Class Handouts and a New Site!

Across the Ages has a new home! 

I did some house cleaning and spiffed the place up! Come take a look around. The old site is still up for now, but I will turning it down soon and everything can already be viewed at www.acrosstheages.net!

I've had a number of requests for copies of my class handouts, so in addition to the blog there is now a place to download handouts from classes I teach here.

So far there the classes I have included are:

INTRODUCTION TO MEDIEVAL SEWING

SPICE UP YOUR SLEEVES: SLEEVES STYLES OF THE LATE 14TH/EARLY 15TH CENTURIES

SETTING A GOTHIC TABLE

Keep Your Wood (Utensils) Healthy!

I was browsing Pinterest (because it was a day ending in 'y') and came across an article about caring for wooden utensils over at Bon Appetit Hon aptly titled, Wood Butter (a wonderful name).  I am now having a love affair with this silky, buttery, delicious smelling salve and I believe my wooden utensils are grateful I came to my senses.

I was so excited to get going on this project that I forgot to take 'before' pictures, but I assure you, my wooden spoons, bowls, and cutting boards were a sorry sight.  Several of them are easily forgotten since they spend most of their time in storage with the rest of my medieval dining ware.

Check out the full article over at Bon Appetit Hon for more details on how to make this Wood Butter, but here is a quick run-down with my goofs observations. 

You only need 2 ingredients and a few other materials:

• 4 oz.  Beeswax - I had a lot of beeswax pellets left over from a different project that I bought on Amazon. If you only have block beeswax, cut it up into some smaller chunks to help the melting process.
• 16 oz.Food Safe Mineral Oil - You can find this in your pharmacy with the laxatives.
• Large shallow pot for boiling water
• Heat safe glass container (like a Ball canning jar or Pyrex measuring cup)
• Stirring utensil - I used a bamboo grilling skewer
• Container to store the finished product
• Cloth to apply/buff your wooden utensils

Bring a pot with a few inches of water to a boil.  Put the beeswax in a heat safe glass jar (the original article used a Ball canning jar).  Since I didn't have a canning jar, I used a Pyrex measuring cup and had no trouble (also convenient for pouring). I used a low boil so the wax and the glass wouldn't get too hot and either catch fire or explode, so remember - safety first! Stir the beeswax until it is melted.  

Close your eyes and pretend this pot has actual boiling water and the glass actual beeswax instead of remnants. Well, maybe don't close your eyes...

Warm the mineral oil before adding it to the melted beeswax.  I heated mine up in the microwave, but not long enough, because when I poured it into the wax, it was cool enough to solidify the wax before I could stir them together. :-( 

I thought my experiment was doomed, but I took a leap of faith and put the Pyrex measuring cup back in the boiling water, complete with the blobby, waxy, oily mess I had created.  After a whole lot more stirring, the two heated up enough to emulsify. Hooray!

I poured the whole thing into a glass storage jar I had lying around and let it cool.

Wipe it onto any wood utensils or dishes that need a pick me up! I used a paper towel to apply and waited about 24 hours. Then I used a clean cloth to buff any excess off.    

The happy ending for my neglected wooden bowls and cutting boards.

Maybe I am itching for spring, but this project has gotten me looking for what other abandoned items I can find in my collection to revive! 

How To: Silk Facings

I include silk facings on almost all my garments. They are attractive, comfortable, and easy to make!

I use silk facings around neck openings, on buttonhole facings, and to bind armhole seams. I actually find it easier to create a neckline with a silk facing than without.  The facing helps conceal less than beautiful edges and seam allowances cut too small by you know who… :-)

I use this sample when teaching so the scale is enlarged, but you can see the two rows of running stitch along the top edge and the row of hem stitch on the bottom.

The basic idea of a facing is adding extra material to the edges of a small portion of a garment that serves as a lining.  In the 14th and 15th centuries (and modernly), facings are seen around necklines, wrist openings, and used to strengthen buttonholes. Modernly, facings can be the same fabric as the main garment or a contrasting fabric, but the example I use as inspiration for all my medieval facings is silk.

The image below is an extant piece excavated in London (Baynard's Castle site) and can be seen in the Museum of London's book, Textiles and Clothing: 1150-1450 (Crowfoot, Pritchard, and Staniland, Plate 2) .   This example is a fragment of a wool garment with a silk facing  5 mm wide. That is tiny! The facings I have made are about twice that size on average. 

