PGC2019: Baronessa Isabel Maria’s Spiced Water

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This project, completed at Golden Flight, is entered under the category of “Do you think because you are virtuous, that there shall be no more cakes and ale?” (Food and drink your persona would have known.)  Baronessa Isabel Maria has this to say about it:

“It is nice to have food and drink appropriate to ones persona when attending an event.  To that end, I was looking for an easy to make (or perhaps even convenient to buy) drink that it suitable for daytime tourneys, evening feasts or multi-day camping events.  So the question became “what did they drink in sixteenth century Spain?”

According to Daily Life in Spain in the Golden Age (Marcelin Defourneaux) there was “a great demand for iced drinks – orange juice, [and] strawberry water…” even in the summer months.  In contrast he also quotes the Countess d’Aulnoy as saying “women never drink [wine].”  With that in mind, I went looking for a flavoured water or juice recipe in 16th century Spanish cooking manuals or recipe books.  While I did not find such a book from exactly my period, there was one from earlier that met all my requirements.


Recipe: Clarea de Aqua
To one azumbre of water, four ounces of honey; you must cast in the same spices as for the other clarea; you must give it a boil with the honey over the fire, and hen it is off the fire you must cast in the spices.

Spices for Clarea
3 parts cinnamon, 2 parts cloves, 1 part ginger Libre del Coch (1529, Roberto de Nola translated by Lady Brighid ni Chiarain)

I used the above translation of the original Catalan recipe and considered the advice of several others who have made this drink, but adjusted the spice proportions to suit my tastes.

My redaction: Take 2 litres of water and add 170g honey.  Boil for 3 or so minutes and take the scum off the water.  Throw in ¼ teaspoon of roughly broken cloves, ½ teaspoon of roughly bashed cinnamon stick, a tiny fraction of a pinch of ginger.  Let steep until lukewarm, strain through 2 layers of thick linen, bottle and refrigerate.

Due to the honey used, there was a slight chemical aftertaste.  However, the addition of a tablespoon of white sugar eliminated the “tang” without substantially affecting the sweetness of the clary.
Verdict: This proved to be a light and refreshing non-alcoholic beverage, that was very pleasant to drink when chilled while watching the tourney and room temperature during the feast. It is also fairly quick and easy to make, with ingredients regularly in my pantry, meaning it is the sort of thing that can be made the evening before (or indeed morning of) an event.”

Resources

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PGC2019 Mistress katherine kerr’s headroll, veil, and earrings

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My mother Caterina Mocenigo was from a well-regarded Venetian family, and her wedding cassone houses a number of lovely items once hers. She wore this headware in honour of the Queen of Cyprus, whose funeral procession was one of the largest ever seen in La Serenissima.

I wanted to make a small head roll and veil, but I wasn’t inspired until I saw a Bellini painting (ca 1500) of Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus. Rather than a plain roll, Caterina sports a black, white and gold one, variously described as brocade or damask or embroidered. The roll is securely shoved down over a closely fitted cap made up of what looks to me like alternating bands of lace, or possibly lacis in net. (Partridge, in the Art of Renaissance Venice, pg 96, describes it as damask, so take your pick!) A coronet crowns the whole ensemble. Underneath it all are two very fine gossamer black veils.
I liked the idea of a decorated roll, and of multiple parts to the headwear allowing different looks. Another, unattributed, painting of Caterina appears to show a similar roll (or possibly a cap?) worn much further back on her head with a different veil beneath. (One thing I learned when researching this was the assertion that women wore their ears covered by veils to maintain chastity, this being the route the Holy Ghost took to impregnate the Blessed Virgin Mary!) 
My head roll is in Sir Radbot’s colours, being part of a consort ensemble of a black coat, tabbed bodice and Venetian brocade skirt. The black ribbon and pearl earrings I’m wearing are modeled off the ones worn by the Lady with Squirrel by Montemezzano. The roll bears one of our favour pins at centre. The remaining decorations came from long-stashed stuff; the wool was scored at one of Southron Gaard’s beggar markets.
The accompanying veil is silk chiffon, chosen for its sheerness and drape. The edges were stabilised with starch; Master William de Wyk demonstrated how to extract starch by heavily kneading a flour and water dough, then washing the starch out of it; that makes a clearer solution than the common approach of boiling cornflour and water. Ironing a starch-dampened edge onto brown paper made it a lot easier to cut a straight line and to press a fold into this most uncooperative fabric.
Caterina Cornaro paintings: https://theconversation.com/hidden-women-of-history-caterina-cornaro-the-last-queen-of-cyprus-108495
Another Bellini depiction of Caterina (far left) wearing the same roll: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Miracolo_della_reliquia_della_Croce_al_ponte_di_San_Lorenzo_di_Gentile_Bellini,_dettaglio_(4).JPG

