particular purse got my attention years ago s a joke, and I decided I wanted one to remind me not to take myself so seriously. This was entered into a "documentation light" SCA competition in  Colorado called Queen's Prize. I may edit this some more for a more in depth research project on the Renaissance concepts of Sacred and Profane Love. Venetian Lute Shaped Purse The Honorable Lady Isabelle de Calais Queen’s Prize Fall 2019 http://realmofvenus.renaissanceitaly.net/workbox/extpurse.htm Purses in 16th Century  Vencie People have been carrying items they find precious to them through out our time period. You will often see bags suspended from belts, pilgrims carrying bags with their possessions, but it is incredibly rare to find a Venetian woman carrying any bag in the art of the 16th century. We know they still had items dear to them, and we have the sur...