Silk facing on wool, identified as part of a neck opening. 2nd quarter of the 14th century.
  Medieval Finds from Excavations in London : 4 Textiles and Clothing 1150-1450, Plate 2.

When purchasing fabric for facings, I look for a tabby woven silk that is white or off white. You want it to be light weight (so when you fold the edges over it doesn't add bulk), but not too transparent.  Depending on how many garments you make and the size of the facings, one yard of good silk can last a long time so feel free to spend a bit more on a silk that will be sturdy. I've used the same one yard of silk for many garments over several years and just recently had to buy more. 

Although necks and armholes are curved, cut the silk pieces straight along the grain.  This may seem counter intuitive,  but in the extant example above, the facing is cut on the straight of the grain and then worked around the curve to fit the opening.  All you need is a rectangle of silk that is a little longer than the opening you are facing (don't forget to add seam allowance to your measurements - been there, done that...).  Cutting the silk on the straight of the grain is why a small piece of silk will last for many garments - there is hardly any waste!

Working the silk around a curved edge isn't as difficult as it sounds - I just securely pin the facing in place and work slowly, adjusting as needed while I sew. Ironing the seam allowances over before pinning is a huge help when positioning the silk on the garment.

Each facing will need at least two rows of stitches (three is even better). One row of hem stitch along the bottom (inner) edge and one or two rows of running stitch along the top (outer) edge.

This is a neckline of one of my dresses.  It is red wool, lined in white linen with white silk facings. Forgive the pink tinge! Although I pre-washed the wool, it still bled onto the silk. Whoops!

This is a sleeve from the same dress (yikes! more pink!) showing the position of a facing for buttonholes. Notice how the facing is over the sleeve hem on the left. 

Want to have those cute cloth buttons to go along with your new silk facing? Check out how to make cloth buttons here.

That's all there is to it!  You can even add them to parts of completed garments to spruce them up!  Have fun!

Referenced Works:

Elisabeth Crowfoot, Frances Pritchard, and Kay Staniland, Medieval Finds from Excavations in London : 4 Textiles and Clothing 1150-1450, (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press) 2002.

How to Make a Fingerloop Lace

I need to make several laces for a project I'm working on - more on that soon - so I thought I would share how I make a basic fingerlooped lace.  I've included a bit of history on fingerloop braids followed by a tutorial to help guide you in making your own.  

Extant fingerloop braids can bee seen in artifacts from excavations from London as well as the on strings of reliquary purses. 

Fingerloop braids of 10 loops (left) and 14 loops (right), 13th and 14th centuries.
Although these examples are more than 5 loops, several examples have been found from the excavations in London made of 5 loops, all dated to the 14th century. 
Museum of London: Textiles and Clothing, pg139

Reliquary purse with multi-colored fingerloop cord, Italy, 15th century.
Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage #10069247, © KIK-IRPA, Brussels

I use a round lace made of 5 loops for the majority of my needs.  I find that this style is easy to learn, easy to execute, versatile, and strong. I make my laces of silk and they withstand a great deal of pressure in my fitted dresses.   The only lace I have broken - so far - was one I accidentally left in a dress and then ran it through the washing machine.  The spin cycle was too much and it broke in half. :-( 

The downside of using finger loops to make a lace is you need to complete the lace in one sitting.  If you put the loops down, they get mixed up easily.  I suppose you could create a rig to keep the loops from getting  tangled,  but I haven't found a good solution (if you have let me know!).   

This style of lace is described in a 15th century braiding manual (Directions for making many sorts of laces - MS Harley 2320) as a 'Lace common round of 5 bows.'  When originally researching this pattern, I found several places online that have the original wording and good translations including: Wire'n String, Silkwerk, and Fingerloop.org. 

I have included the transcription of the pattern I use from Wire'n String in this post for comparison, but if you are interested in more information about medieval fingerloop patterns, I highly recommend the above sites. 

For to make a round lace of v bowys: Do v bowys on þy fyngres as þu dedyst in þe brode lace. Þen schal A ryght take þorow B and C of þe same hond þe bowe C of þe lyfte hond reuersyd. Þen lowe þy lyfte bowys. Þen schal A lyft take þorow B and C of þe same hond þe bowe C of þe ryȝth hond reuerced. Þen lowe þy ryȝth bowys, & begyn aȝen.

