Strawberries, English, late 16th c



Strawberries, English, late 16th c.

Purpose:

I’ve charted several needlework patterns from photographs of the “Jane Bostocke” sampler (English, 1598, Victoria & Albert, T.190-1960) and wanted to have an example of one of the designs. The Bostocke sampler is described in several books as being in silk and metal threads on linen in a variety of stitches.

Materials:

Zweigart Belfast linen 32-ct evenweave fabric

Splendor 12-ply silk floss, used in 2-ply strands

DMC metallic pearl cotton #5

bits of unspun wool

Stitches:

double-running and back stitch for the leaves and vines

detached buttonhole (padded) for the berries

satin stitch for the flower

braid stitch for the border

Design:

I charted the pattern from a color photograph in Samplers from the Victoria and Albert Museum by Clare Browne and Jennifer Wearden. It was slightly changed to become a separate square instead of a continuous covering pattern. Another change is the use of padding under the detached buttonhole berries; the original ones were either not padded or have lost their padding over the years.

Style:

This pattern is one that could have been used on light household furnishings such as pillow covers or bed linens, or used to cover boxes and books (it’s my intent to mount this piece on top of a finished box when I find an appropriate one). Although the boxes I’ve found with embosted/raised work are from the mid-17th c., there are 16th c. examples of other embroideries that use a padded detached buttonhole stitch. One example is a purse in the form of a bunch of grapes (English, late 16th or early 17th c., Victoria & Albert, T.172-1921), seen in the Guide to English Embroidery by Patricia Wardle.

Expediencies:

The border is in braid stitch. The Bostocke sampler (and many other works of the time) uses plaited braid stitch instead, but I was unable to get the plaited version to work in any of 5 different silver embroidery threads. Instead I used the plain braid stitch once I’d found a citation for it on a pillow cover (English, 2nd half 16th c., Victoria & Albert T.81-1924) in Patricia Wardle’s Guide to English Embroidery. The pillow cover is described as “linen embroidered with black silk in back, chain, cord, braid and buttonhole stitches.” There are several other works in the book that are described as having “plaited braid” stitch, so she does distinguish between the two versions in her descriptions.

My best determination of the fabric of the original Bostocke sampler is that the linen is approximately 80 threads per inch. This is based on comparisons of the size of the charted pattern, the size of the photograph, and the stated size of the sampler itself. The photograph shows the back/running stitches are over 4 threads each, for about 20 stitches per inch. On the 32-ct linen that I had, I made the stitches over 2 threads each for a final scale of 16 stitches per inch, so my version is 25% larger than the original.

Discoveries:

One difficulty I had was trying to get the two-tone strawberries to look right. For the entirely red strawberries, I worked the detached buttonhole in alternating directions (first row left to right, second row right to left, etc.). This meant no thread was run beneath the fabric; the stitches are only anchored on the sides. When I first tried making the two-color version, I tried working each color in the same direction (red: left to right, white: left to right, red: right to left, white: right to left, etc.) but this resulted in vertical stripes down the length of the berry, which is not how it appears in the original. I found that if I went back to alternating directions (red: left to right, white: right to left, etc.) it looked closer to the original. But this meant I did need to run the thread beneath the fabric to get it to the correct side for the next row.

Sources:

Beck, Thomasina.

The Embroider’s Story:

Needlework from the Renaissance to the Present Day.

Devon: David & Charles, 1995.

ISBN: 0-7153-0238-8

Browne, Clare, and Jennifer Wearden.

Samplers from the Victoria and Albert Museum.

London: V&A Publications, 1999.

ISBN: 185177-309-6

King, Donald.

Samplers [Victoria and Albert Museum].

London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1960.

ISBN: 0-11-290149-2

King, Donald, and Santina Levey.

The Victoria & Albert Museum’s Textile Collection:

Embroidery in Britain from 1200 to 1750.

New York: Canopy Books, 1993.

