I really should just publish what I have and build on it later. It’s hard though as I really want to do everything at once. But I don’t even have good photos of my early work! I’ve passed so much of it on but really have no decent photos of any of it. So I really feel like my own history is lacking, let alone how that feeds back to me from the public. But it does sort of mean I’d like to remake a few things in new fabric…
That said, just looking up frazzled frau on google brings my old tripod site up! I really need to see if I can open that up again 🙂 Oh man, looking at all the lovely comments about my old site really makes me want to get her all properly revved up again. If you like something tell the person 🙂
It’s tough because there has been a massive influx of images in the last few years. But I do have pin boards, and my tumblr is still there, but a bit forgotten, sorry!
I have some in progress boards to come up, but it’s rare that any pin I add is uncredited. I try and find the most current location. Usually that means the best quality but not always. But it means people finding and bookmarking pins should be able to just click and go at their convenience. Even so, some museums change their content enough that I will have to go back and check some. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has recently upgraded their databases to an amazing degree, but it means old links do not work and often there is not enough information to quickly find the item. But it’ll be worth it 🙂
I am more tired than ever, RA does not get kinder the longer you have it, it generally just becomes more chronic than traumatic. But the fatigue really is difficult to manage. So it means all research takes a massive toll even before I get them in some sort of order.
But I have enough new information that yes. It will be done this year. As are all my patterns. Yesterday I overlapped my own bodice pieces to see if I can create a modifiable pattern. Yes. And it does work literally for every single garment I have made if looked at from perspective of scale and engineering.
So that is extremely exciting! I knew that I used previous patterns for newer gear but I also found some experimenting that worked (shifting to side seams) and some that worked by virtue of a bit of luck with fabric choice and use of stay tape (pretty accurate for a lot of gear when viewed as narrow woven goods used to stabilise a neckline.)
I think this will work a lot better than the Victorian workshops due to the reduction of seam lines. Victorian bodices do rely on all the seams even if some are less customised than others. Simply cutting fabric into a curved seam changes the engineering properties to a degree that is very hard to understand. But it both stabilises and adds stretch. There is usually enough change in the properties to be able to fit to a back with very little change. It’s usually possible with the CB and side seams with a pattern block that already has som curve for the shoulder blades and lower back built in.
So having seams in places that are easy to self adjust or have someone else work on is great!
I will get some more watercolour board this week as I have now got enough of a pattern block for those pieces, and enough thumbnail sketches of where to measure that there is enough to commit to good quality paper 🙂
Yesterday I got my skirt templates drawn on nice card stock. this makes it easier to hand, and I’m able to use a compass to do curves 🙂
Today I managed to scale up all my bodices currently made so I can see the over all picture of what I have done. I knew I basically built everything from the patterning developed for my kampfrau so it was interesting to see how true this was. Only my open front dresses seem to deviate from this.
I need to get a pattern from my new Cleves dresses too. So will try and do that today as well. It’s interesting construction wise in the absolute simplicity.
The portrait of Anne of Cleves is perhaps the most well known example of headwear worn in the region of the North Rhine. It is found in Gelderland, Jüllich-Cleve-Berg, as well as Cologne. There are dozens of portraits especially of women of Cologne wearing highly decorated as well as plain linen variations.
Finding any direct link between the written evidence and the visual is vanishingly rare. Some context can be inferred by clusters of similar items in wills and inventories, and by any description of the item. This is sometimes limited as some garments might be listed without material due to the contemporary understanding of what the garment is made of.
A silverpoint Drawing by Albrecht Dürer captures the regional headdress very well, and it has text to the left of the girl from Cologne, while there is text to the right of Agnes Dürer.
The text beside Agnes seems to be fairly consistently correctly transcribed as “awff dem rin mein weib pey popart” (“auf dem Rhein mein weib bei Boppard/my wife at Boppard on the Rhine.”)
However the text beside the girl has often been imperfectly transcribed. As written it appears as “Colnisch gepend.” Variations of the spelling can include “Cölnisch” or “gepent” this does not change the meaning.
