After months of work, I am very, VERY, happy to announce that Foundations Revealed has published its first issue! And what a blockbuster lineup it is too! :D



Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to eat some celebratory chocolate.

Just a little note to say that I am swamped getting the new magazine, Foundations Revealed, ready for its big launch tomorrow at 10 am EDT.... Hence the scarce posting, limited comments and general not replying to email.

But, I will have the handout packets for my KWCS classes (Frauenrock and Wappenrock) available for download on Friday, the 16th at the latest.

I spent a good part of the morning packing this up and getting it ready to mail to an undisclosed country in Europe. Some lucky woman is getting this as a present from her sweetheart who tracked me down from a comment I made on a picture on Flickr of my A&S display from KASF 2009.

The top row is a Steuchlein, all silk. The top is a sheer silk organza with gold silk floss woven in a check, lined with a fine white silk, the face border is the same white silk. The binding veil is silk organza. The picture on the far left is a detail of a pen sketch by Hans Suess von Kulmbachs, early 1500's, and was my inspiration for this Steuchlein.

The bottom row is a Bundlein, fine white linen. This is based on many different pictures of Bundlein, but this particular one is a detail of a woodcut by Erhard Schoen, G.1213 Lanquenet and Wife c. 1535, from the German Single-leaf Woodcuts.

Both veils are over the same Wulsthaube (egg shaped). Its pretty amazing how you can get such different  looks just by changing the veil!


With the Steuchlein, getting the front to look nice is easy, getting the back to look right is what is hard!  
Its become a re-enactor fashion amongst some groups to just tie the front and leave the back dangling like a veil, but I haven't found an documentation that ladies did this in the historical period.

I find a headform essential for making these as I'm able to play with the fabric and get it to look right. I have my reference pictures sitting to one side of my work table, and the Steuchlein on the headform in front of me and I play with the back draping until it looks right. This one took me about 3 hours to determine the right way to get the fabric to cover the top and sides of  the Wulsthaube smoothly, and cover the bottom of the Wulsthaube so that it wouldn't show.  I'm not 100% happy with it, but it looks OK.


 Making a Steuchlein like the gold check one above requires a lot of patience and knowledge of the fabric properties that you are working with. A finer, more fluid silk would have a different finish in the back than this organza which was quite firm, but pleats beautifully.

Ultimately, this is a piece of clothing, so it has  to be able to be worn.  In my usual fashion, I made a sample Steuchlein before the ordered one, and wore it around the house for a bit to make sure that I could actually put it on without help, and take it off smoothly (two important tests!).  Those  tests completed, I made the one for the customer and sent it off this morning. 

I know that there are some authors who are really upset about Google Books, but for researchers its a wonderful tool!

Google has started adding old editions of the Anzeiger des Germanischen Nationalmuseums 1902-1903, By Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nürnberg

And I found this, Dorothea Hanns Wynnterin household inventory from 1486.

Lots of bedding, and some clothes, as well as a few paternosters. They also mention Sturtzen, including several different kinds, I'll have to look into this later.

In the category of "Odd Things Spanish" for tattycat and dona_violante


Brigid Rio, age 50, a bearded lady, 1590. Great depiction of lower class women's garb, love the detailing on the sleeves.

Italian, but check out the beans, they have little black eyes!
Annibale Carracci The Beaneater, 1580-90

This looks very promising!
from Conservation Information Network (BCIN)

Author: Petrascheck-Heim, Ingeborg
Title Article/Chapter: "Die Meisterstückbücher des Schneiderhandwerks in Innsbruck"
Title Translated English: "The "Masterpiece-Books" of the tailor guild in Innsbruck"
Title of Source: Veröffentlichungen des Museum Fernandeum
AATA Number: 15-1193
Date of Publication: 1970
Page Numbers: 159-218
Language Text: German
Subject Label: History
Abstract: Since the 13th and 14th centuries regulations were created by all trades concerning admission to a trade and its practice. This resulted in guilds and trade unions which also provided social assistance in cases of illness or death. To acquire the title of "Master" the apprentice had to produce masterpieces to prove his ability. The Archives of the City of Innsbruck contain in the Council Records of the 16th cent., detailed elaboration of the Rules of the Tailor Guild. Several Masterpiece Books, most of which go back to 1545 are preserved in the Fernandeum. These books contain accounts on materials used. In 1777 the Innsbruck Tailor Guild abolished the requirement of using the masterpieces at examinations. A new Masterpiece Book was introduced in 1779 with patterns and models of contemporary fashions. -- AATA

Two online dissertations, one which I think Katherine has mentioned before...

