Enjoyed presenting another talk earlier this October my ‘Tudor Talk ‘for the Quilters Guild in Bishop Auckland. Costumes included Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots in her execution gown. My son Jamie was happy to appear as King Henry VIII and he proved very popular with the members. Quite a few of the ladies had also seen my Jane Austen and Marie Antoinette talks and travelled quite to way to see my Tudor Talk – I think I now have a fan club!

Thought you may like to hear a few interesting points of my talk

• Strait laced – after my talk on of the member of the Guild mentioned ‘strait lacing’. Apparently the term originated because the higher class ladies laced their dresses across that is to say parallel unlike criss cross lacing.  Crossing the laces is much quicker to take on and take off so the lower class of ladies – prostitutes and courtesans had cross laces so they could take them off quicker to ‘get down to business’! Very interesting

• I was asked if the Tudor ladies wore knickers – Ladies of the Tudor period wore no knickers at all – they weren’t worn until about the 1780’s! As they had layers of petticoats and hoop skirts they weren’t deemed essential or necessary – in fact they hadn’t even been thought of.

• A lady inquired if the the men wore trousers – the trouser equivalent of the day were breeches or slops.  They were made with strips or panes of fabric gathered onto a waistband with the silky or linen fabric pulled through – as they didn’t have zips in those days there was an opening or slit of fabric at the front – this was covered initially by a small triangular shape of fabric tied at the top corners by ribbons or cords.  This evolved to a padded piece if fabric called the codpiece.  For Henry VIII it was made of gold fabric and decorated with rich jewels.  They were usually padded out by wadding however some gentleman kept their money, coins, jewels or valuables in them – hence the term – ‘ A man’s crown jewels’! Of Course Henry VIII had to have the biggest codpiece.

• I also mentioned that King Henry VIII wore a hat or bonnet as it was called. It was made of buckram edged with wire. Covered in domette (a padding fabric like wincyette today) and then covered in black velvet. It was decorated with feathers, pearls, gold setting with jewels. He wore it as a young man to show his wealth however as he got older he used it to cover his balding head and never took it off in public – even at night he wore a linen cap – it is said the his fifth wife young Katherine Howard was never allowed to see his lack of hair!

When my son James appeared on stage as the King – one of the ladies at my talk exclaimed ‘ Look a nice young Henry‘! I think it certainly brings historical characters to life when the costumes are worn.

The Ladies of the Guild said they really enjoyed my talk – we certainly enjoyed presenting it!

I am demonstrating the design and construction of my handmade reproduction gowns and also a brief history of the people who wore them. I will also include reproduction underwear so thought  it would be an opportune time to give a brief outline of the underclothes I will be showing at my Tudor talk.

The Chemise

The first layer for everyone high or low was the chemise also called a “smock” or “shift” in the 16th century, which was a simple garment was worn next to the skin to protect clothing from sweat and body oils. As Elizabethans rarely indulged in full-body baths, and as the clothing of the middle and upper classes was not the kind one could pound on a river rock or scrub regularly with ashes and lye soap, the chemise was vital to Elizabethan costume.

Smocks were made of fine linen, as fine as the wearer could afford. Many of the better smocks were made of what we now call “handkerchief-weight” linen. Lawn, cypress and holland were three 16th c. varieties of sheer linen used for fine smocks. These smocks hung to just about knee to calf-length, on average. This is a low-necked gathered smock – it has a   very voluminous body and sleeves, I have gathered the fabric into a low neckband and wristbands. It was sometimes pulled through the slashing of the outer garments during this period.Resistance to fungus and bacteria – Linen has natural antibacterial properties and that is why it is used in medicine. It also acts against the bacteria that make you smell.

The Corset

Over the chemise was worn the corset – my corset has been inspired by the corset found on the ‘effigy’ of Elizabeth the First (below).

I have designed a tabbed waist corset, which is the type which is the easiest to wear. The tabs distribute pressure so the corset does not ‘dig in’ at the waist. The Elizabethan corset gave a period shape to the body and sometimes had straps to help lift the breasts.