ISBN 1-55859-652-6

Schuette, Marie, and Signid Muller-Christensen. Text translated by Donald King.

A Pictorial History of Embroidery.

New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1964.

New York: Canopy Books, 1993.

Sebba, Anne.

Samplers: Five Centuries of a Gentle Craft.

New York: Thames and Hudson, Inc., 1979.

ISBN: 0-500-23300-4

Staniland, Kay.

Embroiders [“Medieval Craftsmen” series].

Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1991. Reprint, 1997.

ISBN: 0-8020-6915-0

Wardle, Patricia.

Guide to English Embroidery [Victoria and Albert Museum].

London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1970.

ISBN: 0-11-290030-5

Pincushion, English, late 16th c.

Purpose:

I’ve charted several needlepoint patterns from photographs of the Bradford Table Carpet (English, late 16th c., Victoria & Albert, T. 143-1928) and wanted to have an example of how one of the designs might look in real life. The carpet is described in several books as being in silk threads on heavy linen or linen canvas in tent stitch at 20 stitches per inch.

Materials:

Zweigart Lugana (Valerie/Bellana) 52% cotton/48% rayon 20-ct heavy needlework fabric

Splendor 12-ply silk floss, used in 4-ply strands

cotton velveteen backing

cotton batting

tassels: Splendor 12-ply silk floss, used in 4-ply strands

wooden beads, ½” diameter

brass screw eyes

Stitches:

tent stitch

detached buttonhole on tassel heads

Design:

I charted the bird from a color photograph of the Bradford Table Carpet in Embroidery in Britain from 1200 to 1750 by Donald King and Santina Levey. The border is a smaller scale adaptation of the borders on the carpet as seen in the same photograph and in photographs from other books.

Style:

Pincushion seem to have been a common needleworked artifact in the period. Several are shown in embroidery books. In particular, there is a small 2-1/2” square pincushion attached to a purse (English, early 17th c., Victoria & Albert, T.316-1898) and a larger rectangular pincushion of about 10-1/2” by 6” (English, late 16th or early 17th c., Victoria & Albert, T.317-1898). Both were worked with tent stitch in silk and both have corner tassels attached with metal rings or hooks.

Expediencies:

I was unable to find linen fabric or canvas of the desired count and used a cotton/rayon version instead. I was also unable to find unspun wool to stuff the pincushion, which I believe to have been more likely used, although cotton was available as padding in this period. Since the background material and the stuffing are not seen, I was willing to make these substitutions so that I could finish the project sooner.

The tassels turned out to be a bit larger than desired. Next time I will look for smaller beads.

Discoveries:

I have a much increased appreciation of the effort involved in making the Bradford Table Carpet. The entire carpet is about 13 feet by almost 6 feet (400 x 175 cm). My small pincushion is about 3-1/2” square (9 cm) and took approximately 20 hours of work for the needlepoint. This implies that the entire carpet could have taken more than 17,000 hours to complete (though they were certainly more experienced, and thus, one hopes, faster).

I was also concerned about my ability to make Elizabeth style tassels where a wooden form is covered with silk or metal threads and then with detached buttonhole stitching. The ones made turned out to be much less difficult than expected, to the point that I’m making up an article outlining the process to share with others.

Sources:

Beck, Thomasina.

The Embroider’s Story:

Needlework from the Renaissance to the Present Day.

Devon: David & Charles, 1995.

ISBN: 0-7153-0238-8

Hanson, Carol, as Caryl de Trecesson.

Designs, Period.

Malden, MA: Chanson Press, third edition 1996.

Privately published.

King, Donald, and Santina Levey.

The Victoria & Albert Museum’s Textile Collection:

Embroidery in Britain from 1200 to 1750.

New York: Canopy Books, 1993.

ISBN 1-55859-652-6

Schuette, Marie, and Signid Muller-Christensen. Text translated by Donald King.

