All posts tagged: medieval

Midwinter Medieval Feast thedreamstress.com

A Midwinter Medieval Dinner

We’re incredibly privileged to have had no community transmission of Covid19 here in New Zealand, so we can safely hold social events. While we were in lockdown my friend Priscilla asked if we could have a dinner party at her house to celebrate once it was safe to get together again. We all have, or have been working on, 14th century dresses, so we chose a midwinter Medieval feast. Nina applied her amazing food skills to developing a menu. We all cooked, decorated, and lent a hand. Thanks to everyone’s work and collaboration, we had the most fabulous evening: complete with an entire haunch of wild venison, a gingerbread castle, sugared apples, and Medieval disco dancing. Sending out lots of love to the rest of the world, and hopes for a time when we can all gather in safety and joy ❤️ Hmmm…what’s under her dress? Jenni had the privilege/misfortune of sitting across from me, and having great lighting: The Menu Pear & Parsnip Soup in Bread Trenchers I made the bread …

A St Birgitta’s Cap

Published by The Dreamstress

There’s a slightly funny story to this post. I finished my St Birgitta’s cap back at the end of January, photographed it, and wrote most of my post. And then my Costume History students at Toi Whakaari picked their topics for their first research paper, and I remembered that I’d given them a picture of a St Birgitta’s cap as a research option – and it had been chosen. Ooops… So obviously I couldn’t publish a blog post (even a fairly lightweight one using only the most obvious basic internet references) about making a St Birgitta’s cap until the student had turned in their paper. But the paper was submitted this afternoon, so here’s the blog post! (and I haven’t read the paper yet, so I’m not cheating off it either…). I’d always put St Birgitta’s caps in the ‘too hard and time consuming’ basket, but then Hvitr made one and wore it to our 2019 Historical Sew & Eat Retreat. Now, Hvitr is infinitely more patient and precise than me, and makes notoriously crazy …

May detail, Cycle of frescos of the twelve labors of the months, Trento (Italy), Castello del Buonconsiglio (Bishops Castle), Torre del'Aquila (Tower of the eagle), otherwise unknown Master Wenceslas of Bohemia, after 1397

The Historical Sew Monthly 2018: Inspiration for Challenge #5: Specific to a Time of Day or Year

Published by The Dreamstress

The Historical Sew Monthly 2018 is well underway now, and it’s my duty and honour to write the inspiration post for our fifth challenge of the year: Specific to a Time (of Day or Year). I was slightly panicked when I realised this theme would fall to me. I’m not at all an expert at pre-1700s fashions, and this is a challenge that’s particularly tricky before the 19th century (ish), when specific garments for different times of day became common. But with help from my awesome co-moderators, I’ve found examples from a range of eras – enjoy! In chronological order: This ca. 1400 cycle of frescos of the months from the Castello del Buonconsiglio in Trento, Italy, provides a wonderful look at late Medieval fashions by season, with warm layers for winter snowfights: Flowing garments for spring romance (note the love-knots on the gentleman’s tunic): And sunhats and light shirts (and sandals!) for harvest labours. The sunhats do double duty for this challenge, being both daytime, and summer, specific: Elizabethan costume plates also show wonderful …