It was made of linen (I have constructed it in cotton twill or linen. Spring steel boning has been inserted into channels to give strength.  During the 16th century corsets were stiffened with whalebone, reeds, steel or rope. I have used binding on the edges as Elizabeth’s corset was bound with leather. The lacing holes are reinforced with sturdy cotton thread and the corset is laced with cord. The corset was worn over the chemise to save it from perspiration so it didn’t have to be washed too often.

The Spanish Farthingale or Hoop Skirt

To create the correct shape for clothes of the period a Spanish Farthingale was worn. This was a bell-shaped hoop skirt worn under the skirts of well-to-do women during the Tudor and Elizabethan era. From 1530 to 1580, the farthingale played an important part in shaping the fashionable silhouette.(First Farthingale worn by Joan of Portugal to hide pregnancy – had two illegitimate children)

The Spanish Farthingale, as its name suggests, originated in Spain. Tradition holds that the Spanish Farthingale arrived in England in the 1520s, introduced by Katharine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s future queen. It is true that, beginning in the 1530s, clear evidence of hoop skirts worn by English noblewomen begin to appear in court paintings and portraits. 

The pattern for this farthingale is from Juan de Alcega’s Tailor’s Pattern Book, published in 1589. It has been created from sections of calico – which are cut and then pieced together.  The sections of fabric are placed so that no bias seams are sewn to each other. This was to eliminate the sagging which two bias seams sewn together would inevitably experience. I have cut additional pieces of fabric, 2 inches wide, to match the length of each piece of boning to create casings for the stiffening. After everything is sewn together, the farthingale would have been gathered at the top and the raw edges bound with a strip of fabric.  It is reasonable to say that the opening would have been in the back or in the front for a front-lacing corset.

Three materials were known to be used for stiffening farthingales in Elizabeth’s time: rope, bent rope, and whalebone. Most recreation farthingales are made using hoop skirt boning. Hoop skirt boning is 1/2 inch wide stiffened canvas or plastic with spring steel along the edges. It is very stiff and can hold out the heaviest of skirts, yet is lighter than other boning materials. After the boning is inserted the casings are tacked close.  The boning can however be easily removed so the farthingale can be washed.

The Bum roll

A Bumroll, which, as its name suggests, was a roll tied around the bum, was an essential piece of Tudor and Elizabethan underwear. In Elizabethan times, it was more commonly called a “roll”; “bumroll” is the modern term for the item.A bumroll is made from a crescent shape of non stretchy fabric such as calico which is stuffed with wadding and has ties attached to the ends.

The first hard evidence of a separate roll worn around the hips are a reference to them in Elizabeth’s wardrobe accounts from 1580. It was tied around the hips to make a woman’s skirt swell out becomingly at the waistline before falling to the ground. It was used throughout the 16th century and into the 17th, and considered an essential aid to fashionable dress.

• Without the foundation garments the shape of the dress of the period would be unable to be achieved so it is a very important part of the costumes.
• No type of panties or knickers were worn at this time -the first type of this type of underwear were in a  form of leggings or long drawers, they originated in France in the early 19th century, and quickly spread to Britain and America.
• “Tudor clothing was time-consuming to don and doff, stiff, heavy, hot, never comfortable, never really clean and probably never free of accumulated body odours and the perfumes to mask them. Patterned with decorative stitching, heavy with embroidery, jewels and trumpery, over garments lay layer upon layer over corsets, shifts, bodices and other undergarments, some exaggerating the body’s natural shape, others camouflaging it.” 

Although you would probably looked splendid in the 16th Century Court Fashions they certainly were I am sure you’ll agree not the most comfortable to wear or to wash!

My talk includes a fabulous display of exquisite gowns decorated with pearls and semi-precious stones, elaborate headdresses, jewellery and fans.

Perfect background for fans of historical fiction.

This event will take place at Community Hub Central, Hartlepool. 

Please note: Tickets will not be issued for any of these events, and you do not need to bring along a booking confirmation. When you arrive at the event, please give a member of staff the name of the person who booked for your party to gain entry.

If you are having trouble booking online, please phone ARC box office on 01642 525199 to book over the phone.

