Welcome to my page.
(Better Title to Come - Care to Make a Suggestion?)

1. I'm a trivia-head, and love to read and learn about nearly anything. I like to make things, based on those learnings. And the SCA gives me a place to learn and make and do unlike any other I've found
2. I, like many others, are desperately bad in the social-skills department, and the SCA (and my local sewing guild, the Silver Thimble Guild for Conspicuous Consumption) give me a safe place to be and grow and learn and make friends.

The purpose of this particular webpage is to share the knowledge (and unabashed opinions) I possess in regards to matters Societal. Some is authored by me, and resides below in the Articles section. Most, however, is created by others, and has been emplaced on this wondrous landscape we call the World Wide Web. These examples appear in my Links section. But never fear, gentle reader; I shall not set you afloat on this wild sea alone - also included are my own annotations on every link I share. I hope to add to this compendium as time goes by. If you should notice (gasp!) any of my links failing to work, please contact me right away and I'll be sure to fix the naughty thing.

Should you have any suggestions, or questions, or simply wish to speak with me, you should also feel free to email me at eloise@ripco.com. It's nice to get email, and nicer to meet like-minded people, after all!

-- Articles --

How to Make Self-Supporting Bodices

An article written by me, but inspired in majority by the teachings of Mistress Julianna Peri de Novellara, gleaned through my membership in the Silver Thimble Guild for Conspicuous Consumption (over which she presides). This article is still in many ways a rough first draft; I hope someday to get it polished and prettified with illustrations, but at the moment it consists merely of text.

Some scanned antiphonal pages

Pictures of pages from illuminated manuscripts which include music, found by me in an all-German book about an exhibition of the Manesse Codex. I host this on a different site that has more generous quota allottments, so if they're down this link may break.

This listing seems to be getting quite large, so here's a handy navigational tool if you want to skip down to the specific information you seek.

Informational Sites	Shopping!
General knowledge or multiple fields Garb / Clothing / Costuming Needlework Scribal Arts Spinning Paintings on the Web	Pre-Made Clothing Bits and Pieces Spinning Fibers Spinning Equipment

Informational
- General Knowledge or Multiple Fields

The Arts and Sciences Page for the Kingdom of Atlantia

A wonderful set of resources for all areas of the SCA; it's also a really fun place to just browse, reading hither and thither as one's fancy takes one. :->

The Library of St. Nicholas

Collections of articles written by Magistra Nicolaa de Bracton (her Laurel is in the Science of Research) and others. The collected wisdom of the wise, covering everything from hairnets to feast-days to names to the whys and wherefores of holding office in the SCA.

The Viking Answer Lady

Ok, it's more specific than general, in that it's all about Vikings, but within that one area it's pretty darn general :-> Covers clothing, culture, objects, art and literature, myth and religion. These pages spring from Herskerinde (Mistress) Gunnora Hallakarva's (I can't seem to get those cute Scandinavian letters to work) monthly column in her local SCA newsletter.

Article about making Flemish Gowns and Article about the history of such gowns, both by Mistress Drea di Pelligrini (she of the Elizabethan Costuming Site of Doom! :-).

One of my favorite styles; I'll make one, someday. And a really great explanation, with pictures and diagrams and instructions, of how they go together and why.

Photos of Extant Medieval Garments, thanks to Cynthia du pre Argent (mka Cynthia Virtue).

Ooh. Drool. Wish. :-> She's managed to get together some nice clear photos of still-existing garments from varying published sources, and bring 'em all together here. Most of the images are linked to lead to bigger versions - if you see something you like, try clicking on the picture. Go look. You'll be very glad you did.

The Last Russian Czar Holds a Costume Ball

... and he went through his Imperial Attics to do it. Yes, these are photographs (black and white, and admittedly the most detailed scans) of Czar Nicholas and family and court wearing actual 1400s-ish clothes that were owned by previous Russian Emperors and family and court. The photos themselves reside in the Rare Book Room of the University of Illinois, Champaign.

