Category Archives: General

A Place for Conversation about German Renaissance Garb and Accessories

I keep seeing requests to “be a part of the conversation” so I’ve created a new page on Facebook just for this site, its followers, and fans of German Ren at http://www.facebook.com/GermanRenaissance This Facebook page is not just for me to post my articles and photos; it’s a place where we can all talk about creating, and re-creating, the German… (more…)

My Artisan Quest From Mistress Crespine de la Vallée

I am pleased to report that today I became the student of Mistress Crespine de la Vallée. This wonderful woman has been an informal adviser and guide for me since I met her as one of my judges at my very first Kingdom A&S Competition in May 2012. She is a talented needleworker (she also does blackwork!) and a seamstress… (more…)

Squaring Up Your Linen: How to Cut Evenly Along the Grain By Pulling a Thread

When you’re preparing your linen for a project that requires absolute straightness, such as embroidery or pleatwork (smocking), you want to cut your linen straight along the grain of the fabric. If you don’t get it straight, it can pull oddly on your frame, fray annoyingly as you work with it, and create uneven hems. You could put on magnifying… (more…)

Pennsic 42 Classes: Tellerbarret Hats, Landsknecht Military History, Blackwork, and Wax Carving!

We’ve returned from our two-week adventure at Pennsic 42! One of this year’s highlights were the five classes we taught between the three of us (me, my lord Gregor, and my son Alexander). All were very well attended and very satisfying to teach. I estimate we taught a total of 125-150 people among the classes. Here are notes on what… (more…)

Landsknecht Men, Short Hosen, and the Display of Bare Legs: Fact or Fiction?

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Middle Kingdom Arts & Sciences Competition, in which I was both an entrant (for my goldhaube) and a judge. This was my first experience judging and it was most illuminating. The first entry I judged was a Landsknect man’s outfit by THL Errc Glaison (read his blog here). The outfit was… (more…)

Discovery of My 16th c. German Ancestors — The Tode Family

Sometimes when you go looking for something, you find a lot more than you expected. This is what happened last November when I was researching my first real German gown. Curious what women in Lübeck were wearing in the 16th century, I went hunting about the Internet for images. Why Lübeck? My grandfather’s ancestors (the Tody family) have always claimed… (more…)

Germane German

This weekend I attended the 2012 Kingdom Arts & Sciences Competition. I had the privilege of entering two projects and the honor of winning first place for both of them. Now that it’s over, I’m eager to learn and do more! So I’ve decided to branch off from my existing blog, HonorBeforeVictory.com which covers all things SCA, and create a web… (more…)