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PGC2019 Mistress katherine kerr’s bond of manrent, and amendments

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The Bond of Manrent between Sir Radbot and me has been extended with an addendum to hold force unto May Crown ASLV. I have been recording Sir Radbot’s tournament wins and losses at both Crown events and the Baronial monthly wappenshaws. To that I have  attached some momentos of the Rose Tourneys he has entered.

The on-going record of Sir Radbot’s tournament standings, and any subsequent honours, is being recorded in the form of an Elizabethan-style jousting cheque, partially in Latin. The script is a secretary hand with sepia (squid-derived) ink using a dip pen.
I had surmised that period contracts would have extensions and assumed these would be cut and sealed onto the originals or sewn together; I have seen examples of manorial accounts and correspondence tied together for archiving. More recently I came across an example of parchment and paper amendments sewn to an original indentured deed of conveyance concerning the sale of land in Stratford in 1611. 
Bargain and sale deed:http://collections.shakespeare.org.uk/search/archive/er2711-bargain-and-sale-wood-street-stratford-04121611-item/page/114

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PGC2019 Mistress katherine kerr’s bracelets

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My father spent much of his life in Europe, as a member of the Scots Guard at the French court, then as a hired soldier and engineer-trader in Italy. I found this string of Baltic amber chips in his coffer after he died and had them made into bracelets. 
I had a very long string of Baltic amber chips waiting for a suitable project. I don’t play Viking so didn’t expect to use them, but a mention of amber bracelets in Shakespeare has inspired me into action. So I have strung on silk groups of the chips interspersed with freshwater pearls; this is a common style for the 16C in both Venice and Scotland. Bracelets were generally worn in matching sets, so I made two for me; an additional one was a tad long so it has been donated to Baronial largesse.

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PGC2019 Mistress katherine kerr’s pennants

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It is important, when taking to the field in a tournament for the Crown, that people know who is contesting. These pennants identify my contract with Sir Radbot von Borg, bearing our arms and a shared sigil.

Matching heraldic pennants for tourney display have been upgraded from the vinyl stick-on rats we used at May Crown! Painted flags and pennants were commissionable items, as Cennini mentions in The Craftsman’s Handbook. The cats are modelled on the 12-14C manuscript marginalia we used on our large tourney banner; the rat-chasing-cat-chasing-rat motif comes from a 1610 emblem book by Sebastián de Covarrubias Horozco, representing a world turned topsy-turvey:
Anda agora el mundo tal
que no se cual va tras cual

It’s upside-down!
Now, who can say
Who’s the chaser
And who the prey?

I prefer to think of a contemporaneous adage which warned that “when the cat and the rat join forces, the farmer should beware!”

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PGC2019: Mistress katherine kerr’s gifts to her consort

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I have promised to be a generous consort to Sir Radbot von Borg and, on learning that he lacked suitable items to bring to table, I have begun work to rectify that.

I made a ratbag and ratkerchief, to go with a feast kit set (rat-marked market wallet, trencher, cutlery roll, bag and napkin) I presented to Sir Radbot at Coronation. The kerchief is of linen with a simple lace edging; the bag is linen with ties in his livery colours. Both bear an embroidered rat as a charge from Sir Radbot’s arms.

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PGC2019 Baronial Challenge

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Nice Little Touches:the Southron Gaard “Persona Gubbins*” A&S Challenge


“The object of art is to give life a shape.”

We know that sometimes people find it hard to “use” their persona at events, or to make their persona relevant to their SCA “game play”.  In this challenge we invite you to use your persona (or someone else’s) to investigate that persona’s world, in order to create small items that you might carry to or use at events to enhance our SCA “game”.

