In anticipation of Crossroads in Time (may the fates be beneficent), I've switched the workshop from Steampunk to 1340.
I'm currently working on a second-quarter fourteenth century wardrobe based on the Luttrell Psalter and Romance of Alexander. This twenty-five year span is interesting to me not just because it seems quintessentially Medieval - in terms of clothing, it represents a shift from the earlier rectangular construction to forms that become increasingly more fitted; as far as cookery goes, it marks a notable milestone in recording the foodways of Medieval kitchens and medicine. One of the very earliest English manuscripts, Doctrina faciendi diversa cibaria, dates from 1325 and is the basis for Ancient Cookery (1381) and Forme of Curye (1390). [1] From across the Channel, we have Le Viandier de Tallievent, with content dating from 1300, and then Le Ménagier de Paris (1390's).
The plan is to create a mix-and-match collection - what I call the 'Medieval Professional Wardrobe' - of kirtles, gowns and accessories which will carry me through a week-long event with a bit of minimal laundering. Fortunately, laundry is a historically-accurate activity.
