The Widow Felmersham

The widow Felmersham was clearly not of a true religious vocation. Not unsurprisingly, this is not an uncommon occurrence in court cases involving nunneries and medieval women. Nunneries were a convenient place to stash young girls for their own protection and sometimes, to get a small education of sorts, while she waited for a suitable husband to be found by well-meaning family. Some were subdued into a life of religion and scheduled prayer and work but others used them more like boarding houses to be used at their own whims and convenience.

Nunneries also accepted wealthy widows who wished to avoid remarriage but had no real religious vocation, so as much as they were happy to accept the income these women provided, the resident nuns-in-charge had their hands full keeping these secular women in check.

Often they were permitted to wear regular secular clothing and jewellery, skip prayers, eat whatever they liked and have friends sleep over. Parties could get rowdy, much to the annoyance of the women who lived there who were diligently trying to live a devout and holy life of contemplation.

Complaints were common and many made their way into courts or complaint books to be dealt with by visiting deacons. Many with little success, it seems, as some records show that the same women might pop up repeatedly or be passed from place to place.

For more stories of actual medieval women, you know where to go.

Xmas Selfie 2023

Every year I try for at least one really nice photo of me being festive. This wins for this year, I think.

I hope you're all getting your jingle on and starting to feel the festive vibe. I know crafters get their jingle on months ahead of time, so their gifts and craft projects are ready for family and friends or Christmas markets. I'm doing my first market this year too, but with books inside a shopping mall for four days, so I'm gathering lots of sparkly pink things to theme my table with!

I'm so excited!

Made for a maid

The maid's outfit for the Very Victorian Museum event is progressing slowly. I've had a number of costuming issues with this, mainly stemming from it not being a time period I know a great deal about. This coupled with the information overload from friends who really DO know about it and are trying to be exceptionally helpful. I'm not trying for re-enactor level. I'm aiming more of a let's-not-be-naked-at-the-event and look like the other maids for a cohesive staff look.

This in itself is a little tricky, because the costuming is a bought pattern which is mostly right but has a few big flaws. So I'd like to correct those but still need to match, if you understand my meaning.

As most people would realise, the frill seen from the outside of the garment would have been the collar of the petticoat, and my first attempts gave a thicker and unflattering collar. I was lucky enough to find a sweet little frilled top at a Thrift shop, but when I paired it with the blouse, it repeatedly slipped down where it couldn't be seen.

My fix for this was simply adding a row of stitching to hold it in place, and that worked really well.