Another drawing by Durer of a woman in clothing of Nuremberg is inscribed “Also ist das gepent und kleidung der erbern frauen zu nornberg.” The headdress in that instance is made from plain linen carefully folded and pleated into a style characteristic of Nuremberg.
And the mothers’ robes / gowns fall from the treasure on the daughters:
Google translate, “clainat” : kleinod
.[Stirbt der Mann vor der Frau, so erhält diese] ir claider, clainoter, ring, kettin, Silbergeschirr, gepend, gest., verschrotten gewand. [Stirbt die Frau vorher und sind keine Kinder vorhanden] soll im volgen und werden ain tusent guldin haimstür . . . das übrig guot . . . sampt der morgengab, klaider, klainoter, ring, kettin, Silbergeschirr, bettgewat, gepend, gest., verschrotten gewand . . . soll ouch volgen und werden iren nechsten gesipten fründen.’ 1565, Z (Ehevertrag). S. noch Bd IV 1334u
[If the man dies in front of the woman, he receives this] ir claider, clainoter, ring, kettin, silverware, gepend, gest., Scrapped robe. [If the woman dies before and there are no children] should be in the crowd and become ain tusent guldin haimstür. , , the rest guot. , , sampt the dawn, klaider, klainoter, ring, kettin, silverware, bedweave, gepend, gest., scrapped robe. , , ought to obey, and will give birth to the next most clever. ‘ 1565, Z (Ehevertrag). S. noch Bd IV 1334u
(google translate)
[Montags nach Palmarum] [Montag 21. März 1524]. […] Soll ir auch geben ire klaider, kleinat und gepend. Actum montags nach Palmarum
[Erichtags VIIII. Augusti] [Dienstag 9. August 1530].[34r/105r] […]N. Arsyngers hausfraw: Item der ist zuegelassen worden, ire clayder, clayner gependt und was ir zuegehort, dem Maysentaler und dem jungen Mayr in behaltung weys zuzestelln.
[Mitwochs XII. Junii] [Mittwoch 12. Juni 1532]. Ittem er soll ir ire claider, gependt, pettgewandt, truhen und schlǔssl nit vorhalten.
However this use of the word “gebend” is not always understood outside of historic costume studies, and this is certainly true of many biographies and collected works. The most common translation is “bands” or ribbons.
It is probable the Grimm dictionary of the 19thC is the source for this.
GEBENDE, gebände, 4) bei frauen bänder zum aufbinden und schmücken des haares, dann kopfputz der frauen überhaupt, genauer mhd. houbetgebende, ahd.houbitgibenti serta, auch houbitpendil sertum Graff 3, 138. es heiszt aber noch nhd., landschaftlich bis heute auch einfach haarband (s. d.). […] es ist offenbar der aus der ältesten einfachsten zeit her fortgepflanzte ausdruck, der aber nun auch den kopfputz überhaupt,
in women’s bands for untying and decorating the hair, then head-dress of the women in general, more precisely mhd houbetgebende, ahd.houbitgibenti serta, also houbitpendil sertum Graff 3, 138. but it is still nhd., to this day also simple hair band (sd)
(Google translate)
The following works appear to use this translation.
“Next to these portraits, Dürer noted: “Colnisch gepend /… [Cologne ribbonry / …”
As this work also includes the costume sketch of the woman from Nuremberg as well on page 2356, it is unclear why the two items are not translated in the same way.
Die von Winkler an das Ende der Reise datierte Silberstiftzeichnung W. 780 zeigt links das Brustbild einer jungen Frau mit der Inschrift »Cölnisch gepend« (»bei frauen bänder zum aufbinden und schmücken des haares, dann kopfputz der frauen überhaupt«). Die Haube findet sich wiederholt auf Gemälden des Kölner Malers Barthel Bruyn.
The silver pen drawing W. 780 dated to the end of the journey by Winkler* shows on the left the bust of a young woman with the inscription “Cölnisch gepend” (“on women’s ribbons to tie up and decorate the hair, then headdress of women at all“). The hood can be found repeatedly on paintings by the Cologne painter Barthel Bruyn.
