One of the most important links you'll ever need

If you want to make clothes from the late 14th-early 15th century that is.

La cotte simple

As must be obvious to anyone reading this blog I prefer the early 14th century rather than the later, and generally the High Middle Ages, before the Plague. I haven't made a Gothic fitted dress for myself since the late 90s, but the method for making a self supportive bodice is good also for 16th century gowns, like my blue wool gown. And there's so much more useful information about clothing in the Late Middle Ages that it's worth having a look even if you don't particularly want a fitted late 14th century gown.

I realize that the main reason that I haven't posted about Tasha Dandelion Kelly's web site is that I assume that everybody already knows about it. But maybe not everybody does. So! Go there!

My husband's mi-parti tunic

So, ten minutes ago I sewed the last button on my husband Budde's new mi-parti tunic from around 1300. I used the remnants of the wool fabric I printed for my gown and some of the new red wool fabric I got in Borås.

He's away playing X-wing right now, so I can't make him put on hose, shirt, shoes and hat, with it to show you, but here it is, hanging on my fabric cupboard.

Detail shot of the hand made button holes and the brass buttons (which are not based on a find, but I thought that they look okay, and I got them for free from my neighbour Anna).

A picnic

It is early summer and the barony of Gotvik had a picnic in a nearby park. Not many of us showed up, but those of us who did had a very pleasant afternoon. And I wore my new printed gown for the first time.

Me and Alfhild posing.

And Budde and me.

I was goign to finish Budde's new tunic - mi-parti in the printed wool and the red wool I bought a few weeks ago, but I've been ill. I also didn't have any suitable buttons at home. So he wore one that I made in 2003. But the hose are new; I made them at DoubleWars in May.

Alfhild in  silk brocade, Budde relaxing on a blanket.

And then Julia turned up.

And Gaby and Linus.

Mayken brought a friend from school. Luckily I have lots of medieval clothes for kids, since Mayken has older twin sisters.

I made Pyes de Pares (Pies of Paris), which even the kids enjoyed.

Women's hair headwear from the later 14th century - some images

While having an SCA officers' meeting yesterday the topic of headwear to use with a gothic fitted dress came up. So, I thought that I'd put up some good pictures for Katarina Krognos to look at. The selection method is: "pretty pictures that I have on my computer hard drive".  So, in short: there are much more comprehensive collections of images of headwear from this period out there on the net, but at least there may be some that you haven't seen yet.

Hairnets, which suits the younger unmarried girls better than us middle aged ladies.

Another for the young unmarried girl. If you're Italian: a small net on the back of the head.

BNF Français 343 - Queste del Saint Graal Tristan de Léonois Folio1r 

Milan, Italy 1380 - 1385

The always popular frilled veils, ca 1370

Weltchronik, Germany, Regensburg, ca. 1360. MS M.769 fol. 139r.

Three slightly ruffled veils on top of each other. Missal of Louis de Male.

Two ruffled veils on top of each other. Speculum Humane Salvationis, German or Austrian 1360s

Braids folded and hanging down by the temples, and a circlet. Again not that suitable for us without  a veil on top.

 Berry petit heures (Burgundy)

The same hair-do on an Enlish effigy.

Here with a very pretty sheer veil, for us married women. The wind is interesting to arrange.

Braids peeking out under a veil, Italian 1370s-80s

Bibliothèque Nationale de France

A seriously wacky hat and veil combo from the Grandes Chroniques de France. Plus a veil with a roll on it and a horn shaped veil in the back far left.

Open hoods are nice. This one from Roskilde in Denmark has wrapped her liripipe around the head.

At least it becomes very obvious is that I am much more interested in the earlier 14th century, around 80% of the images in my collection are from before 1340. At least that makes me original in a country where most re-enactors equals 14th century with the period from 1360-70 to 1400.

New fabric

Yesterday I, my husband, and our daughter wnt to Jönköping, ca 1,5- 2 hours to the east of Gothenburg, to celebrate hubby's mother's 80th birthday. On the way to Jönköping you pass Borås, the centre for textile, garments and mail order industries in Sweden and we made a quick stop at Furulunds, a fabric store.

They're not super cheap, but not very expensive either and I found lovely thin 100% wool in a soft light red colour, which I bougt five metres of to make tunics for me and hubby.They're (of course) going to be in the 13th-early 14th century style and I plan to use the trim I bought in Florence around the neck and cuffs.

I also found a wool (or wool mix) remnant measuring 1,5X1,5 metres and I'll think that I might make one half of a mi-parti tunic for someone in the family from it. 

Painting on glass - another non-costuming post

Ever since I saw that there were painted glasses preserved from13th and early 14th century Europe (most painted glasses seem to be from the 16th century or later) I wanted to paint a pair of them for the me and baron Måns (they will of course become part of the regalia for the barony of Gotvik, so later barons and baronesses will use them too).

The Aldrevandini Beaker from Venice ca 1330, British Museum

A cup from Museum of London, ca 1250-1325

A cup from Institut für Realienkunde des Mittelalters und der frühen Neuzeit

Beaker by Aldrevandini, second half of the 13th century, image from Bildindex.de

 I spent quite a while looking for glasses with the rigth beaker shape, but they were nowehere to be found. I didn't even find the right shape among historical reproduction glass. Probably beace they are more interested in reproducing the "funny" shapes, siuch as this one, which I also have a repro of.

I was also a bit wary about hardening glass paint in the oven on a historical repro glass, since I don't know how they would react to the heat. Still, I would have tried it if I had found the right shape.

I trawled internet auction sites for something with a shape that would work, but in the end I accepted my fate and ordered beer glasses from barshopen. I've ordered glasses for painting from there before and I know that they are sturdy. The beaker shape isn't very popular for beer glasses either and this was as close as I could get:

The Victoria Beer glass

As you can see it has cut and frosted parts, which isn't very medieval. it also has the amount engraved on it, but both these could be hidden with paint. The shape was the best I could get so I went for them.

I used ordinary paint for glass, the kind you harden in a household oven. I had them at home already due to previous painting projects. The white was paint and the other colours pens. 

The arms are of course those of Gotvik, and the  text says: Gotvik Baronia Clarissima, that is: "Gotvik, the most shining barony", which is what the barony of Gotvik usually present themselves as.

Calligraphy and illumination

As the faithful reader know costuming isn't my only hobby; I also do calligraphy and illumination and here are a few that I haven't shown before.

Various Award of Arms

I'm very happy with the leaves in the initial, I haven't done them before.

Ragnhild the wise, Gotvik's award for Arts&Science

The Golden Ribbon, the Principality of Nordmark's award for service. Normally I remove the religious elements when I copy the design, but since the recipient is a vicar in real life and a canon in the society I kept teh rising Christ and added a kneeling Morten.

A thank you scroll to Ylffwa Yrwädher  for her excellent work as chatelaine for Attemark.

This is for the Order of the Ancient Dolphin, given to former barons and baronesses of Gotvik. I also modeled a seal from fimo clay to make wax seals.

The heart of St. Egon, Gotvik award for service.

This one is special, because Maja made the calligraphy and I did the illumination. It's for one of her best friends and Maja's first illumination.

Other scrolls that I have made.