*Gubbins, meaning small items, easily picked up and carried about (mid-16th century word, from the obsolete gobbon ‘piece, slice, gob’, from Old French; probably related to gobbet).  Not to be used in connection with live small animals.
Thanks to Shakespeare and others for the quotes used here throughout.

This Challenge is brought to you by Meisterin Christian Baier, Baroness Isabel Maria del Aguila, Lady Amabillia Threxton, under the gracious patronage of Her Excellency Baroness Ginevra.

We would like to thank Lady Cecily for the inspiration of her excellent and amusing A&S Pentathlon upon which we have shamelessly, but with permission, borrowed.
We would also like to thank those Southron Gaard Laurels who have kindly offered to sponsor small prizes or tokens.


The Challenge:

What to enter: You may enter the challenge by completing one (or more) small objects or items from the categories below.  

“Small” may be defined as you choose, and may include “medium”, “large”, and “gosh, look at the size of that thing” projects.

Entries should be new projects (i.e. not entered in previous competitions/challenges).

All items should be for use at an SCA event.

Items may be for your persona, or for the persona of the person for whom the item is intended.

Who can enter: Anyone!
Entries are welcomed from adults, children and youth. 
For any who are not members of the populace of Southron Gaard, please note that her Excellency has decided this Challenge is also open to entry from those not resident in our fair Barony, as it is not your fault that you are so disadvantaged.

Items may be made or performed by an individual, or by a group. 

How to enter:
Submit the following information to aandschallenge@sg.sca.org.nz
1) a photograph of the item, and
2) a few brief notes about the item and the persona that inspired it.  OR 
You might find the form below useful as to suggested content of those notes.  The form can be found here as a google form, or requested via the above email address, or from the August 2019 edition of From the Tower https://sg.sca.org.nz/docs/ftt/ Formal documentation is not required, but is welcome (because we’re all curious people who want to read it).
Child and youth entries should be entered with assistance of parents.

When to enter:  Enter now! All projects must be completed by Baronial Anniversary 2020 Midwinter 2020.  Challenge Extended

Your recognition:  All entrants will be awarded a special token at Baronial Anniversary 2020. 
Those entrants who complete three projects, and those who complete five projects, from at least two distinct categories listed below, will receive an additional token. 
Some of our local Southron Gaard Laurels have generously offered to award small prizes or tokens to the entry of their choice.

Categories:

1. Do you think because you are virtuous, that there shall be no more cakes and ale?
An item of food or drink your persona may have grown, prepared, consumed, or known of.

2. With silken coats, and caps, and golden rings, with ruffs, and cuffs, and farthingales, and things.
A garment your persona may have worn.

3. When I am forgotten, as I shall be, and sleep in dull cold marble, … Say, I taught thee.
The teaching or sharing of knowledge or skills that your persona would have had, for example, classes, published articles etc.

4. With scarfs, and fans, and double change of bravery, With amber bracelets, beads, and all this knavery.
An accessory your persona may have owned, made, used, or gifted.

5. All the world‘s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.
A performance of a persona-appropriate piece (song, poem, play, saga, tale, dance, etc); formal or informal, individual or group.

6. What revels are in hand? Is there no play, To ease the anguish of a torturing hour?
Games, toys, and other such entertainments.

7. ‘Fore God, you have here a goodly dwelling and a rich.
Items your persona may have had in their home: housewares, furniture, feast gear, table wear, lighting, and such like.

8. This is the excellent foppery of the world
Develop a repertoire of vernacular language, appropriate to your persona, for use at events, e.g. oratory, witticism, oaths, braggery, vernacular phrases, boasts, etc.

9. To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet,…
At your toilette: hairstyling, make up, beauty products, skincare, ointments, unguents, perfumes, etc.  Also items associated with bathing, cleanliness, etc: e.g. soaps, cleaning tools or products, laundering, etc for people, houses, livestock etc.

10. Is this a dagger I see before me?
Items for self-defence or martial activities.
11. Get thee to a nunnery
Religious or spiritual items, e.g. momento mori, devotional items, etc.