(google translate)
Auf der anderen Seite befindet ſich links das Bruſtbild eines Mädchens mit eigenthümlich aufgebundenem Haare, darüber die Worte: „Cölniſch gepend“ (Gebände),
On the one hand it shows the lion reproduced here, on the back a girl with a peculiar Haarbund)
(google translate)
Während des folgenden Aufenthaltes in Köln zeichnete Dürer in sein Skizzenbuch auf die Rückseite des Genter Löwen-Blattes (W. 781) mit Silberstift das Brustbild eines Mädchens und schrieb dazu: „Cölnisch gepend”, d.h. hier [houbet]gebende und meint de Bänder zum Aufbinden und Schmücken des Haares, den kölnischen Kopfputz.
During the following stay in Cologne Dürer drew in his sketchbook on the back of the Ghent Lion-sheet (W. 781) with silver pen the bust of a girl and wrote: “Cölnisch gepend”, ie here [houbet]gebende and means de bands to Tie up and adorn the hair, the Köln Headdress.
(google translate)
Yet another translation suggests it describes illustration being made at Cologne. Gepend appears in English-Dutch dictionaries as “feathered” or possibly “quilled.” However neither of these terms is correct as the drawing is in silverpoint.
“a girl with her hair tied in a strange fashion, and the words ” Colnisch gepend ” (” Painted at Cologne “)”
This doesn’t seem likely given the context of Durers own repeat use the term “gepend/gepent.” However it does lead to another discussion on searching through texts of early modern German/Dutch and in particular the regional dialect of the North Rhine.
At least one book that describes the work of Dürer does translate to the more generic term as it likely meant.
Technik, Metallstift auf grauviolett grundiertem Papier (W. 814 = L. 64) ; es ist ein kühles und sachliches Bildnis der Matrone, die noch einmal im Reiseskizzenbuch erscheint, diesmal vielleicht mehr, um ihre imposante Reiseschaube mit dem „Cölnisch gepend“, dem zierlichen Kopfputz des jungen Mädchens, auf demselben Blatt zu kontrastieren (Abb. 74).
Technique, metal pencil on gray-violet primed paper (W. 814 = l. 64); it is a cool and matter-of-fact image of the matron, which reappears in the travel sketchbook, perhaps more this time, to contrast her imposing travel mask with the „Cölnisch gepend“ the delicate headdress of the young girl, on the same page (ill. 74).
(google translation)
At this point more art history books use an inaccurate translation than an accurate translation, and as such is possibly contributing to some of the speculation about potential meanings behind the portraits of Anne of Cleves.
So I spent all of Saturday wiring small filigree pieces for my Amalia of Cleves ensemble. I was thinking of taking the velveteen off and putting brocade on, but then I may as well go whole hog and make the frock described by Hall for Anna. I have very big glass pearls to potentially work for the decoration. (I spend all day yesterday asleep because I totally forgot my body is in the chronic phase of my disease which means it’s a bit sneakier.)
I made the pieces match the rest of the pieces I had already made. I have run out of flowers but have a few different kinds.
And that is a smaller gold borstlap made more rigid I think it will be fine over my current front lacing leibchen/mieder/ and will work with a side lacing version too.
I’m finding more and more information to understand their clothing- most of which support of my theories- some were a bit out there but I seem to have been right :). In the mean time also better understanding about Cranach so that I can get that part of The Frazzled Frau back. (I have a cunning plan- it changes a little but I think I have it 🙂
Anyway. I am loving the pieces, and how I matched them, and stylistically they would pass with maybe a few “where did you get that from” if people got close. But ultimately I like them.
But I now have a really good feel for the scrolling shapes of the style, and have a few pieces that can mix and match. So I think it’s time to actually sculpt. And I may even be able to try something else that I think is very needed.
I think lost wax is the most appropriate method so that means making a silicone mold after sculpting so that I can reproduce them.
I want to do this part myself but will need help with the molding process as I do want these in metal so as to feel the same as the original- possibly be the same as many originals. If you ever go on ebay- take a look at the small metal findings of brass and bronze rings. There are so many they are actually affordable for collecting now.
I have my own small bronze seal that appears to have a squirrel on it.
Also I was going to do this in 3D. And I may still. I wasn’t sure how to do scrolling and petal shapes. Well okay actually I do know. I can do the basics in Sketch up and detail in But I do know how to carve wax to those shapes.
