Costume goodies...
This past weekend was a lot less decadent than last weekend (though the amaretti and almond cream cake was bordering on the decadent - wouldn't you agree sarahbellem??)
edmndclotworthy has mentioned a bit of what we did on Saturday so I will mention what we did on Sunday!!!
After sarahbellem had worked on her tabards for most of the day, edmndclotworthy and I whisked her up to Bury St Edmunds. I wanted to take her to the Manor House Museum where I had found some interesting garments. Sadly the ones I was hoping to see behind glass were not on display. So I had a chat to the lady on the reception desk. She kindly introduced me to the Senior Curator - Margaret.
She was a delightful lady and said that she thought she knew where the items I was interested in were, but couldn't be certain. Anyway, she went off to see if she could find them and 10 minutes later came down with a late 16th/early 17th century embroidered coif in a box. In fact it was this little beauty (see what the arrow is pointing at???)
sarahbellem and I practically had our noses touching it!! Margaret had a pair of gloves on and handled the coif but let us come REALLY REALLY close to it! She even partially turned it inside out so we could see the back (inside) of the coif.
That coif is STUNNINGLY beautiful!!! The embroidery is raised work - the forerunner to the really heavy stumpwork of the mid 17th century. The coif has petals and leaves embroidered all over it using teensy, weensy, tiny, detached needlace stitches. The only stitching of each emblem onto the linen is the outer shapes. The emblems were also originally drawn onto the linen - you could see traces of the original markings on the inside AND the outside. The inside was a lovely as the outside. There was very little stitching down to the outside because of the method of working the emblems. The seams were left raw,but the linen is so tightly woven that there was no risk of fraying anyway. On the "right side" the seams are joined together by an insertion stitch of some kind. The turned up brim was embroidery and edged with exquisite silver gilt bobbin lace which itself was decorated with silver gilt sequins (or as they would have been called - spangles).
And the hat is SMALL! No man could have worn it. I don't agree with Margaret's view that it was small because the adult male was small - the Museum of London poked that myth well in the eye (though I didn't say anything about it then). Margaret did surmise that it could have simply been made and not actually worn. It really is TOO beautiful to be worn!!
I will be going back (sadly on my own without sarahbellem this autumn/winter to have time to really study this coif and the lady's one (Margaret couldn't find that one). The museum also have items which they call "partlets" but Margaret doesn't think they are partlets in the sense that we all know a partlet. If I can study any of the items, I will be permitted to take photographs if they are for my own use, but of course can't publish them on the web!
Also, besides the usual "friends of..." group, they also have a "friends of costume/textiles" type group called "Mabilla". I'd like to join them so I can really get my hands on original costumes. There are some scrumptious 19th century ones too! Who knows? It COULD lead to a change in career!!!! However, though Margaret was impressed by the fact that I (and sarahbellem make costumes, she did say that though the Mabilla group know about costumes, they would probably be terrified by me being able to MAKE them!!! Ah well, never mind. I'd still like to join them though. And as I said, I AM nice! I think she is a member too but not the head of it and she seemed to like us. Margaret is very jolly and not at all stuffy so hopefully someone will contact me about joining the group.
I was initially disappointed that the coifs weren't on display behind glass - that disappointment turned to utter delight when we were mere millimetres from that coif.
And sarahbellem and me did a joyful happy dance outside on the pavement when we left!!!!
It truly was a
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
moment!
edmndclotworthy has mentioned a bit of what we did on Saturday so I will mention what we did on Sunday!!!
After sarahbellem had worked on her tabards for most of the day, edmndclotworthy and I whisked her up to Bury St Edmunds. I wanted to take her to the Manor House Museum where I had found some interesting garments. Sadly the ones I was hoping to see behind glass were not on display. So I had a chat to the lady on the reception desk. She kindly introduced me to the Senior Curator - Margaret.
She was a delightful lady and said that she thought she knew where the items I was interested in were, but couldn't be certain. Anyway, she went off to see if she could find them and 10 minutes later came down with a late 16th/early 17th century embroidered coif in a box. In fact it was this little beauty (see what the arrow is pointing at???)
sarahbellem and I practically had our noses touching it!! Margaret had a pair of gloves on and handled the coif but let us come REALLY REALLY close to it! She even partially turned it inside out so we could see the back (inside) of the coif.
That coif is STUNNINGLY beautiful!!! The embroidery is raised work - the forerunner to the really heavy stumpwork of the mid 17th century. The coif has petals and leaves embroidered all over it using teensy, weensy, tiny, detached needlace stitches. The only stitching of each emblem onto the linen is the outer shapes. The emblems were also originally drawn onto the linen - you could see traces of the original markings on the inside AND the outside. The inside was a lovely as the outside. There was very little stitching down to the outside because of the method of working the emblems. The seams were left raw,but the linen is so tightly woven that there was no risk of fraying anyway. On the "right side" the seams are joined together by an insertion stitch of some kind. The turned up brim was embroidery and edged with exquisite silver gilt bobbin lace which itself was decorated with silver gilt sequins (or as they would have been called - spangles).
And the hat is SMALL! No man could have worn it. I don't agree with Margaret's view that it was small because the adult male was small - the Museum of London poked that myth well in the eye (though I didn't say anything about it then). Margaret did surmise that it could have simply been made and not actually worn. It really is TOO beautiful to be worn!!
I will be going back (sadly on my own without sarahbellem this autumn/winter to have time to really study this coif and the lady's one (Margaret couldn't find that one). The museum also have items which they call "partlets" but Margaret doesn't think they are partlets in the sense that we all know a partlet. If I can study any of the items, I will be permitted to take photographs if they are for my own use, but of course can't publish them on the web!
Also, besides the usual "friends of..." group, they also have a "friends of costume/textiles" type group called "Mabilla". I'd like to join them so I can really get my hands on original costumes. There are some scrumptious 19th century ones too! Who knows? It COULD lead to a change in career!!!! However, though Margaret was impressed by the fact that I (and sarahbellem make costumes, she did say that though the Mabilla group know about costumes, they would probably be terrified by me being able to MAKE them!!! Ah well, never mind. I'd still like to join them though. And as I said, I AM nice! I think she is a member too but not the head of it and she seemed to like us. Margaret is very jolly and not at all stuffy so hopefully someone will contact me about joining the group.
I was initially disappointed that the coifs weren't on display behind glass - that disappointment turned to utter delight when we were mere millimetres from that coif.
And sarahbellem and me did a joyful happy dance outside on the pavement when we left!!!!
It truly was a
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
moment!