Hope you will join me for this very special event!

arconline.co.uk/whats-on/crossing-the-tees/tudor-costumes-with-julia-soares-mccormick?fbclid=IwAR0net2TiUvWfq5d_optw1K77quDToO5aX8mMwrjoYsxLRKFtSk–xosujY

Last Friday  21 October we presented our Tudor Talk for a ladies group in Brancepeth.

My talk included Tudor Underwear and costumes inspired by King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots.

Quite a few questions after my talk were relating to the Tudor Under garments and laundering of the clothes.

What did they wear under their outer garments?

Could the clothing be washed?

Did the ladies wear any type of knickers?

How were the skirts held out?

The chemise, called a “smock” or “shift” in the 16th century, was a simple garment was worn next to the skin to protect clothing from sweat and body oils. As Elizabethans rarely indulged in full-body baths, and as the clothing of the middle and upper classes was not the kind one could pound on a river rock or scrub regularly with ashes and lye soap, the chemise was vital to Elizabethan costume.Smocks were made of fine linen, as fine as the wearer could afford. Many of the better smocks were made of what we now call “handkerchief-weight” linen. Lawn, cypress and holland were three 16th c. varieties of sheer linen used for fine smocks.

These smocks hung to just about knee to calf-length, on average. This is a square -necked gathered smock – it has a  very voluminous body and sleeves, I have gathered the fabric into a square neckband and wristbands. It was sometimes pulled through the slashing of the outer garments during this period.Resistance to fungus and bacteria – Linen has natural antibacterial properties and that is why it is used in medicine. It also acts against the bacteria that make you smell. Regarding washing of the garments – the silk and heavily embellished fabrics could not be washed.  They outer garments were heavy to don and doff, stiff and uncomfortable to wear and to be honest very smelly.  Without the essential chemise next to the skin they would have been even worse

This corset has been inspired by the corset found on the ‘effigy’ of Elizabeth the First. I have designed a tabbed waist corset, which is the type which is the easiest to wear. The tabs distribute pressure so the corset does not ‘dig in’ at the waist. The Elizabethan corset gave a period shape to the body and had straps to help lift the breasts. It was made of linen (I have constructed it in cotton twill or linen. Spring steel boning has been inserted into channels to give strength.  During the 16th century corsets were stiffened with whalebone, reeds, steel or rope. I have used binding on the edges as Elizabeth’s corset was bound with leather. The lacing holes are reinforced with sturdy cotton thread and the corset is laced with cord.

To create the correct shape for clothes of the period a Spanish Farthingale was worn. This was a bell-shaped hoop skirt worn under the skirts of well-to-do women during the Tudor and Elizabethan era. From 1530 to 1580, the farthingale played an important part in shaping the fashionable silhouette. (First Farthingale worn by Joan of Portugal to hide pregnancy – had two illegitimate children)

The Spanish Farthingale, as its name suggests, originated in Spain. Tradition holds that the Spanish Farthingale arrived in England in the 1520s, introduced by Katharine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s future queen. It is true that, beginning in the 1530s, clear evidence of hoop skirts worn by English noblewomen begin to appear in court paintings and portraits.

The pattern for this farthingale is from Juan de Alcega’s Tailor’s Pattern Book, published in 1589. It has been created from sections of calico – which are cut and then pieced together.  The sections of fabric are placed so that no bias seams are sewn to each other. This was to eliminate the sagging which two bias seams sewn together would inevitably experience. I have cut additional pieces of fabric, 2 inches wide, to match the length of each piece of boning to create casings for the stiffening.After everything is sewn together, the farthingale would have been gathered at the top and the raw edges bound with a strip of fabric.  It is reasonable to say that the opening would have been in the back or in the front for a front-lacing corset.Three materials were known to be used for stiffening farthingales in Elizabeth’s time: rope, bent rope, and whalebone. Most recreation farthingales are made using hoop skirt boning. Hoop skirt boning is 1/2-inch-wide stiffened canvas or plastic with spring steel along the edges. It is very stiff and can hold out the heaviest of skirts, yet is lighter than other boning materials. After the boning is inserted the casings are tacked close.  The boning can however be easily removed so the farthingale can be washed.

