Adventures in Glove Making (or how not to reproduce Elizabethan gloves)
by Thena (T.E.) MacArthur, First published for the March/April 2013 I say that title with tongue firmly in cheek. Reproducing a pair of Elizabethan gauntlet gloves was rather fun, enlightening, and yes … satisfying, if for no other reason than I discovered quite a bit about my own levels of frustration and what I’ll need to do to avoid that […]
Bits About Busks
by Cynthia Barnes, First published for the November/December 2012 issue of Finery The busk of the 1580s and 1590s is not simply a piece of wood, but comprises the stay, covering case and the points which secure it. We thought it would be fun to recreate one as it might have looked in Queen Elizabeth I’s time. No original late […]
Elizabethan Ruffs: Washing, Starching and Ironing
by Noel Gieleghem, First published for the September/October 2011 issue of Finery If you followed the instructions in Part One of this article, Ruff-ing It (printed in July 2011), you’re now the proud owner of a rather bedraggled ruffled collar. Starching and ironing will turn that humble object into a bona fide Elizabethan ruff. The final shape is determined, for […]
Ruff-ing It: Authentic Ruff Construction
by Noel Gieleghem, First published for the July/August 2011 issue of Finery No costumer’s career is complete without making at least one authentic Elizabethan ruff. Consider it a rite of passage. Here’s a recipe to create a 1570s-style stand-alone linen ruff of moderate fullness and depth. It’s a great jumping-off point for other projects which contain the “organized frill,” such […]