The Hüpsch Costume Collection in the Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, 17th century Johan Pietsch 2008, 344 pages, PDF. Click the image of the page to download it.

Herr Pietsch is also the author of the "Zwei Schauben" book.

Abstract: The thesis is about 23 tops of costumes from the 17th century in the Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, which come from a collector called Baron von Hüpsch. As there are no written sources on the costumes, the technological research of all garments is the main topic. The results make it possible to explain the development of tailoring techniques in the 17th century. Also the costumes are related to the history of costume in the 17th century. A catalogue with all the technological analysis and pattern drawings is included as well.


Although it is post 1600, a lot of the construction techniques and pattern shapes would also work for pre-1600. Does include pictures of the original garments, at the end, as well as line drawings of the pattern shapes and the materials they are made from. Includes tablet weaving diagrams, lace making and tailoring details. The pattern drawings include the various layers, and decoration diagrams.

Several of the garments look to be the same as are in the 17th c Abbegg book from the exhibt last year, only this thesis is FREE!

Some of the later 17th c women's garments in this thesis look like they could have been props in a Vermeer painting.



Bedeutung und Wirkung der schwarzen Bekleidungsfarbe in Deutschland zur Zeit des 16. JahrhundertsBremen, 2005 Trans: Meaning and effect of black clothing color in Germany at the time of the 16th Century

Contains information about the importance of the color black, but also contains clothing inventories and clothing regulations specifically dealing with color from a wide range of decades in the 16th century

I really like this technique from Burda style that uses old ties, looks very Steampunk. The great thing about its that it would be a wonderful use for scrap pieces of silk, or smaller remnants that one has in the stash.

Over the weekend I've been working updating my website so that the new site has all the information that the old site has, and putting the referrer URL's in the system so that all the search engine links and folks bookmarks will point to the new pages. Painful, but necessary!

This afternoon, I've been going through beothuk's pictures of Avacal's investiture, which landsknecht_po and his lovely wife rectangularcat did the stepping up clothes for.

dameroseline did an interesting thing in her Cranach dress class at Costume College, where she took pictures of modern reproductions that she had collected and we did a "Spot what's wrong with this dress excercise" to help develop an eye for getting the harmonious whole.
It was a great idea, not sure I'm bold enough to do it myself in my next class! I'm not sure I could pull it off without someone getting offended.

Which brings me to my pet peeve list for current German reenactor clothing:
- Waistlines too low on dresses and 'rock
- Hair down loose when it should be in braids, or up.
- Hats the wrong size or the wrong colors, or the wrong style to go with the outfit.

Edited to add It occurred to me that it may appear that I'm faulting landsknecht_po's tailoring. I'm not, his stuff is fine. My comments pertain to the populace and other instances of German re-enactor clothing around the world.

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I think my next articles will be on how to get the waistline in the right place.

More than the fit, getting the waistline in the right spot makes such a huge difference in the look of the garment. Don't get me wrong, fit is important too, but bodies change over time, we put on weight and lose it, folks did back then too. But the waistline stays at the same spot even when it changes sizes.

Its really all about proportion and getting the horizontal lines right.

If I have a pale peach/pink wool, and overdye it with a kelly green acid dye, will it end up a green, or will it turn brownish?

I'm switching webhosts today, so my website may experience some issues as the domain name servers propagate.

Also, not all content is up on the new site, but I'm working on it!

All the Red Carpet by Meryl pictures are up!

Red Carpet, set one

Red Carpet, set two

Meryl's snapshots

One good picture of my in my orange silk ball gown, whereupon I look as if I have NO figure. Yet another reason why I'm working out every day and re-starting WW.

Now that I've had two good night's sleep, plus a nice long nap yesterday, my brain can actually tell my fingers how to type again and I feel relatively coherent.

No the Pennsic un-packing and laundry isn't done yet, the only reason the car is unloaded is because that was the first thing Matt did on Sunday morning so he could wash and vacuum the car (gotta love the in-home car detail service!).

