Hats for the Current Middle AgesEdited by Cecily De Stafford
This is a 30 page, booklet giving detailed instructions on how to make hats based on designs from the Middle Ages and Renassaince. Plastic bound to give you many years of instruction and stand up to the wear and tear of your sewing room. Many color photos aid the re-enactor who attends SCA events, Ren faires, and theater costume designers. Documentation is included on many of the hats, based on archaeological finds, portraits, paintings and illuminations. Follow the simple instructions and learn how to make: veils, fillets, barbettes, the coif or biggens, the French Hood, the padded roll, the dagged dead chicken hat, the flat cap, the chapel, liripipe or travelers hood, Italian Ren caps, Byzantine and Middle Eastern head rolls, the French Hood, the Gabled Hood, the muffin cap and the Viking Rus or Mongolian fur-edged cap. The book is written by four members of the SCA who have been costumers, haberdashers and merchants for between 5 to 15 years. Lavishly illustrated with 40 color photos and a number of diagrams and material lists for each hat. Contributing writers, Lady Constanza , Lady Sophia Veronica of Falcon Cree, Lady Alessandra Foscari. $12.00
A Dyer's Journalby Cecily De Stafford, CP
Limited Edition handmade signed and numbered soft-cover booklet, 40 pages, some parchment. Spiral-bound. Includes history of dyes used during the Middle Ages and recipes for dyes such as logwood, cochineal, fustic, madder, brazilwood, black walnut, mimosa, tansy, alkanet and more. This is a great resource for any natural dyer and is excellent documentation on fiber, fabric and colors used during the Middle Ages for costumers, embroiderers, weavers, spinners and fiber artists who do re-creation or re-enactment of the Middle Ages in the SCA and other organizations. Sections include: techniques for dyeing at home, mordants, dyeing in natural surroundings at Gulf Wars, history of silk and working with silk, equipment list, and extensive bibliography. Also includes sample chart with 20 actual samples of wool and silk yarns dyed with natural dyes. $15.00.
So You Want To Be A MerchantBy Cecily De Stafford, CP
This is a 40 page, handmade booklet. It gives detailed instructions on how to build a merchant business in the Middle Ages and Renaissance Fair circuit. Many color photos aid the re-enactor who wants to sell their handmade goods or special items at SCA events, Ren faires, and arts and craft fairs. Chapters include: Display, Developing a Business Plan, Analyzing Market Trends, What Type of Items Merchants in the Current Middle Ages Sell, How to Layout your Shop or Pavilion, Advertising, the Business of Doing Business, The History of Merchants in the SCA and Renaissance. The book is written by a full-time merchant with 6 years experience as an SCA merchant and who travels all over the Eastern USA. It includes profiles on a number of successful merchants who talk about their experiences and offer tips to the aspiring merchant. $12.00.
An Overview of German Embroideryby Cecily De Stafford, CP
This is an 11 page booklet which gives an overview of Middle Ages and Renaissance embroidery in Germany during the 12th to 16th centuries. Stitches, fiber and yarn, styles, patterns and pattern books are all looked at on ecclesiastical, secular and home textiles. Includes color photos of period textiles. $4.00
Handmade BooksBy Lady Ariane Y Gwalchmei, The Middle Kingdom
Handmade books made by (Greyson Stoehr) a professional artist and book restoration expert. Greyson uses traditional Japanese papers made from mulberry tree, plants and flowers. Her books make great journals or A&S records and each one is bound with hand-stitching using traditional book making techniques. Beads are a special added touch. Each book is signed and numbered. $20.00
MoviesBlack Swan Theives Market carries a selection of period and costume movies. Check in at the events we attend or write for a current list of titles. From Shakespeare to cavalier days we try and carry a range of period movies. We have sources to find obscure costume flicks so contact us and let us know what you're looking for. We may be able to find it. Stock is currently only VHS in new and pre-viewed tapes. Check out what Hollywood is doing with history and costume for a very reasonable cost of only $5.00.