I used trial and error to find my formula to determine the length of my loops.  I double the measurement of my desired finished length and then add the measurement of my finished braid on again for waste and to allow for shrinkage from braiding. It works out to:

Finished length of lace = A
(A x 2) + A = length of thread for one loop

For this lace my calculations are (in inches):
Finished length of lace = 14
14 x 2 = 28 + 14 = 42 inches for one loop

Cut 5 lengths of thread from using the above formula and form 5 loops.  Line them up and tie a knot in one end:

Then tie the loops around a dowel (like a table leg or chair). I use a piece of basic cotton cord to affix the loops to the table:

For this pattern, take one loop each on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fingers on your left hand and the 2nd and 3rd fingers on your right hand:

Sometimes untangling the loops is a but difficult, but if you can't get it perfect don't worry. I rarely get them all perfectly arranged, but once you get going the pattern will work out and you can retie the beginning when you are finished if needed to clean it up.

To work the pattern passing the 1st finger of your right hand through the loops on the other fingers of your right hand, grab the bottom half of the bottom loop on your left hand:

You now have 3 loops on your right hand and 2 on your left:

Move the loops on your left hand down so they  are on the 2nd and 3rd fingers. This will be the mirror image of your original starting position.  After each pass, I swing my hands outward to create tension in the braid.  Repeat the above step with your left hand until you reach your desired length. 

Remain watchful for mischievous helpers!

The finished product:

Once you have your lace, you can add metal aiglets to the ends.  These make it easy to feed the lace through eyelets. I purchased these aiglets from Historic Enterprises and they have a small hole so you can sew the aiglets to the lace. Shhh, I have been known to use a drop of Krazy glue to keep the lace from pulling out!

.

This lace was a prototype for my current project. I decided it turned out too thin, so I either will use a thicker thread or try doubling up the loops.  

Fabric Buttons

One aspect of 14th century clothing that immediately comes to mind is - buttons. Lots of them. Buttons on the fronts of garments, on sleeves, on collars, on hoods... the list goes on and on.  Here is a little back story on fabric buttons and how I make them. Enjoy!

Buttons of various materials were used throughout the medieval period, but the cost rises quickly when they are metal or precious materials, both then and now. Buttons from the 14th and 15th centuries can be seen on effigies, in illuminations, and have been found in multiple archaeological excavations.

Isabel de Malyns, with buttons on the front of her dress and sleeves, 1385. 
Courtesy of the Medieval Combat Society

Man with buttons on the front of his garment, late 14th century. 
Grand Chronique de France, British Library, Royal 20 C VII, f. 22v

Buttons on a sleeve from excavations in London, 2nd quarter of the 14th century. 
Museum of London: Textiles and Clothing, Plate 1

Buttons from excavations in Greenland with concentric rows of stitches.  Some buttons found in London also have the same treatment.  Herjolfsnæs Churchyard, possibly 1380-1530. Else Østergård, Woven into the Earth, p170

The most cost effective way to add miles of buttons to your clothing is making them from fabric.  You can make lots of these little round balls from only a small amount of scrap material.

'Self-stuffed' buttons are the easiest to make and I find they are suitable for the majority of situations.   With a bit of practice, creating fabric buttons is quick and easy. They can be made of any material: linen, wool, or silk.

Here is how I make my fabric buttons.  Good luck and have fun!

Cut a circle of fabric (finding the right size circle to start with can take some trial and error).  Sew a row of running stitches around the circle.  Placing your row of stitches closer to the edge is useful if your fabric is very thick:

Gently pull the thread to draw the circle in and push the edges of the circle into the center "bag" that forms with your finger:

Here is the button with the edges about half tucked in:

Work your way around the circle until all the edges are gathered inside:

Close up the button with several stitches across the bottom:

While closing the button, you may need to work it with your fingers into a round ball. That's it!

Now that you have a button, how do you attach it to your garment? 

Glad you asked!

 Bring your thread up through the edge of your garment:

Pass the thread through near the base of the button and back into the garment to form 'loops.'  Sew as many as you need to make the button secure. You will want to pull the threads tighter than in the image below:

Wrap the thread around the stitches several times. This creates a shank for the button:

Tie off the end and you are done!

Repeat until you have as many buttons as you desire!

(If you are as in love with Pinterest as I am, you may like this photo montage of the process)