A Bumroll, which, as its name suggests, was a roll tied around the bum, was an essential piece of Tudor and Elizabethan underwear. In Elizabethan times, it was more commonly called a “rowle”; “bumroll” is the modern term for the item. A bumroll is made from a crescent shape of non-stretchy fabric such as calico which is stuffed with wadding and has ties attached to the ends.

The first hard evidence of a separate roll worn around the hips are a reference to them in Elizabeth’s wardrobe accounts from 1580. It was tied around the hips to make a woman’s skirt swell out becomingly at the waistline before falling to the ground. It was used throughout the 16th century and into the 17th, and considered an essential aid to fashionable dress. Elizabeth I wore one with her gold gowns.

Gold Elizabeth I Gown

By the way no type of panties or knickers were worn – If you are interested – the first type of this type of underwear were in a form of leggings or long drawers, they originated in France in the early 19th century, and quickly spread to Britain and America. Without the correct underwear, the shape of the dress of the period would be unable to be achieved so it is a very important part of the costumes.

You simply can’t look like Lady Jane Grey, Anne Boleyn or Mary Queen of Scots without the right foundation garments. If you make the attempt, the most you’ll achieve is the look of a poor and cheaply made fancy dress costume: A lumpy and ill-fitting mess. It’s impossible to achieve the lines of an Elizabethan gown without a corset (as well as a host of other “underpinnings” such as bumrolls, farthingales, or hoops).

I would like to thank the super ladies of the group especially Janet for their help in setting up the costume display.

I had a great time chatting to them all afterwards – I also enjoyed a couple of cakes, fruit cheese and two glasses of Elder flower wine with them as well  – beautiful!

We really appreciated your kind hospitality and hope we meet again!

With Ann at Thropton WI

Earlier this week we presented our Tudor Talk with costume display for Thropton WI. Thropton is a very pretty village in Northumberland which is next to the picturesque town of Rothbury.

We were located in the newly refurbished Thropton memorial Hall – a lovely venue with perfect facilities for our talk- a large stage, a spacious hall and plenty of changing rooms.

The ladies really enjoyed our talk and sent the feedback below

The ladies also had quite a few interesting questions – 

What is one of the differences between the making of film, theatre and TV costumes?

In my opinion one of the main differences is that theatre costumes aren’t usually seen close up so they don’t need to be so detailed – for example embroidery on a stomacher for Queen Elizabeth I could be artfully glued with jewels and gold paint could be sprayed on to give an impression of embroidery as the first row of the audience in a traditional theatre is usually quite a distance away. In a TV production or film the embroidery needs to be more realistic as the dress can be seen in more detail- intimacy is gained through camera angles and close ups. I noticed in the recent TV series “The White Queen” starring Max Irons that the actress playing Elizabeth Woodville had a zip at the back of her dress- not a good look considering the first zips were invented hundreds of years later! 

The White Queen TV Drama

Re-enactment Costumes are different again – they need to be accurate close up – right down to the type of thread used to sew the seams – no polyester/cotton thread – it must be pure cotton! This type of costume is not the type I would wear as re-enacters are not allowed to use make up or modern hair straighteners  – which wouldn’t suit me!

Do I visit exhibitions of extant costumes?

Of course I do – I love seeing any type of costumes.  I recently visited two costume exhibitions while on holiday in Harrogate. I visited Normanby Hall- a beautiful 300 acre estate set in the heart of North Lincolnshire. Normanby Hall’s costume gallery featured the exhibition ‘Victorian Vogue’.

http://www.tudortalkandcatwalk.com/normandby-hall-haute-couture/

I have included photographs of the display and more information on my website – to read more just click the link above..

It took items from Normanby’s extensive costume collection to document changes in fashion from the 1840’s to 1890’s.

I also visited a fabulous new Costume Exhibition at York Castle Museum called ‘Shaping the Body’. An iron corset, crotch-less pantaloons from the time of Jane Austen, bum rolls and a killer dress are a few of the items that featured in this major new exhibition which charts the way fashion, food and fitness have shaped the body over the last 400 years. I am currently designing an 18th century Sacque Dress for my new talk Marie Antoinette and Fashion.