Now its just trying to figure out what the priorities are, and what to start on first! I came back from Costume College with so many great ideas of things I want to do or incorporate into my teaching that its really hard to figure out where to start. Finishing my personal website upgrade is a high priority for this week, Your Wardrobe Unlock'd takes precedence next week with future planning the week after that.... The sewing machine needs a tuneup and cleaning, traveling really throws the tension off.

Cathy and I had a great time coming up with some wonderful ideas about where we want to take the magazine and make it so much better than it is right now. I have to say that I'm LOVING being the Editor, and I can't wait to see how the magazine changes over the next year!


Thoughts for next summer:
- Costume College OR Pennsic, but not both!
- I need a quiet calm space to refresh myself each day, a tent at Pennsic within earshot of the freeway is not it!
- Finishing your ball gown just a few days before wearing it incurs more stress, but guarantees that it will fit, regardless of how many desserts one ate at the in-laws.

I made it back safely to Maine last night from Costume College in LA. After sleeping on the plane most of yesterday, and getting a great night's sleep, I feel world's better!

Today its pack up and start driving to Pennsic, we should get there tomorrow. Yes, I'm certifiably crazy to be packing things in like this, but its loads of fun!

I should be back online on Monday.

I was asked recently if I had any information on 13th century Northern German clothing. In the process of looking for that, I ran across these two manuscripts from University of Heidelberg that were just so neat I had to share them.

	Cod. Pal. germ. 389 Thomasin von Zerclaere Der welsche Gast, Bayern (Regensburg?), 1256 An earlier manuscript (by 50 years) than Codex Manesse
	Cod. Pal. germ. 794 -[Ulrich] Boner- Edelstein 1410/1420 I love the stripes on the dresses in this one, so unusual. Also, its has several representations of the ruffle-edged veils that are seen in statuary.

I know I've got a lot of readers who are Dutch enthusiasts, so I thought I'd share a great resource that I came across today.

If I had to describe it in terms of resources that folks are already familiar with, its like the Dutch version of the Austrian RealOnline, or the French Joconde . Its got a nice section of descriptive words that you can use to search the collection.

Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie

Chose RKD Images, and be sure to click on the British flag in the top left corner to change the labels to English.


To start your search, I'd recommend searching by "Period made" and then finding an image that is similar to what you are searching for, looking at its key word descriptions and then searching by those.

You all know I'm crazy, right? So I can't just buy a corset pattern, no, I have to draft my own, based off of a patent no less..

The ball gown I'm making for Costume College is from 1898, so I found a corset patent from that year, I chose
Patent number:611,116, 1898 which is an improvement on Patent number: 97418, 1869 the orginal patent for the "Thomson's Glove fitting Corset.


I've been working on the patterning and mock-up over the last week, and finally tried it on today. Its quite comfy and it gives great support to the diaphram!

( Pictures and commentary behind the cut )
Just today, I found pictures of one that had been for sale, that showed me that I need to adjust the lower edge, and that should make the lines look right.

I think I'll keep the busk length as is at 11.5 inches, any longer I think its going to start poking me when I sit down. Also, reading the Warner Brother's Corset catalog from 1898-9, the majority of their busks are in the 10.5-11.5 range.

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EDT: After wearing it for a bit longer this afternoon, I decided that the hip shape is fine, but the upper edge needs to come up 1.5 inches in the front to combat spillage.

No, I haven't gone Vegetarian on you, I'm testing out vegetable recipes for the feast on the 27th.
We have one vegetarian that has registered, so we do need at least one dish per course that they can eat.

Personally, I like the taste of the beans much more than the lentils.

From Rumpolt Vegetable Recipes
30. Take beans/ poach them in a water/ and pull the skins off
make them with a peabroth and good fresh butter/ also green
welltasting herbs/ that are chopped small/ let simmer therewith
and do not oversalt it/ so they will be good and welltasting.

I consulted with the experts on the Cooking Rumpolt Yahoo group as to which would be the proper type of bean and they recommended either Fava or Black Eyed Peas. I went with Black Eyed Peas.


Take 1/2 c black eyed peas and bring them to a boil for a minute or two until you see the skins start to losen. Remove from heat and drain in a colander, rinse with cold water. Rub beans between your hands and remove some of the skins.

Put back in the pot and add 1 1/2 c vegetable broth, 1/2 T butter and 1 t dried parsley.

Simmer for 30 mins or until beans are tender.