How to Make Self-Supporting Bodices

An article written by me, but inspired in majority by the teachings of Mistress Julianna Peri de Novellara, gleaned through my membership in the Silver Thimble Guild for Conspicuous Consumption (over which she presides). This article is still in many ways a rough first draft; I hope someday to get it polished and prettified with illustrations, but at the moment it consists merely of text.

A Stitch out of Time

A really nifty historical-needlework site, with an SCA focus. Narrows it down by country and century, so if you're looking for something specific, start here. A lot of really nice photos: most of them are of original objects, with only a few of them being reconstructions. Not much discussion of 'how to do it', but ohhhh the sources! Much of the info comes from this gentle's research when he was preparing to write Compleat Anachronist #86 (July 1996), which ought to still be available from the SCA Stock Clerk.

Lady Cassandre's Works

May I just say, wow. :-> Lots of neat pictures of things she has made, most of them amazing. No how-to, just lots of good photos.

Medieval and Renaissance Embroidery Homepage

That's what she calls it, anyway. Neat pictures and some discussion that seems to be from the H-Costume list.

Clare's Medieval Embroidery Page

Some articles and pictures of works by an individual. Assisi work, Blackwork, tent stitch, petit point; reviews of embroidery books. Also some Spanish research.

Embroidery in the Netherlands

Not an SCA site, but with some interesting ideas of how to design and do embroidery, and how-to on stitches and the like.

Merouda Pendray's Words On Illuminated Manuscripts

A wonderful, lovely, great, informative page. I *love* this page! So much to do, so much to see, so much to learn. She's written many articles about divers elements of being a scribe, and doing calligraphy and illumination in the SCA. Definitely one of the people I want to be like 'when I grow up', as it were :-> But don't take my word for it - go look for yourself. You'll be glad you did.

The Midrealm College of Scribes

A page mainly aimed at the working scribes of the Middle Kingdom, it's still edifying and useful to a beginner, or a foreigner. Scroll texts, administrivia, links, and (my favorite) links to portfolios of work by Midrealm scribes.

The Ealdormere Scribal Homepage

The one-stop-shop for the Signet of Ealdormere, a kingdom to the north and east of my own belov'd Midrealm. Some how-to tips, lots of examples of people's work, some basic 'what does it mean to do illumination in the SCA?'.

Some scanned antiphonal pages

Pictures of pages from illuminated manuscripts which include music, found by me in an all-German book about an exhibition of the Manesse Codex. For your perusal.

Translation Server for SCA Scribes

Do you need scroll texts in a language you don't speak? Alternatively, do you speak another language that you'd be willing to translate scroll texts into? Then this is the website for you. You'll be asked to create a login; after that you can request or offer translations in many languages to/from other SCAdians who have done the same.

The Spindlitis Email List Website

A really neat list (and I don't just say that 'cause I'm on it), with some wonderful resources on their page. They're not primarily SCA in focus; instead they focus on people who spin with drop spindles rather than wheels. Helpful hints, pictures of tools, explanation of jargon, a list of vendors.

The SPIN List Website

Another spinning email list. I'm not on this one, so I can't vouch for the content of the emails themselves, but it's a really neat site. Some articles, some links, some tips and tricks and techniques.

Breeds and Breeds and Breeds of Sheep

A highly detailed page with information about individual sheep breeds (and I can guarantee they'll have at least ten you've never heard of). More focussed towards 4H groups or agricultural-science majors, it does contain some useful info for spinners (qualities of the fleece, etc) and is downright fascinating for the historical notes and details. It really helped me visualize my distant woolmakers as actual (and sometimes even cute!) animals.

The Web Gallery of Art

Yeah, that's what they call themselves :-> It's quite a representative cross-section of 'classic' paintings and sculpture, though; lots of renaissance, some gothic and baroque. Includes biographies and critical notes on most works. Indexed by artist, but also searchable by keyword.