And it’s very exciting. But it means getting all my research up as I go or no one will know why I’ve done something the way I did.
It has been an amazing few hours! Since my last post I have had a windfall of luck in finding more keys to unlocking my Cleves project! A book arrived that includes information about Anna and Amalia and in there was a footnote about a triptych. The triptcyh I have been looking for without knowing what to look for. The triptychon der Rosenkranzbruderschaft, the 1528 one not the actually well published 17thc one! This triptyich has the ruling family in full. And attendants behind them. After years of finding paintings of citizens it has been very hard to find portraits of the nobility.
Anna is in the yellow gown, Amalia in the reddish pinkish gown. This picture alone confirms a few theories I have had as well as supports some documentation I have held onto and not shared because I had zero frame of reference!
But my book also includes a small list of items for the laundry, including a lot of garments for the head, but not only is the transcription good, there is a photo of the list from the document!!!
On the next page is what I think is her inscription in the song book (which I also have a full copy of so should be able to find it) and it confirms my suspicion about the use if ij and y in this location at this time. Which means even more ways to look for information but it also makes it hard as most transcriptions of documents are slightly modernised.
So then from this book I went looking at other books, and have the exhibition catalogue that includes a photo of the triptych and more. And I also found another copy of the inventory that got lost in the mail- I have no idea how the book worked its way out of the packaging but I got a little envelope with my invoice which was very battered.
And then I found a free catalogue from early 1900s with more lists of paintings I probably won’t find easily.
And.. oh yes. I will bring back The Frazzled Frau. Already started as a series of pinterest boards as it is honestly a very easy to maintain visual database of images. I do try to find the original in all my pins, but occasionally wind up linking to the nearest best option.
Anyway. With this new information I am indeed going to work on my accessories this weekend. This means I need to rest and repair my hands as well as get a little exercise to make up for the inactivity of trawling through archives for a good few days. Well months. Years in total but a walk can only do so much.
But now I can be really pretty darn sure that my investment in my projects is in the right direction!
I took a day this week to make sure all my projects are easily found and while initially it was overwhelming, I think I am not just at the inspired stage 🙂
I have a lot of current projects, but having them nicely divided into clear containers mean I can actually see them 🙂
I really want to finish my Cleves research this year. Or at least be at a point where I can say “yes, I can talk about this.” Because let me tell you, I have a heck of a lot of info for Cologne but there is very little for Cleves, Jullich and Berg. It’s a larger geographical spread and lots of archives are just gone. I have looked for donor portraits, any portraits and they are just.. not there.
Later yes.
Anyway. I now do have a pretty Cleves dress, a beautiful Cleaves dress, and a working kirtle type garment. I’m mainly working on accessories. But my red velvet gown is at the same stage my pink and black Cleves dresses were a few months ago so I can definitely work on the hand finishing of that this year.
So that least the later historic and modern media recreations.
I want Mina finally finished. That has been a struggle for fitting the bodice as my fabric has zero give. So the lining has to have zero give. I may have finally managed that but I need a bit of time to work on making it all tidy and transportable.
And I want my Elissa costume done. I should have left it alone but well… I wanted to wear it where accuracy is still prized so… but it’s okay. I think I’m just not wanting to face the rope skirt. It’s about 8m of velvet and while I have cut the pieces I have to pull and roll them and somehow make sure they don’t unroll. This is easier with velour but these are clearly velvet.
And Ahsoka. I am now happy with where Rebels has left her (in fact it’s exactly what I hoped and thought was the most logical outcome) so feel a lot happier in investing in the project again 🙂 It’s been intense and nothing is even close to finished due to just not having any luck with any material.
So that leaves Marie Antoinette as my other must finish project. It’s hard because I really do need a metal frame. Luckily the original is very short so it’s possible I can find support material for it. I am very disappointed with the plastic stuff now available. It’s not at all like the older stuff with an oval cross section. That had a fibrous property that made it really quite firm, and the oval cross section helped curves maintain shape. I get a greally nice kidney shape but that is not at all the shape of these things.
