The Tudor Revolution

  I got a message recently asking for a tutorial on how to make a basic lucet cord since the only tutorial on my channel so far has been an advanced braid that features working 2 strands. This is the video for you if you are a newbie to using a lucet to make your own lacing for historical garments. Lucet has been used for ties, laces, and applied trim. Typically it is thought that the style might have originated with Norse cultures in the early medieval period. I encourage you to dive into the history of lucet and the different braids you can make with it if you are looking for a quick and compact way to make cord that you can put down and pick up as your time allows. The piece I made for this video took about 2 hours in real time and I did not speed up any of the clips I used to teach the technique, I simply trimmed down the footage. Have you ever used a lucet before? Tell me about your experiences in the comments and your preferred style of lucet fork. Do you like the large U s...

  What does it mean to be a maker? What does it mean to be crafty? Where did the word craft come from in the English language? In Craeft, Alexander Langlands deep dives into these topics. Langlands is a Welsh archeologist that many reenactors might know from BBC programs like Tudor Monastery Farm, Tales from the Valley Green, or Victorian Farm. I read this book last year when I was taking some personal time to try and recharge and found it absolutely gets to the heart and soul of why I research and make things. The book also speaks to macro economics in a way that I had not really considered before as a maker of items and how a global disruption of trade can cut people off from goods, leaving them to be craefty like our ancestors to use local items and survive. Ya know, like we were all doing in 2020. This book was published in 2017. Langlands also dives into how our choices as makers can impact the environment around us and how it adapts and changes based on the car we give it a...

  If this video has been helpful to you, you might also enjoy my 16th century play list. This has similar dress diaries, deep dives into eyelets or pad stitching, and other helpful videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-n8YRaQqPMGi4mqIndRcmugWRkVtlLno This video has been a really emotional one for me to go back and edit. I started this project 2 years ago when I was offered to join the SCA Order of the Laurel based on my research into fashion history, specifically the 16th century in Europe. Its interesting to look back now and see how much my skills are still growing since I started this project. My elevation took place in that strange pandemic reopening time, and ended up being sent out virtually while I was in person with the Crown for the ceremony. The emotions got even more layered with this project when I went to film reveal footage of it. It was packed into the car so I could change at the event I was going to and film/ photograph the reveal footage for you all, ...

  My largest social network is the Society for Creative Anachronism. This is where I wear most of my historical costuming, and have made the majority of my friends as an adult. This year I've been brining my Canon M50 out to do some better photography and help capture some of my friend's treasured memories. At Battlemoor I started to feel silly walking around with a modern camera strap and wanted something that would blend in more with the medieval aesthetic of the events I was attending. In researching a solution I came across these highly reviewed buckles from Peak Design (link below) that I could add to any strap to make my camera a quick release if needed or to swap to their other accessories. I love how strong and versatile these camera accessories were so I set out on weaving something I could put them on. Join me as I make my own camera strap with some very beginner card weaving skills. Hopefully I can give you some basic terms to search for great resources if you are i...

  This Week's vlog is the follow up to my Viking Age Tunic dress which I posted last week. When discussing the clothing of Birka and other Norse cultures, a woolen dress is an iconic look which is functional while tending a fire or many other activities. My apron dress is inspired by the finds out of Birka. The wool I used was a light weight suiting with a 2:2 twill weave. The long seams of this dress were finished with a machine for speed, and all of the seam finishings were hand sewn. I used a woolen finishing technique I learned about while flipping through Woven into the Earth by Else Ostergard. The technique involves using wool yarn and a couching stich of sorts to encase the raw edges of the wool. The end result is a low profile and durable seam around the neck and hem of my apron dress. I love that all of the hand sewn elements of this dress start to create a decorative finish on the outside of the dress and the only extra embellishment I added was a herringbone stitch over...

  #sewing #Viking #historicaldress My inspiration for this dress is that I never really wear the style. It looks lovely on some people, but I had just never really gotten into it or the time period around it until friends were asking me for help to make their outfits. This year I realized we would be having a local SCA arts event on April Fool's Day and it seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass up and I had to do something. I decided on going incognito and making myself some Norse clothing. Even though I've done some work for others in this time period, I am by no means an expert and leaned on some of the work in this blog post: https://maidenanachronism.blogspot.com/2012/05/viking-underdress.html?m=1 I also referenced these books for some of the techniques and information I used (links are affiliate links): Woven into the Earth by Else Ostergard https://amzn.to/3o0kVb2 Medieval Garments Reconstructed: Norse Clothing Patterns by Lilli Fransen, Anna Norgaard and...

  #camping #mysca #societyforcreativeanachronism #glamping #pennsic This summer I've been letting myself fall back in love with the Society for Creative Anachronism. There have been some moments that have been hard for sure, but also some of my moments of greatest joy. One of the things I realized was I had completely forgotten what I need to pack in order to go camping in the different environments we see across the Western United States, at SCA events. This video does not speak in any official way for the non profit group or any of its branches. I simply wanted to share some of my pit falls and learning curves I've experiences over the years. I am a list maker. So I started planning for my second camping trip of the summer by making a list of the things that I would need to have cleaned and packed after my first trip did not go as smoothly as I had hoped earlier this summer. Towards the end of the video I give you 6 tips I've picked up from camping at these events...