12. A garish flag, to be the aim of every dangerous shot.
An item of heraldic display.

13. Throw physic to the dogs; I’ll have none of it.
Items associated with health, medicine, or wellbeing.

14. I do remember an apothecary…
And in his needy shop a tortoise hung,
An alligator stuff’d, and other skins
Of ill-shaped fishes; and about his shelves
A beggarly account of empty boxes,
Green earthen pots, bladders and musty seeds,
Remnants of packthread and old cakes of roses,
Were thinly scatter’d to make up a show.
An item used in an occupation, trade, or task, e.g. a tool, equipment, etc.

15. I’ll note you in my book of memory
A written item or document of some kind, e.g. a letter, a piece of calligraphy and illumination, etc.
In particular, we would also encourage you to put together your own commonplace book or similar item relevant to your persona (a commonplace book is a collection of notable extracts from other works, and everyday handy knowledge for your personal use at events e.g. song lyrics, game instructions, recipes to share, etc).


16. Sweet are the uses of adversity”    NEW CATEGORY
Research or practice an art, craft or past time that your persona might have undertaken whilst whiling away a siege (or plague).  (Please note that we cannot support the mis-use of live chickens as a plague cure (probable true story)).

Southron Gaard “Persona Gubbins” Arts and Sciences Challenge Entry Form

Name(s) (SCA and/or Mundane): …………………………………………………………………………………

If Child or Youth Entry (16 years and under), age:……………………………..………

For Child or Youth Entries, I ……………………………………………………………………………….. as guardian, give consent that the details, pictures and/or photos of this entry can be publicly displayed via the Southron Gaard A&S Challenge internet blog (note: personal mundane information will not be published).

Category (number(s)/name(s)): ………………………………………………………………….                                
Project (title and/or a brief description of the item): 

Materials and techniques (how was the item made and what materials were used): 

Persona Inspiration (when and where is the persona from, and how might they have used / experienced this item):If you are presenting this item as a surprise gift, to avoid spoiling that surprise, please advise the date the gift we can safely publish this item in the blog: 

This was so much fun, I would also like to enter this item in the Southron Gaard Baronial Arts and Sciences Championship 2020 (please see also the entry criteria for that Championship): 
Yes please! / Not this time thanks

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VPC2017: Meisterin Christian’s Skjoldehamn Hood

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This hood is presented for the categories The Neck Best Thing, Cover Me, One Metre Material Project (wool fabric), Counting (on) Sheep.

Meisterin Christian says:

I anticipated needing some additional warmth around my head and neck for the Fiery Knights event, but I didn’t have anything as I’m not a fan of hats or headwear.  I decided the most appropriate period choices seemed to be the Hedeby hood or the Skjoldehamn hood (whether or not the Skjoldehamn hood is Viking or Sami remains a matter of debate, however as both Viking and Sami occupied the area at the time (late Viking-period), some concordance may not be out of the question).  I wanted the hood to go with the red wool Viking coat I made for cold nights at camp, and remembered that somewhere I had scraps of that fabric.  Upon excavating my fabric stash, I found I had two strips of the fabric, each about 90x30cm.  This ruled out the Hedeby hood, but was pretty much the same size as the fabric for the Skjoldehamn hood. I decided to make the hood as close to the original as possible to the original to better understand how the period garment was constructed and might have been worn.  The construction of this hood is not quite as simple as it may seem, however I could easily have completed the garment in less than one day if I’d had the opportunity to do so.


The original hood is comprised of a square of wool about 60×60 cm, which was folded in half and sewn together along the top and down the back (of the head), with a slit at the lower front and open seam at the lower back into which square gores approx 30×30 cm were inserted, and the front of the hood was slit open for the face opening.  Since I had two strips 90×30 I had the right amount of fabric, but the hood had to be sewn together (rather than slit open) at the front as well as the back.  The person who had worn the original hood was probably an adult around 5 ft high (just a few inches shorter than me) so I thought I’d make the hood the same size, but with slightly smaller seam allowances.  The finished hood is snug and comfortable but not tight, and covers the top of my shoulders, chest and back just fine, so the sizing seems good.  I do find it a little difficult to lower and raise the hood but that is largely due to my ponytail.


I constructed the hood as close to the original as information allowed, e.g. all the seams were sewn from the outside, by turning the seam allowances in along the top and back of the head of the hood, and along the gores and sewing the outside of the seam with in an overcast stitch.  The original was described as a non-decorative stitch; I used some wool sewing thread that was a close match for the fabric colour so the resulting seam was definitely not decorative, and mostly invisible. All the seams in the hood other than along the top of the head were then opened out, and stitched from the outside with an alternating, slightly diagonal running stitch which was also non-decorative.  This essentially flattens out the seam allowances and holds them flat on the inside of the hood.  This is an effectively way to ensure they don’t stick out and catch on the wearer’s hair.