A 1775 Dress at York Castle Museum

There is a wonderful extant 1775 Sacque dress on display complete with a set of panniers (boned hooped underskirt).   It was wonderful to see an actual dress of the period similar to the pink silk Marie Antoinette gown I am currently making for my new talk.  The display gave an invaluable insight into the fabric, construction and design of the period!

My Pink Silk Marie Antoinette Gown

What did Tudor women wear under their underskirts?

Ladies of the 16th century wore nothing under their skirts as nothing was deemed essential, necessary or had even been thought of at that time.

In her book ‘Knickers, An Intimate Appraisal’, Rosemary Hawthorne records that before 1789 and the French Revolution that long skirts, a petticoat or two, a corset and linen chemise were the only forms of underwear women thought were desirable. As a result, women began covering their lower regions simply because it was warmer to wear some undergarments in the cool north European climate.

During the Regency era women began wearing pantalets. Pantalets originated in France in the early 19th century, and quickly spread to Britain and America. They were thought to have been based on men’s trousers. Pantalets were tubes of fabric which were not sewn together which they tied around the waist.

At Thropton WI

Is the Henry VIII clothing comfortable to wear?

I have asked my husband this question today and he gave this reply

“It is a fairly comfortable costume to wear and not particularly restrictive”.  There is no boning in this costume just some padding in the sleeves and body of the gold doublet. There is also copious padding  in the top of the sleeves of the outer robe – Tudor gentlemen liked to both emulate and flatter their their stout monarch by adding padding to their clothing.

“The costume does to seem to become heavier after being worn for about an hour” Today we are not used to wearing such heavy clothing on a day to day basis – we usually dress for comfort the exception being a formal event like a Wedding , ladies may wear a boned corset to change their shape and gentleman a stiff high necked shirt.

Mick as King Henry VIII

“The costume can make you feel very hot during a costume event particularly when worn in the summer months.” The Henry VIII costume becomes hot and uncomfortable quite quickly. There are at least four layers of clothing on the torso alone – the shirt, the padded doublet, the  jerkin and finally the very heavy robe of velvet, trimmed with fur and lined with satin. I have read that the climate in the Tudor period was on average quite a lot colder than it is today, during James I’s reign the Thames froze completely, people skated and had fairs on it!

 “The shoes are very comfortable”  They have been commissioned from Pilgrim Shoes. They are designed in soft black leather slashed with gold silk puffs. They were made to measure for a very reasonable price. In fact my husband had to stand on a piece of paper and draw round both feet- the papers were sent to Pilgrim shoes and the shoes that were sent are very comfortable. I would not hesitate to recommend them.

http://www.pilgrimshoes.co.uk/

Finally he said “The tights/hosen do feel awkward at times” I suppose as my husband is used to wearing modern trousers every day tights would feel rather odd to a gentleman!

Talk at Thropton

Did I present a display of costumes at Belsay Hall?

Yes – I have presented two large displays of my Tudor Costumes for English Heritage at Belsay Hall in Northumberland  – other venues for my displays have included Raby Castle, The Royal Armouries in Leeds , Lauriston Castle and Kedleston Hall.

I also presented nine- yes nine! Tudor Fashion Shows over a bank holiday weekend at Belsay Hall.  It was very hard work but my team and I really enjoyed it!

Costume Display at Belsay Hall

Do we present talks to mixed groups – ladies and gentlemen?

We do indeed present talks to mixed groups of Ladies and Gentleman.  Not only women are interested in history and costume!

Admittedly we present the majority of our talks to ladies groups however have presented a large number of events to the general public including The Royal Armouries in Leeds, Belsay Hall and Kedleston Hall.  We also presents events for the U3A (University of the Third Age) and there are usually an even mix of ladies and gentlemen . For our Regency Talk at the Army and Navy Club in London to commemorate to bicentenary of the Battle of-Waterloo there were no ladies present at all and the gentleman said they really enjoyed it!

Costume Display at Raby Castle

Where do I source my fabrics?