  In this video I'm following up on my camping checklist video from last week to show y'all how my tent set up goes together with a little planning and practice. This video was recorded in and around my personal tent at an Society for Creative Anachronism event called Uprising in Idaho. Nothing in my video reflect the official stances of the larger living history group, but are based in my personal experiences as a paid member attending events for over a decade. Often at events we are doing something between living history camping and glamping. Not everything in my set up is 100% historically accurate, but many things give the impression and I love the results my current set of supplies give me. I fit everything here, including the tent poles and my dog in a Jeep Patriot, with a little creative packing. #mysca #camping #societyforcreativeanachronism #livinghistory #glamping I purchased my tent several years ago from Midwest Tents. This video was not sponsored by them, b...

  In this video, I'm having an honest conversation about historical authenticity. I'm sharing the story of my Edwardian shawl, and discussing the goals I have for the project. I want to make a shawl that is authentic to the period in the pattern I used and crochet techniques. But rather than purely reproducing a historical piece I wanted my shawl to reflect the modern era that I live in. Truly great design is in fact timeless, and that is what I see when I look at this Edwardian shawl pattern. If you're also interested in deeper conversations about historical authenticity, then you'll want to watch this video! We'll talk about the goals of historically inspired projects and the need to define what what your goal is for the project as you're working on it. I hope you enjoy the video, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments! If you are interested in trying out the pattern yourself, check out this link: https://www.antiquecrochetpatterns.com/acc...

  Well beautiful humans, it has been a ruff 9 months of recovery, physical therapy, and at times bed rest. Today we are going to discuss the hand sewing project I was going to work on the day I injured myself, and the 4 months it took to complete it while I relearned to walk and strengthen my leg. In this project I used: - lace I purchased from DSA Threads which I already post a video of me prepping: www.dsathreads.net https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7BGTNOgGUI -Linen Sewing Thread and hand needle -Beeswax -Fine Linen Remnant -Straight pins -Chalk -Breakfast tray Other costumers and sewists have been reacting to their projects in 2022, and honestly this took up so much of my sewing time. I had to table some of my other projects while I could not stand because I could not cut out the fabric for next steps. This project was something I could work on through. I've never before make an iconic 16th century ruff before and the project had a lot of personal meanings and hang ups fo...

  Detachable sleeves are one of my favorite things to make for renaissance dresses, and always seem to be the last thing I think to make when I'm planning my outfits. These sleeves are made from thrift store fabric to mimic one possible way that "cut work sleeves" were made in the period. There are several theories, and my research has made me think that they all may have been in use at different points in time for different specific motifs. To make these sleeves I used a voided velvet scarf I found at my local thrift store and remnants of rayon velvet, silk shantung, and linen. Techniques I cover in the video include basting, hemming stitches, and how to easily sew with velvet. I completed the project using a mix of hand sewing and a modern sewing machine. I love wearing these Italian renaissance dresses at reenactment events or when I attend events for the Society of Creative Anachronism. Groups like this have helped me learn more about how period techniques and mate...

  While most of 16th century Italy loved to dress in bold colors, there were some groups of people who wore the ancestor of our little black dress. Frequently this dress was prescribed based on social customs and laws in the different cities over time. My primary inspiration for this dress was focused on Roman women in the later 16th century. The history I found while making this dress deserves its own video, so today we are going to focus on how I made this 16th century little black dress called a sottona. Materials I used for this dress are listed below. All Amazon links are affiliate links: Black Cotton Damask Linen Canvas Cotton Quilters Batting https://amzn.to/3rWsRvR Black Medium Weight Linen Black Cotton Thread https://amzn.to/44P8wat Wool Hem Braid Black Velvet Remnant Lacing Rings Embroidery Floss for Eyelets https://amzn.to/47clbFV Scissors https://amzn.to/3rYWlZP Play list for 16th Century Costuming projects and techniques: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?li...

  I really love when I can find new uses for old things. Upcycling give me so much joy when it comes to creating historical costuming. For me, one of the best parts of historical clothing is the small details, which includes jewelry. When I first saw this 1980s style gold necklace at my local thrift store I immediately started thinking of ways I could alter it for a 16th century choker necklace. The exact embellishment of these necklaces would change over the century so I had a lot of options to think over. Because I am a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, I thought it would be fun to include a peerage medallion in this process as well. While I do not officially speak for the Society for Creative Anachronism, I do love sharing projects I work on for this hobby. On this thrift store jewelry upcycle I used head pins, round jewelry pliers, a pendant, and freshwater pearls. Below are some links to similar items I was able to find on Amazon if you are curious. Links are af...

  #pinktax If you're watching this at the time of release, its women's history month. A time where we should all be focusing on ways we can uplift the women in our lives a little more than usual. Since the demographics on this channel show that the majority of my viewers identify themselves as women, I want to share some information that might help you save funds our favorite hobby... sewing! The basic idea of the pink tax is that there is an unnecessary additional mark up on items that are geared towards women. Frequently there is little or no distinction between items that are designated as "women's" and "men's" and the biggest difference is that the women's product is pink. For more information on the long term impacts of the pink tax on a women's earrings and career please check out these articles: Business Insider on the Pink Tax https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/pink-tax 2016 Senate Joint Report on Gender Based Pricin...