A Pictorial History of Embroidery.

New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1964.

Staniland, Kay.

Embroiders [“Medieval Craftsmen” series].

Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1991. Reprint, 1997.

ISBN: 0-8020-6915-0

Wardle, Patricia.

Guide to English Embroidery [Victoria and Albert Museum].

London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1970.

ISBN: 0-11-290030-5

Sweet Strawberry Cordial

Purpose:

To try out the cordial process taught at a Carolingian brewers guild meeting by Master Aquel of Darksted Wood/Tom Chenelle. For this batch, I wanted a simple sweet cordial that could be enjoyed at any time.

Sources:

From The Queens closet opened (tenth edition 1698, original believed to be in period by some, others state the first edition was 1655), as cited in a handout by Master Aquel of Darksted Wood and on the web page “The Elusive Cordial Recipes” by Master Rauthulfr Meistari inn Orthston, Brewers Guild, Barony of Madrone, An Tir ():

A cordial water of Sir Walter Raleigh. Take a gallon of Strawberries and put them into a pint of Aqua vita, let them stand so four or five days, strain them gently out and sweeten the water as you please with fine sugar; or else with perfume.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. frozen strawberries

6 cups 40-proof brandy

simple syrup: 2 c. white granulated sugar to 1 c. water

I used brandy for the “Aqua vita” because research suggests that the distillation process in this period was not efficient enough to remove all flavorings from the wine base, so the distilled liquor would have been more like a brandy than otherwise. Alexis Lichine’s Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits (NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1967) states that a first distillation of wine in a pot-still results in a liquor of about 25% alcohol and a second distillation could get to 60%-70% alcohol. Armagnac brandy uses continuous distillation and is about 52%-60% percent alcohol when first distilled (Armagnac Castarede, ). Cognac is double-distilled and is 28%-32% alcohol after the first and 67%-72% alcohol after the second (Bureau National Interprofesionnel du Cognac, elabo_distill_detail.htm). Modern vodka is multiply distilled to over 180% alcohol before being diluted with water.

Maceration Process:

This was started October 11, 2001. The frozen strawberries were put in a glass jar and covered with brandy, then left for 4-1/2 weeks but stirred each day. The solid material was strained out and squeezed through cheesecloth and the liquid then poured through an unbleached coffee filter. A simple sugar syrup was added to the proportions of 1 cup of syrup to 2 cups of liquor.

Comments:

This turned out very sweet but very drinkable, and I have found many people who like it this way. But next time I will try about ¾ the amount of sugar syrup.

Herbal Cordial

Purpose:

To try out the cordial process taught at a Carolingian brewers guild meeting by Master Aquel of Darksted Wood/Tom Chenelle. For this batch, I had found a number of period recipes using herbs and so I tried several herbs still left in my garden in late October.

Sources:

From Sir Hugh Plat’s Delightes for Ladies (Humfrey Lownes, London 1609), cited in “Alcoholic Drinks of the Middle Ages” (Complete Anachronist #60) by Marc Shapiro/THL Alexander Mareschal:

Spirit of wine tasting of what vegetable you please

Macerate Rosemarie, Sage, sweet Fennel seeds, Marjerom, Lemmon or Orenge pils, &c. in spirits of wine a daie or two, and then distill it over againe, unless you had rather have it in his proper colour: for so you shall have it upon the first infusion without any farther distillation: and some young Alchymists doe hold these for the true spirits of vegetables.

From Thomas Dawson’s The Good Huswifes Jewell, 1596 (Falconwood Press, 1988):

To make Rosemary water.

Take the Rosemarye, and the flowers in the middest of May, before sunne arise, and strippe the leaves and flowers from the stalke, take foure or five alicompans rootes, and a handfull or two of Sage, then beate the Rosemarye, the Sage and the rootes together, till they be very small, and take three ounces of Cloves, iij. ounces of Mace, iij. ounces of Quibles, halfe a pound of Anniseedes, and beate these spices every one by it selfe. Then take all the hearbes and the Spices, and put therein foure or five gallons of good white wine, then put in all these Hearbes and Spices, and Wine, into an earthen pot, and put the same pot in the ground the space of sixteene dayes, then take it up, and styll it in a Styll with a very soft fire.