I use a large amount fabric mainly silk for my costumes. I used to buy James Hare Silk which is amazing however this has become very expensive – I need at least 10 yards for a Tudor Gown which can cost quite a lot.  So I now buy my silk from India for a much more reasonable price- the only problem is that it isn’t very wide – only 44 inches.  I am currently making a Marie Antoinette Gown that required 16 yards of pure silk brocade and managed to buy it from a fabric retailer based  in India for a very reasonable price!    http://www.puresilks.us/

If anyone would like a list of my suppliers I for fabric or haberdashery I would be happy to email them a copy.

Thropton WI

We really enjoyed presenting our talk for Thropton and hope to see them again in the future – thank you Ann for all your help and hospitality!

I hope you have enjoyed reading this post – if you have leave a comment – thank you

It is the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare this year and his life and works  will be celebrated over the country.

William Shakespeare  was born in 1564  and died in April 1616 He was an English poet, playwright and actor and was widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist.

He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. In 2016 celebrations will commence in the United Kingdom and across the world to honour Shakespeare and his work.

Newcastle City Library will be joining in these celebrations and I am pleased to announce we have been booked to present our 16th Century inspired Fashion Show at Newcastle City Library.

We will present our show on Saturday 14 May  – our event is to be included as part of the popular ‘Late Shows’ which take place during the evening in the main library which is located in Newcastle City Centre.

We have already presented a number of events at the venue including costume talks and shows – it is a superb venue with wonderful facilities.We will present our Tudor Fashion Show show on the evening of 14 May- times to be confirmed.

My exciting show includes a eight exquisite costumes I have designed and created worn by models. They are accompanied by beautiful period music, a brief history of each historical figure and a talk about the design and construction of each costume.

My fashion show team consists of of eight people which includes four/five models.The show is both informative and interesting as well as humorous.

Our show presents King Henry VIII in full regalia arriving to a fanfare of trumpets, Queen Elizabeth I in an elaborate gold silk gown with decorative jewelled ruff, Queen Anne Boleyn wearing an elegant  blue silk/gold gown worn with a pearl trimmed French hood.

A stunning silk Peacock Blue dress with partlet for the young Mary Queen of Scots, a very attractive rose silk gown embroidered with gold for Queen Catherine Howard.

Also included are a stunning silver silk gown worn by Queen Jane Seymour or an elegant court costume with doublet, hat and sword for King James VI of Scotland. Mary Queen of Scots taking off her velvet robes to reveal her elegant execution gown is the dramatic finale to the show.

Please join us on 14 May for this celebration of Shakespeare – I am sure you will enjoy the show.

For more information click –  http://thelateshows.org.uk/2016/newcastle-city-library

Really enjoyed presenting our Tudor Talk with costume display this morning for the Newcastle Embroiderers Guild – it had snowed heavily very late last night and we were worried that when we woke up it would be a very heavy covering.

Hey presto! As if by magic all the snow had disappeared this morning and we had no problem to driving to Bartholomew’s Hall in Forest Hall near Newcastle upon Tyne – 0n a good day it’s only a 10-15 minute run from our home in Cramlington.

Newcastle upon Tyne Embroiderers’ Guild is a friendly, enthusiastic group of embroiderers – their aim is to share opportunities for creativity and promote embroidery for all – everyone is welcome, from beginner to expert.

The only qualification needed is an interest in, and love of, embroidery. – they group say you can enjoy embroidery and not pick up a needle.The ladies really enjoyed our talk and we really enjoyed presenting it.

One of my favourite costumes – my Blue Silk Anne Boleyn Gown has been chosen to grace the cover of a novel about my favourite Tudor Queen . I was happy to show the ladies a copy of ‘The Reincarnation of Anne Boleyn’  written by Nell Gavin  – my lovely model Laura is on the front and back cover wearing my gown.

While discussing Tudor underwear I mentioned that in the 16th Century Tudor ladies wore no type panties or knickers at all and that that type of undergarment was not deemed desirable or essential and in truth had not even been thought of – however strange that seems to us today.A lady attending the talk asked me if I knew where the names knickers and also panties comes from. The word drawers was invented because underwear was drawn on.