Along the top of the head of the original hood there are several rows of running stitch that go across the top of the head, and then “dip” to follow the curve of the back of the head, creating what some call a “cockscomb” effect.  It has been speculated that this was intended to make the hood sit better, and further forward on the head.  I replicated these stitches, although I did not take the final line of stitching so deep at back as the original so as to accommodate my topknot ponytail.  This “cockscomb” did indeed seem to keep the hood more snug and more forward, but this might just have been because it fit closer around the head.  We will never know if this was intended in the original, or was this originally done to e.g. “downsize” the hood to fit the specific wearer.


I had to depart from the original construction technique in needing to overcast all raw edges (other than the top seam which was enclosed inside the lines of running stitch) as my fabric was quite “sleazy” (thanks to Baroness Eleonora for this weaving term meaning a ” fabric with a very loose weave which has a tendency to come apart at the slightest provocation”).  I used a simple overcast stitch again in the same thread so this is largely inconspicuous.


At the face opening of the original hood a narrow seam allowance was turned in, and a non-decorative cord (i.e. not a contrasting colour) was couched around the edge of the seam allowance of opening on the inside with a decorative couching (i.e. contrasting) stitch.  The original decorative stitch changes colour at one point, as if the maker ran out of the first coloured thread.  I choose to use one decorative colour (in this case the pale gold wool that was used to decorate my coat) as it would otherwise look odd to modern eyes.  It seemed a shame to miss out on the opportunity to use a decorative cord around the face as well (other garments in the original outfit have some highly decorative touches, and the hood seems somewhat under-decorated by comparison), but I found in my stash a cord of a slightly different red wool which I’d made for another project.  This was then subtly decorative, hopefully satisfying both me and the original.


The lower edge of the original hood was not folded under, merely overcast along the cut edge.  My sleazy fabric was not stable enough to do this, so I had to fold under a small hem.  One source says the original hem was overcast with a stitch that was “parallel to the thread”, so I used a simple blanket stitch.  In the original this overcasting is not decorative, but I used the pale gold-coloured wool again to match the decoration on my coat as by this time the hood was looking a bit plain and not very “matchy” with the coat.  I’m still not sure how I feel about this and may yet change that.


The original hood has two cords attached to the outside, described as being placed “under the ears”.  There is speculation among archaeologists and reenactors as to what these cords are for (e.g. pulling the hood closed around the face, pulling it open by tying at the back of the neck / head) but it was noted that there is little wear apparent so it is assumed that the cords on this particular hood were not much used.  I did have some cord left over from my coat which just happened to be the right length for these.  I pinned the cords on to the hood and tried the hood on, pulling the cords both forward and back.  I decided I didn’t really have much need to pull the hood closed (no snow storms expected) or keep it open (I preferred to pull it down around my neck for temperature control and to avoid impeding my peripheral vision), and since the cords really annoyed me dangling either side of my head I took them off and put them in the naughty corner, from where they may or may not be attached at a later date.

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VPC2017: Meisterin Christian’s Child’s Smock

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This entry is presented for the categories Child’s Play: Out of Your Comfort Zone (Embroidery), One Metre Material Project (linen and lace), Give What You Get, and  Togs, Togs, Undies.

Meisterin Christian says:

I  have been interested in the lovely late 16thC linen shirts with silk insert embroidery stitches, but alas this is too late for the clothes I wear in the SCA.  I decided to make one for my goddaughter for 2017 Midwinter Coronation, both as a gift to her and also as an experiment to learn more about these shirts and their construction.  I was also looking for a project to take with me on a 4WD camping trip at Easter.  (What I should have taken was the Skjoldehamn hood (although I hadn’t even thought about making it at that point), as trying to hand sew a white linen shirt outdoors in crepuscular light and a windy, wet, muddy environment was not ideal.)