This may be a project for next year. I have all the fabrics, it’s a matter of boning for the stays and hoops. I think I have an idea for making the hoops solid and transportable though.
I still need to do some tidying, and I am definitely making a few more of these, so it’s not totally complete right now. I need to sit it slightly further forward too.
(Wearing my Kimmy Schmidt cardigan because it’s so much part of my new me- allowing myself to wear several colours at once.)
I added more pearls yesterday to the embroidery of the pink hat and sewed up the brim.
The seam allowance was caught through all layers with a pick stitch every 2″ which anchored the gathering running stitch into short curves that follow the edge. The prick stitches are nearly invisible on the other side.
The pearls were removed from the frame. I made two more circles of the same heavy duty fusible/shape-forming material to add extra support the pearl platter shape and basted a layer of shot silk to the inner most circle.
Then clipped the extra fabric to the same depth and gathered to create the turn under.This was easy as the support circles kept the shape perfectly.
I bound the edges and trapped the gathers in place. The silk is bias cut. I used to also believe this was fairly wasteful until I started to think like a workshop. Bias is not at all wasteful if you use a short length over several projects.
As an example. The skirt for the gown that this hat is made for used 3m of velveteen for the hem guarding. That is more than I used in the skirt. It is in part because I was cutting on the fly but I kept my seam allowance to a minimum.
But I used three strips of bias tape for the hem facing and about the same for the underskirt. And I have a lot of silk left over.
So, think about how many projects you can use your bias strips for and dedicate a length to that 🙂
The cap was pulled apart a few nights ago during a bit of insomnia and then I got to test a few lengths of brocade.
I decided on a denser piece of the same saree I used originally on this form. And I used the same silk as used in the bias tape to tidy the inside. I do not have any curved needles but I found a cheapie one that could be bent and oh they are perfect for this kind of seam.
The internal part of the headpiece can be of two shapes. This curved edge is seen in both linen and silk versions but I haven’t seen it with the flat cap as well. Only with a fairly pointed piece to put a jeweled strip over.
Sorry for the use of English terms. I don’t want to use terms that come from the area as I’m not convinced we have them correct. All the terms at this point are in a bit of fluidity. i think I’m getting closer and will do a proper run through very soon.
I am so inordinately happy with this! It has everything I love about the Cranach Saxon style with the weirdness of everything in the Nordrein (North Rhine.)
But it is weird. I’ll break down all the weirdness as I go but of note is the tone on tone. I deviated a little from the original, or rather combined two (three) figures in one. So the pink ground of two and the crimson velvet borders of another.
But tone on tone is very definitely part of this region, especially in the red/pink tones. And especially as velvet on a flat fabric.
Bildnis einer Frau
Zuordnung:kölnisch
Datierung:um 1555/1560Sachbegriff:Gemälde
Sammlung:Köln, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Sammlungskontext: Stiftung Dr. Hubert Dormagen / Kerp, Inventar-Nr. WRM 3300, Zugang: 1980.12.31, Dauer: ab 1980.12.31
Thuringen, I am not sure, Cologne (see what I mean by variations of spelling!)
So this is just one manuscript, and the Cologne image might be shot gold and red, but it is from the period. this is a hand drawn costume book, so little concern about it being coloured in at a later date. This work is full of pink as a main fabric. Full. But I am specifically looking for the tone on tone elements.
The Triumph of Maximillian is another illustrated book full of pink. But here again I have limited to tone on tone in red/crimson.
Sophia von Mecklenberg, married the Duke of Brauchweig, part of estphalia and so also has the mix of influences.I did not know of this image until today, however I am familiar with the two pieces of stonework depicting her in a very similar dress- I had it set aside as research for the sleeves, this confirms that the sleeves are weird, hooray! She was buried in Cell an
But the colours are nearly identical to my frock 🙂 So that is exciting. I was working with a limited range of fabric.