Also from Thomas Dawson’s The Good Huswifes Jewell, 1596 (Falconwood Press, 1988):

To make the water of life.

Take Balme leaves and stalkes, burnet leaves and flowers, a handfull of Rosemary, Turmentill leaves and rootes, Rose folis a handfull, red roses a handfull, Carnations a handfull, Isop a handfull, a handfull of Time, red strings that grow upon Savery a handfull, red Fennell leaves and rootes a handfull, red Pints a Handfull, put all these hearbes into a pot of earth glased, and put therto as much white wine as will cover the hearbes, and let them soake therein eight or nine dayes, then take an ounce of Sinamon, as much of Ginger, as much of Nutmegs, Cloves, and Saffron, a little quantitye, of Annyseedes a pound, great Raisons a pound, Suger a pound, halfe a pound of Dates, the hinder part of an olde Cony, a good fleshye running Capon, the flesh and sinewes of a legge of mutton, foure young Pigions, a dosen of Larks, the yolkes of twelve egges, a loafe of white bread cut in sippettes, Muskadell, or Bastard three gallons, or as much in quantitie as suffiseth to distil all these together at once in a Limbecke and therto put of Methridatum two or three ounces, or else with as much perfect Treakell, and distill it with a moderate fire, and keepe the first water by it selfe, and the second water alone also, & when there cometh no more water with strings, take away the limbecke, & put into the pot more wine upon the same stuffe; and stylle it againe, and you shal have an other good water, and shall so remaine good. In the first ingredience of this water, you must keepe a double glass warely for it is restorative of all principall members, and defendeth against all pestilentiall diseases, as against the Paulsie, Dropsie, Spleene, Yellowe or black Jaundice, for wormes in the bellye, and for all agues be they hot or cold, and all maner of swettings, and pestilentiall sorrowes in man, as melancholy, & flegmatike, and it strengtheneth and comforteth all the spirits and strings of the braine, as the heart, the milte, the liver, and the stomacke, by taking thereof two ortheree spoonefulles at one time by it selfe, or with ale, Wine, or Beere, and by putting a prittie quantitye of Suger therein, also it helpeth digestion, and doth breake winde, and stoppeth laske, and bindeth not, and it mightelye helpeth and easeth Man or Woman of the paine of the heart burning, and for to quicken the memory of man, and take of this water three spoonefuls a daye, in the morning, and another after he goeth to dinner, and the third last at night.

Ingredients:

½ tsp. packed fresh rosemary leaves

½ tsp. packed fresh sage leaves

3 T. packed fresh lemon balm leaves

1-1/2 cups 40-proof brandy

simple syrup: 2 c. white granulated sugar to 1 c. water

I used brandy for the “Aqua vita” because research suggests that the distillation process in this period was not efficient enough to remove all flavorings from the wine base, so the distilled liquor would have been more like a brandy than otherwise. Alexis Lichine’s Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits (NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1967) states that a first distillation of wine in a pot-still results in a liquor of about 25% alcohol and a second distillation could get to 60%-70% alcohol. Armagnac brandy uses continuous distillation and is about 52%-60% percent alcohol when first distilled (Armagnac Castarede, ). Cognac is double-distilled and is 28%-32% alcohol after the first and 67%-72% alcohol after the second (Bureau National Interprofesionnel du Cognac, elabo_distill_detail.htm). Modern vodka is multiply distilled to over 180% alcohol before being diluted with water.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) was said to clear the head and improve memory. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) was said to cause “the mind and hearth to become merry and reviveth the heart”. Sage (Salvia officinalis) supposedly also helped the memory and quickened the senses. (All remarks from Nicholas Culpeper, Culpeper’s Complete Herbal, cited by Jennifer Heise/Jadwiga Zajaczkowa in “Jadwiga’s Stillroom Book: On the Medieval and Renaissance Use of Herbs”, ).