The Tres Riches Heures of Jean, Duc du Berry

A really good set of scans of one of the better mid-period illuminated manuscripts. Also a really good source of garb shots for houppelandes and late 'cotehardies'. And pretty as all get-out, as well. This particular site has a good discussion at the beginning about the nature of the book itself, as well, for you scholars out there.

Illuminations from the Bibliotheque Nationale de France

Some lovely manuscript illuminations held in a French collection. I hope you can read French, though; there's a link that claims to lead you to the English version, but it's been broken for over a year. Nice high-quality pictures, though.

Black Swan Designs

A serious class act - and up to my exacting standards of authenticity! I must admit that I've not ordered anything from them, but the pictures and descriptions match what I'd most like to be making and wearing - and they offer only wool, linen, silk, and linsey-woolsey. Gorgeous period braies, chemises, elizabethan, cotehardies for men, and Flemish kirtles that make me drool. No visible machine stitching; the prices, while high compared to all-cotton RenGear or chintzier designs, is amazingly reasonable for the quality of materials and research they provide. If I weren't a seamster myself, they're the only ones I'd buy from (assuming they had the outfit I wanted!).

The Swan and Lion Sutlery

See what I said about Black Swan, up above? Same applies, except these guys don't sell clothes :-> Mugs, jugs, bags, pewter bits, cutlery, lanterns, spices, buttons, buckles, shoes and pattens ... I only just now went back to their page (after having not been there in months) to refresh my memory before writing them into this list, and suddenly I'm counting the minutes to my next paycheck. They've added new items, all of them wondrous fine and to the best of my knowledge, quite authentic as well.

London Accessories

This gentle is far less all-purpose than Swan and Lion, but just as nifty, authentic and well-priced. He works from the Museum of London Dress Accessories book (among other good sources), mostly bits associated with belts (he calls himself a girdler). He's not the cheapest merchant you'll ever see, but for what he's selling the price is most reasonable (go here just to drool all over the pictures of his work, if for no other reason. Eyecandy in the extreme).

Calontir Trim

What SCA shopping site would be complete without mentioning Calontir Trim? Nifty trim, reasonable prices, reasonably period designs. And a neat website that lets you search by color.

Gaukler Medieval Wares

Mostly jewelry, it's a really neat site; the gentle who runs it seems dedicated to craftsmanship and authenticity - he works only from authentic antiquities as his models. Primary sources! He owns the objects themselves instead of working from photos. Especially good for earlier stuff (for those of you sick and tired of having to buy Renaissance accessories to go with your Norman garb ...) Again, a high eyecandy factor is at work here.

Ray Thomson's Spinning Accessories and Baskets

A gentleman in Alberta, Canada who does the most gorgeous small-scale woodwork I've seen in a long time. He has several models of woolcombs, plus niddy-noddies, nostepindes (insert funky Swedish accent marks), dizzes, orifice hooks, handspindles, and even handmade really sturdy willow-withe baskets. And the prices are quite reasonable - especially when you realize he's quoting prices in Canadian funds! Not highly e-commercized (he doesn't take credit cards, just certified checks and international money orders mailed to his address).

Halcyon Yarn

Yes, they sell yarn. But they also sell everything from prepared fibers to spindles (well, a few) to spinning wheels to niddy-noddies, swifts and ballwinders, to books, to looms, to ... well. Check 'em out. But if you get them to mail you the catalog, be prepared to have someone hold your wallet for you while you read it - just as a precaution. :-> The website is nicely convenient for those of us used to online ordering, and they take credit cards. Shipping is reasonably quick.

Schacht's Homepage

The official page for the spinning/weaving manufacturer. You can't order from them directly, but it's great for those comparison-shopping expeditions (look at pictures, compare features, etc).

Ashford's Homepage

The homepage for another major manufacturer of wheels, looms, etc. Again, no direct orders, but they do have a list of their Authorized Dealers worldwide, many of whom do mailorder or have ecommerce sites.