Apparently the word knickers  comes from a novel called History of New York by Diedrich Knickerbocker, supposedly a Dutchman living in New York (novel was actually written by Washington Irving).The illustrations for the book in this country showed a Dutchman wearing long loose fitting garments on his lower body.Knickerbockers were men’s loose trousers worn for sport so women’s underwear were soon called knickerbockers too. In the late 19th century the word was shortened to knickers in the late 1800’s . In America ladies undergarments are called panties, which is obviously a shortened form of the word pants.

I enjoyed chatting to the ladies after my talk and was happy to answer questions or queries about both my costume design and history of the Tudors. I even caught up with an old friend Kath who used to work with me at Northumbria University – it was great to see her.

I am currently producing a new talk for 2016.  It is about Fashion and Queen Marie Antoinette.  My 18th Century inspired costumes will include a pink patterned silk corset and panniers, La Reine Chemise worn with a pretty Bergere hat and and a fabulous court gown worn with an amazing wig.

This talk should be available from early next year – date to be advised. A number of the ladies I am pleased to say expressed an interest in booking my costume event-  I will be providing more information about my new talk in a future post.

We also enjoyed refreshments after my talk – I would like to thank the ladies for their help and hospitality – not forgetting my super son James who kindly set up the display.

Today we presented a Tudor Talk with Costume Display at Auckland Castle in the Long Dining Hall – it was an absolutely fabulous setting for my costumes.

The Long Dining Hall is a lovely room on the first floor with large windows that flooded my costume display with beautiful natural light. A perfect setting for my display which was surrounded by period portraits in an authentic setting. In terms of size, the Long Dining Room has much the same impressive proportions as the Throne Room it adjoins.The room was originally designed to be the Bishops dining room but when Bishop Trevor arrived at Auckland Castle, he extended the room in 1760 to make it into an art gallery. He was also responsible for the fine moulded ceiling which features his coat of arms in the centre.   The windows to the south look towards the triple-arched entrance to the Castle and Chapel, and across the wooded valley of the Park.

My husband Mick mentioned during my talk that the Tudors/Elizabethans used a lot of pins to fasten their clothes .The stomacher on my Gold Silk Elizabeth I Gown is held in place with pins. Considering the scant current mention of pins in costume and clothing articles, it may be hard to believe how common these simple items were to the wardrobes of the Elizabethans. They were made in many sizes, from the “great verthingale pynnes” used to hold heavy skirts, to the smallest pins used to hold veils and delicate fabrics. Please  find below  – pin purchases for Queen Elizabeth in a six-month period:

“Item to Roberts Careles our Pynner for xviij [18] thousand great verthingale Pynnes xx [20] thowsand great Velvet Pynnes and nyne thowsande smale hed Pynnes and xix [19] thowsand Small hed Pynnes all of our great warderobe” (Warrant dated 20 Oct, 1565)”.

Pins were used to hold skirt flounces, farthingale boning, ruffs, cuffs, partlets, veils, jewels, and generally everything that needed to stay in place. They were carefully kept, and straightened and sharpened periodically. Pins were not left in clothing  but stored in pincushions.

While Elizabeth and her Court clearly used vast quantities of pins, the lower classes would not have need quite so many to keep their simpler clothes in place, and a handful of pins would suffice to dress a working woman – hence the origin of the term – pin money.  In terms of the modern-day re-enactor, a small pincushion will usually be sufficient for all but the most elaborate of outfits.

A lovely lady showed me  a photograph of a very attractive costume in pale gold with a ‘stomacher’ that she had designed and created for her daughter for a ‘Tudor Day’ at school. It was a lovely costume nicely made – I must say I was most impressed!

My audience numbered over fifty people and after my talk visitors stated that  it was “absolutely brilliant” and that “my depth of knowledge of both costumes and history was a credit to me”.

I have added some photographs of my husband Mick as Henry VIII standing next to the famous ‘Paradise Bed’ supposedly used by his parents King Henry VII and  Elizabeth of York.  Also included are portraits of King Henry VIII, King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York which are currently on loan. The photograph of me was courtesy of Jane Hall – thank you Jane.

If you are interested in the Tudors and history in general this exhibition is well worth a visit! I would like to thank all the staff at Auckland Castle for their help and hospitality today – I have to say we really enjoyed presenting our talk in such a beautiful venue. 