Notes: I like this dish, it certainly has potential. As this is just a sample recipe, I didn't make a lot. I fully suspect this will not be the finished recipe. The poaching doesn't seem to have made much of a difference, except to have perhaps removed some of the earthy flavor of the black eyed peas. I used parsley as a good tasting green herb, I wonder what else would be good to use?

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125 Take lentils/ wash them fine clean/ and soak them. Take also a good beef-broth/ let simmer/ cut onion and a little garlic into it/ so that it comes nice and thick/ and when it is cooked/ so put green well-tasting herbs/ that have been chopped fine/ thereto/ and cooked bacon/ let it simmer therewith/ so it becomes good and tasty. You can also cook lentils without onion/ how one likes to eat it/ so it may be prepared.

1/2 c dried lentils, rinsed.
1 1/2 c vegetable broth
onion and garlic (I didn't really measure)
Simmer until lentils are done.
Add parsley.

Notes: Its just sort of a dish that makes me go "Eh." It probably needs the beef broth and the bacon to make it pop.

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Rumpolt Salads
44.Take radish / and cut it small/ broad and thin/ poach it in
water/ cool it / season it with oil/ vinegar and salt. You may sprinkle it
with sugar or not.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Slice the radishes thin. Poach radishes in boiling water for 2 mins. Remove and let cool.
Drizzle with a dressing made with oil and vinegar, with salt and sugar to taste.

Notes: I tested both the red skinned type radish and the white daikon type radish, I like the taste of the red skinned radish the best. The dressing needs work.

I'm off looking for more information about the wines noted in Sabina Welserin's recipes. I found this book of recipe collections from 1574 that the University of Heidelberg has digitized. Its not transcribed, and in a period hand, making it hard to read. On the other hand, its a really cool digital find!

Cod. Pal. germ. 245 Hans Roller / Helene von Hanau-Münzenberg, Rezeptsammlungen, Amberg, um 1574

Contents
Front Cover
1r Meister Hans Roller, gemammt Deumlein, recipe collection
2r 935 medical recipes against various diseases
108r Countess Helene of Hanau-Münzenberg, recipe collection
109r 261 recipes for various diseases
157r 14 recipes for various diseases
160r 23 recipes for various diseases
167v 22 recipes to diseases of the breast
170V 16 recipes for healing
173v 3 recipes against sorcery
175r 76 recipes for various diseases
Rear Cover
Back

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Edited to add:
I have got to learn how to read period hands! The University of Heidelberg has digitized about 45 pre-1600 medicinal recipe collections, all hand written.

If this question was about a dress, the issue would be easy as I'd be the only one inflicting the results upon, but the question is about a dish for a feast for 80 people...

For the Baronial Birthday event, I'm researching and preparing the recipes and menu primarily from Sabina Welserin's 1553 cookbook and some vegetable recipes out of Rumpolt. Mistress Kailyn Fitzwarin and help are cooking the feast, and I'll cooking the sauces and some of the desserts the week before.

This week, I've been working on the last few recipes for the menu. Yesterday, I made 89 To make a strawberry tart last night and brought it to Activities Night for people to sample it. It appears to be a hit, I certainly like it!
The recipe from Sabina Welserin's cookbook, 1553
Make a pastry shell and let it become firm in the tart pan. Afterwards take strawberries and lay them around on top as close together as possible, after that sweeten them especially well. Next let it bake a short while, pour Malavosia over it and let it bake a while, then it is ready.

The recipe is pretty straight forward, but my question is in regards to the pastry shell.

None of the pastry shell recipes (recipe # 128 and 61) that Sabina has written down has sugar in it. The one I made last night has 2 tablespoons sugar in it, the result is a yummy sweet crust. Other than that, my recipe is pretty much identical with flour, butter, water and one egg.

The reason I didn't use the recipe right out of Sabina is that I felt a sweeter pastry shell would enhance the flavor of the strawberries better, making for a better whole dish taste.

However, now I'm feeling conflicted. Should I make it without sugar? With sugar?
When it comes to cooking for a feast (to be served at large), is it more important to have it be yummy first and authentic second?

My gut instinct for a feast is for it to be as authentic as possible, but not to sacrifice the yumminess. In short, yummy first and authentic second, but I'd like to hear other's thoughts.

If I'm making too big of a deal over 2T of sugar, feel free to tell me that too!