I knwe of her through the following images from Bildindex (handy hint, grabmal is a great search term for looking for images
Grabplatte der Herzogin Sophia von Mecklenburg
nach 1541 Grabplatte, Grabskulptur, Sandstein
Standort: Celle, Kirche, Evangelisch-lutherische Stadtkirche Sankt Marien, Chor
Gedächtnis: Sophia (Mecklenburg, Herzogin) Herzogin Sophia von Mecklenburg war die Gemahlin Ernst des Bekenners
Also a full 3d view
Epitaph des Herzogs Ernst des Bekenners und seiner Frau Sophia, Herzogin von Mecklenburg
Cornelis Floris (2) (Werkstatt) 1576 Epitaph, Grabskulptur Alabaster
Standort: Celle, Kirche, Evangelisch-lutherische Stadtkirche Sankt Marien, Chor (Nordwand)
Gedächtnis: Ernst (Braunschweig-Lüneburg, Herzog) Gedächtnis: Sophia (Mecklenburg, Herzogin)
So side track aside there are many more examples of red based tone on tone garments of the wider region.
I was going through my folder of illustrations and I am not sure if this is an illustraition or wall painting. It certainly has the qualities of translucency seen in illustrations.
But I would dearly love to see a group do this. I have a love of the black check border- some more examples in etchings that I know of as well as the girl with triangular decorations on her cuffs. But really. I just think this looks like a group from the old h-cost/lj days.
I’ve been sharing to IG today some of my older photos. You can sort of edit images in Chrome if you “inspect” choose one oft he mobile devices, refresh, and upload. Editing button is on the right and allows you to zoom centrally or full width and you can move the image, or full height. I have “inspect” set to Nexus 6 right now.
Anyway. So I realised how long it has been since I started down this Westfalen route. I moved into 1560s Koeln due to the ability to basically copy straight from the de Bruyn book. Since then I have enough courage to create my own garment without copying directly from an era where I’m mainly working with allegorical paintings and text. So that is really cool. But yeah, the de Bruyn book is literally able to be copied line for line for the Dutch-German areas. I mean it’s so accurate as to be something I’d point people to and say trust your gut because this artist knows what he is looking at.
But also while sharing I’ve decided to say Fork It. I love pink. And I love blue. I’m going to let myself wear both. So my current frock of frockness is raspberry on baby pink and I have accessories to match. So a book has been recovered and my pin book now has a cover. Woot! But next I need to decide on how to handle carrying my items around. So I think I’ll grab some more of the velveteen and add another border to my dress and use the excess for a hat and for a scrip bag.
A single layer of black wool twill (super fine, not a gabardine and not quite a satin) for my heuke.
This is the kind I need to make. I think the weird shape is pleated. Think of a paper plane and I think that is pretty close to what is going on.
This is what only Koeln used. So annoying as it’s perfect for shade and rain protection. Also it just is super out there.
Duerer’s drawing shows a half circle with a half circle cut out, but that is an actual dutch style. I think the half circle cut out is gathered to the duckbill shape seen further west. So time to dig a bit deeper for what was going on in the Duchy of Cleves because I believe de Bruyn on this point. Heuken were very much shaped by regional preference.
Also this portrait was what really got my inspiration for my first Nordrein gown in 2004, but this is also tone on tone, and, and, red velvet is everywhere in inventories. I men every where. Mainly for sleeves and bust decoration. This tone on tone thing though? I love. So that’s why I was okay when the store had no black velveteen and only raspberry.
My pink Cleves gown is hemmed! It’s full enough I can do the overlap even if my source art doesn’t show it. But I’ll have a lot more to say on that later.
The front is flared and the sides but the back is fairly straight. This makes the centre back spring a lot more from the body with the hem not folding as deeply as it could. But also ugh! How did I wind up with a 2″ wide piece missing!
Mr Carlo really loves this fabric. Like loooves.
Initially i was sewing on my knees until I found I could weave my needle through the fabric and not pick up the carpet. So that made it much easier to sew the curves without stretching the fabric.
I am looking at getting my Schnittbuch up this year, as well as a whole lot of research, and thus loads of documents for others to sift through. There is a lot, not a whole lot of costume info, but lots about life in the region.
Ginger fluff loves skinks. Luckily he is interested in the twitching tails so we’ve been able to rescue the actual skink. They are pretty canny. They play dead in my hand but as soon as I get them near foliage they can hide in, VROOM!