[See image gallery at www.tudortalkandcatwalk.com]  

Tudor Talk and Costume Display

On Tuesday 6th of May 2pm I will be presenting a very interesting and informative talk about the design, construction and inspiration for historical gowns, as well as a brief history of the people who wore them. The event will also feature a fabulous display of Tudor costumes as well as a personal appearance by King Henry VIII! A lavish cream tea will follow the talk and a private viewing of the Tudor exhibition within the castle.

Do not miss ‘The Power and the Glory’
Enter the magnificent world of early Tudor England in this temporary exhibition at Auckland Castle, the former home of Bishop Richard Fox (1494-1501), who was Henry VII’s most trusted advisor.
Sunday 30th of March – Tuesday 30th of September.

‘The Power and the Glory’ will showcase some of the finest sacred masterpieces from the Tudor period, including the newly discovered State Paradise Bed of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Included with admission to the Castle.

Just to let you know I am to be be interviewed by Chris Percival on his show on Bishop FM Radio next Sunday from 12 noon. We will chat about my Tudor Talk and Display to be presented at Auckland Castle on Tuesday 6th May – don’t miss it! 

see more at http://aucklandcastle.org/events

We have just presented a Tudor Talk with display at Sunderland Library and Arts Centre.

The Sunderland Library and Arts Centre has just been reopened and our talk was part of the events to celebrate. We were located in a large meeting room on the second floor, purpose built for events at the library – it also had a wonderful state of the art kitchen and changing area – perfect for our events.

Included was a brief history of the Tudors and their clothes.  Beautiful costumes for Anne Boleyn, Mary Queen of Scots – as well as headdresses, jewellery, fans and Tudor Underwear were on display.   King Henry VIII himself in full regalia made a personal appearance and there was also a mannequin dressed as Queen Elizabeth I in a very Ornate Gold embroidered Silk Gown with Ruff and Fan. 

We have a good number of guests attending our talk – in fact more chairs had to be added prior to my lecture to accommodate the extra visitors! My talk was very well received – we received both excellent feedback from both our guests and also the staff at Sunderland Library and Arts Centre.

I mentioned the inspiration for my work started in Sunderland itself. In 1969 at the tender age of 11 I attended a screening of a film at the ABC cinema in Sunderland – it was called Anne of the Thousand Days ‘starring Genevieve Bujold as ‘Anne Boleyn. With the romance and beauty of the gowns, as well as sets and costumes used in the production it inspired in me a lifelong passion for anything connected with ‘Anne Boleyn’ as well as a desire to recreate costumes from the 16^th Century. I made my first ‘Anne’ costume at the age of 14 from a cut down red velvet dress of my mothers – I thought I looked wonderful.At the age of 17 I attended Sunderland Youth Theatre which gave me a taste for theatre production. After completing my A levels I enrolled for a one year Foundation Course in Art and Design at Sunderland University – a year which I thoroughly enjoyed which led to me studying  a BA Hons Theatre Design at Nottingham Trent University.  

I enjoyed chatting to a lovely lady who is currently designing and making costumes for a local theatre production. Her daughter will be starring as Anne Boleyn – she mentioned she has three Tudor costumes to design in three weeks – no mean feat!! I was happy to give her as much advice as I could.

I also received an enquiry from a lady who is a member of a local embroiderers Guild – she said she really enjoyed the talk and would it be possible to book us next year for her group – I replied that we present a lot of events to ladies groups, Townswomen’s Guilds, the WI and also Embroiderers Guilds.  She said they were fully booked for this year and would be in touch about booking us for next year. As we already have a lot of events booked for 2015 – I advised her to email us now. 

I have just received the following comment from Norma who attended our talk

“Enjoyed your talk and costume demonstration. It has been wonderful to go onto your site and watch the videos, great to see you in costume and the fab King Henry. Thanks again for a very enjoyable afternoon in Sunderland Library.”  

Thank you Norma for your excellent comment.

We are having a very successful year – our best ever I am pleased to say.

I would also like to thank Julie Lawrence and her team for making our ‘Tudor talk and Costume display such a success – I am sure we will be presenting more events at Sunderland Arts Centre and Library in the future.