Re: [Mid] Authentic Cotton

Of course cotton is period, but, as someone else pointed out it was
hideously expensive and not available to all of Europe. I know for my
persona, she *might* have a cotton chemise, but that would only be for
very special occasions, as it would be of very fine weave and not very
sturdy for common use. She'd have more fustian, linen and linsey-woolsey
to use for every day. Woolens, linens and brocades would be more common,
as well as sensible for her. She's living in England in the 1570's. It's
not exactly a warm, toasty place. Europe was going through a mini-ice age
then and the average daytime temps for Elizabethan England in the middle
of high summer were somewhere in the mid 50's. Gauzy, light cotton would
be a folly when you don't have central heating.....

Fionnuala

On Sun, 13 Jan 2002 11:08:43 -0500 "Connie Marie Carroll"
<Connie.Bunny@worldnet.att.net> writes:
> Yes, cotton is period. I don't have my documentation with me right
> now, but
> you should be able to find it n almost any costume book. I wear
> several
> layers of cotton because it breathes and I embroidery on broadcloth
> with is
> also period. They might have had a coarser weave than we do now,
> depending
> on the spinners and weavers.
>
> Mistress Bunny
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-sca-middle@scotland.midrealm.org
> [mailto:owner-sca-middle@scotland.midrealm.org]On Behalf Of Ross &
> Deb
> Kerr
> Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2002 10:46 AM
> To: Middlebridge
> Subject: [Mid] Authentic Cotton
>
>
> I realise this would not qualify as "documentation," but perhaps
> it will
> make some gentles feel better about their cotton garb. Unless all
> these
> websites I googled in about ten minutes are giving our incorrect
> information, cotton was indeed available to people in Europe during
> the
> Middle Ages. It may have been difficult to acquire or expensive,
> but
> nothing in these websites addresses those issues, so I do not know.
> But,
> logically, would you think it would have been as available and
> pricey as
> silk?
> The one thing I do know, I see a lot of cotton worn as garb, and
> it has
> never offended me. I buy linen and silk when I can afford to and
> cotton
> when I see a piece in a color I like, and do my best to turn it in
> to garb
> that is as close to period as my slowly improving sewing skills
> permit. One
> thought that comforts me: the women who lived in the Middle Ages
> had sewing
> teachers. I don't have one and learn as I go, but I'm sure would-be
> seamstresses of any period figured out creative ways to hide their
> foibles
> and goofs to keep from having to throw away yards of fabric, the
> same way I
> do. Some of my methods may not be "period", but I would challenge
> someone
> to prove that they're not. The wool I could wear might be period,
> as
> would be the rash and stuffy nose it would probably give me, but I
> think
> I'll pass on that, thanks
> If necessity was the mother of invention, then creativity was its
> child.
> We best keep in mind there are more things about the Middle Ages
> that
> documentation doesn't exist for than the opposite. If we are only
> going to
> utilise that which can be documented, we are going to have a narrow
> scope on
> what life was like in the Middle Ages. Creativity can fill in the
> gaps now,
> much as it had to have done then.
> Research is an excellent pastime, and keeps one out of the pool
> halls.
> Some folks have more time and resources than others, as we know. I
> applaud
> all who make the effort, whether they have their volumes of
> documentation
> pinned to the front of their pearled Elizabethan gown, or whether
> they are
> wearing a pickle barrel covered by what was once their blankie. We
> all
> evolve, and I thank you all for showing up on the weekend and
> sharing the
> good time I'm having.
>
> http://www.ecottonindia.com/history.htm
>
> http://www.kings.k12.ca.us/central/cuesd.a/tq/ag/history.html
>
> http://www.fabriclink.com/History.html
>
> http://www.curlbros.com/cottinfo.htm
>
> http://my-scarf.com/Info/The%20Yarns/Cotton/Cotton%20History.htm
>
> I'm sure there are plenty more, but these satisfied me.
>
> Medb
>
> Lady Medb ni Ciaran MacMurchadha
> The Smiled Upon
> Widow by Trade, Ret'd.
> And Wielder of the Dreaded Longspoon of Doom
>
> "Quanti Canicula In Fenestra?"
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: "Connie Marie Carroll" <Connie.Bunny@worldnet.att.net>
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Received on Sun Jan 13 11:21:04 2002