I worked from several extant women’s smocks and boys shirts in Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion 4, and a girl’s smock pattern in the Tudor Tailor.  As the child was only 2 years old I had to scale down the extant patterns in size, but still leave room for growth as the event was some months away.  There was always a chance that her growth would not be linear and the smock would either swamp her or be too small (I had backup plans for either scenario).  Also chances were, that given the pace of growth for toddlers and the number of SCA events each year, she might also only be able to wear the smock once.


The extant shirts and smocks are made of white tabby woven linen in various thread counts.  I made this shirt from less than 1 metre of such linen; offcuts from one of my own smocks.  I imagine that women in period, who we know often made shirts and smocks for their family (even if tailors or servants made their other clothes), would have used remnants in the same way for their children.


Each pattern piece in the original was hemmed first, with narrow (~3mm) hems and then the pieces were sewn together with the coloured silk in a decorative stitch.  Due to the light and mud (see above) the hems done in the field weren’t always 3 mm, but once back in the real world the later hems were nice and tiny.  There is no reference in Janet Arnold to the stitch used to hem the originals so I used a simple whip stitch with a white linen hand sewing thread; these stitches are essentially invisible in the completed piece.


Due to the less than optimal sewing conditions outdoors, the many small pattern pieces, and the danger of losing pins in the muddy grass, I loosely slip-stitched the hemmed pieces together before stitching the pieces together permanently with the insertion stitches.  Given the child is generally energetic, it seemed a little reinforcement to the slightly fragile embroidery stitches might be a good idea.  It’s entirely possible that this could have been done in period; the tacking stitches are also virtually invisible in the completed garment.


For the insertion stitches (that join the garment pieces together) I decided not to use silk because of the cost (since the child might only wear the shirt once) and because a toddler’s clothes are likely to need some serious laundering.  I substituted DMC embroidery thread, which I was assured would be colour fast even in nappy-soaking chemicals (so far, so good).  Having surveyed the silk colours of extant garments in Janet Arnold, I tended to a crimson, and with the help of the child’s mother and other godmothers selected a colour we all liked. Late period embroidery is definitely outside my comfort zone.  Having looked at the embroidery on various extant garments, and searched for information on period techniques, I experimented with a few until I found stitches that I liked.  Some of the extant shirts also have decorative embroidery on parts of the garments other than the seams (e.g. sleeves), and/ or also alongside the insertion work on the seams.  Given the child may only wear the shirt once or twice, I decided the additional work was probably not warranted.


The remnants I had were not enough to cut the sleeves in one piece so I had to piece them. I’m sure this would not be uncommon in period for economic reasons. Initially I planned to put the additional seam at the back of the sleeve where it would not be obvious, but then I decided to make a feature of it by putting it at the front and embroidering the seam which would add interest if the shift was worn with an open front sleeve.  I started my embroidery here. I decided I really liked the alternating triple stitch buttonhole stitch so I played around with the stitch until I found a technique that produced the right look and was easy to maintain in a steady stitching rhythm.  I sewed a couple of inches and decided that it was too large a scale for such  small garment, so unpicked it and went to double stitches.  Once I’d sewn the whole seam I realised it was really red and overwhelming, and then recalled a shirt that had a white linen thread stitched over the insertion silk embroidery on one shirt, and for which I’d thought – why would you do that?  Why use practical white linen thread decoratively on top of red silk?  Now I wonder if the embroiderer thought as I did that there was too much red in that stitch, and it needed more contrast from the white.  The stitch was also (comparatively) very slow and used a lot of thread, so I decided it wasn’t going to work for the whole shirt.  I decided to change to a single alternating stitch for the rest of the shirt. Its not clear if different insertion stitches were used in different parts of the same shirt, but it is clear that decorative embroidery used a variety of stitches on the same garment, so I went with the change.  It also made more of a feature of the centre front sleeve seams.  After some experimentation I chose a pretty standard looking insertion stitch (essentially an alternating blanket stitch with another stitch into the intersection to “knot it off”).


The body and sleeves were gathered into a collar and cuffs to make the smock more comfortable for the wearer.  For the same reason I choose to attach a flat band of lace to the collar and cuffs.  I briefly contemplated making the lace, but since the child might only wear this once, that seemed unwise. Ties at the cuffs and collar in the original garment were inserted through sewn eyelets, but I figured a toddler would have those out and lost within minutes, so instead I sewed soft tape ties on as neck and wrist closures.

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