  The School of Historical Dress has been hard at work in recent years to release more complete and updated editions of Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion series. this series is a staple of most costumer and reenactor bookshelves because of the detail and thorough construction notes for each garment the book covers. Today we are going to discuss the pros and cons of the different editions in a book review of Patterns of Fashion 1. My goal is to make sure everyone looking to buy the updated copy knows what they are and are not getting. Please know the original edition is out of print, but may be available from used book sellers. Here is an Amazon affiliate link to the book we are discussing: https://amzn.to/3z4f1rt To my knowledge, the updated version is only available through the School of Historical Dress shop. The funds raised from book sales go to help fund the school and their research efforts. Non affiliate link below: https://shop.theschoolofhistoricaldress.org.uk/produc...

  I get a lot of requests for good books for beginning costumers when I am at events. Those requests inspired my book review playlist. Lydia Edwards' book How to Read a Dress is a fantastic starting point for new historical costumers to start understanding changes in time of silhouette and fashions over time. The nature of the book will prevent it from being a deep dive into any particular era, but the book was designed as more of a survey course. You can also see updated commentary on Lydia's Instagram account linked below. Lydia Edwards Instagram Amazon Affiliate Links: How to Read a Dress by Lydia Edwards https://amzn.to/3oSftr9 How to Read a Suit by Lydia Edwards https://amzn.to/426lZJ7 Social Media and other Places to Find me: Instagram: @maridith.smith Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tudorrevolution/ Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/maridithsmith All Music was Provided by the YouTube creator studio. Video edited with DaVinci Resolve 17. Filmed with Cann...

  I know a lot of folks in the costuming community have been defending corsets again because of some silly articles from The Sun without sources claiming Netflix and the BBC would stop allowing actresses to wear corsets in period dramas. The extremes wear conditions that actresses have been facing in the film industry has been spoken to at length by other creators like Bernadette Banner and Abby Cox so I would direct you to their channels about corset myths. My focus for this vlog was to get out and take my pit bull on a hike for the first time since my injury, and why not break in my new corset at the same time? Through out the entire hike I had more difficulty with my ankle and navigating uneven ground than I had with the altitude or my corset. This corset was not custom made, but ready made. I worked with the seller to make sure I had one that was the correct size for my measurements and compression goals. Do you wear corset on a regular basis? Tell me about your experiences be...

  Bernadette Banner has becoming a staple in the historical costuming community for her YouTube channel, research into late 19th century clothing, and of course, her sewing experiments. So why am I reviewing it? I d on't really work in the same time period as Bernadette after all, and my audience prefers earlier periods I see. As an accomplished sewist in my own right, I spend quite a bit of time helping others learn how to sew. For years I've had new sewists work really well while we are together, but then when they go home to do finishing they get lost. This new resource helps to bring the historical hand sewing into a format which is more friendly for beginners learning how to sew. As of the time of recording this book has reached #1 on Amazon for Sewing and Needlework (and is make in stock now!) Congratulations Bernadette for reaching #3 on the New York Times Best Seller List for How-To/Advice! If you have not checked this book out, I would recommend reading it and apply...

  In this video I have made a multi strand necklace from glass beads to approximate coral jewelry popular around the Mediterranean Sea in Ancient Rome. My earrings in particular were inspired by several pairs shows on the Fayum Mummies. The Fayum mummies are widely considered to date between the 1st century BC and 1st century AD. After the death of Cleopatra VII, Egypt was controlled by the Roman Empire which lead to an interesting mix in places by Fayum which has Roman, Greek, and Egyptian influence. Depending on where I was living, costuming from ancient Rome became a mainstay of my summer costuming wardrobe. It lets air circulate, can accommodate a wide range of body shapes, and can be surprisingly elegant. I would highly recommend checking out ancient Roman clothing for your historical costuming summer wardrobe. Because the clothing is frequently simple with lovely details like the jewelry and hair, this is an ideal style for folks that love to make and add accessories to an ...

Happy Modern Monday! This week I'm sharing a project I made because I wish that I had them while I was making my Loki balzo. Sometimes you don't want to put pins into fabric because it is too fine and the pins wont help, or it is really squishy. For those sewing projects try some pattern weights. I saw some pins on how to make tile pattern weights from old backsplash tiles on Pinterest a few years ago and it resurfaced as a project I needed to try. For this project I used one sheet of backsplash tiles, goo gone, tacky glue, craft felt, and craft scissors. I wish I had used work gloves as part of this project to protect my hands. Affiliate Links for Supplies Tacky Glue Click Here Craft Felt Click Here Craft Scissors Click Here Goo Off Click Here Women's Protective Gloves Click Here Have you made pattern weights before or had other #pinterestfails ? What about your own #nailedit moments? Tell me about them in the comments! Bisou Bisou, Maridith