Maceration Process:

This was started about October 20, 2001. The fresh herbs were bruised with a mortar and pestle and then put in a glass jar and covered with brandy, then left for 1-1/2 weeks but stirred each day. The solid material was strained out and squeezed through cheesecloth and the liquid then poured through an unbleached coffee filter. A simple sugar syrup was added to the proportions of 1 cup of syrup to 2 cups of liquor.

Comments:

This turned out rather sharp, even with the same proportion of sugar syrup used in the other cordials. I’m unable to distinguish the separate herbal flavors but maybe other people are more discriminating.

Chestnut/Orange Cordial

Purpose:

To try out the cordial process taught at a Carolingian brewers guild meeting by Master Aquel of Darksted Wood/Tom Chenelle. For this batch, I tried a combination appropriate to the upcoming holidays.

Sources:

From Sir Hugh Plat’s Delightes for Ladies (Humfrey Lownes, London 1609), cited in “Alcoholic Drinks of the Middle Ages” (Complete Anachronist #60) by Marc Shapiro/THL Alexander Mareschal:

Spirit of wine tasting of what vegetable you please

Macerate Rosemarie, Sage, sweet Fennel seeds, Marjerom, Lemmon or Orenge pils, &c. in spirits of wine a daie or two, and then distill it over againe, unless you had rather have it in his proper colour: for so you shall have it upon the first infusion without any farther distillation: and some young Alchymists doe hold these for the true spirits of vegetables.

Ingredients:

250 grams (about 8 oz.) vacuum-packed cooked peeled chestnuts

outer peel (no pith) of one Valencia orange

3 cups 40-proof brandy

simple syrup: 2 c. white granulated sugar to 1 c. water

I used brandy for the “Aqua vita” because research suggests that the distillation process in this period was not efficient enough to remove all flavorings from the wine base, so the distilled liquor would have been more like a brandy than otherwise. Alexis Lichine’s Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits (NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1967) states that a first distillation of wine in a pot-still results in a liquor of about 25% alcohol and a second distillation could get to 60%-70% alcohol. Armagnac brandy uses continuous distillation and is about 52%-60% percent alcohol when first distilled (Armagnac Castarede, ). Cognac is double-distilled and is 28%-32% alcohol after the first and 67%-72% alcohol after the second (Bureau National Interprofesionnel du Cognac, elabo_distill_detail.htm). Modern vodka is multiply distilled to over 180% alcohol before being diluted with water.

Chestnuts (chestens, chistenis, chasteyns, chestenne; Castanea vesca) are used in English recipes as early as the 14th century (in “Diuersa Cibaria” in Curye on Inglysch, Constance B. Hieatt and Sharon Butler, eds., Oxford U. Press, 1985). There is also a supposedly 15th-16th c. recipe for “roast chestnuts with roses” that heats the chestnuts in wine (Renaissance Food, ).

Maceration Process:

This was started October 11, 2001. The chestnuts were crumbled and put in a glass jar and covered with brandy, then left for 1-1/2 weeks but stirred each day. At that point the chestnut flavor was still very mild. The orange peel was added and the mixture left for another 3 weeks, stirred each day. The solid material was strained out and squeezed through cheesecloth and the liquid then poured through an unbleached coffee filter. A simple sugar syrup was added to the proportions of 1 cup of syrup to 2 cups of liquor.

Comments:

The orange flavor is the most noticeable, but there is a hint of something else that can only be the chestnuts. I still think it was right to add the orange peel, since I suspect the chestnut flavor would have stayed elusive and the result would have been a brandy-flavored cordial with a hint of chestnut.

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