sister_raphael | Entries tagged with medieval

As I will still be doing some things in the broader community, I am delighted to share that one of my newest commissions, ordered months ago and patiently in the waiting list, is now complete.

From the workshop of Ezio Zanini, with fine details by Erika, this is the ear spoon reproduction along with the original. It's hand carved using traditional methods from bone. I really can't express how delighted I am with their work.

The sorting of stuff I'm not keeping is a bit of a heartbreaking affair, with some things used only for photos and grand parades and practically new.. In particular, a beautiful silk surcote in a soft blue lined with white silk which is unworn by me and entirely hand stitched, almost brought me to tears. It's so pretty.

I need to toughen up and really try to not let it bother me, but I just want to keep it for myself.

The requests for my stuff are still coming thick and fast, and just answering messages to say, "No, I said I had nothing else yet" take time to answer, which is slowing the whole process down. I have 4 weeks until our biggest event of the year, so I really need to get stuff done.

Photo of the blue surcote added so you can appreciate my sadness about it. The colour is just the best shade of blue. And it's silk. Lined with silk.
Just so much silk.

BIRTHDAY COMPETITION!

I have a lot of feelings about turning a big number on Sunday, and this face... well... I can relate!
Drop a caption (doesn't need to be birthday related) on my Rosalie's Medieval Woman facebook page only.

RULES

1. Be original, Have fun.

2. Caption and Country, please. There are 2 different prizes for Australia and overseas.

3. Winner decided by myself and a panel of international student radiographers at work on Monday at lunch time by popular vote.

4. Entries close at midnight, Sunday 17th May, 2026, Australian time.

5. One entry per person

6. Winners will not need to click anywhere to collect prizes. I will contact you directly and there will be a Winning meme with your name on it. Do not be scammed.

7. There are 3 prizes...

1 x mega prize pack in Brisbane or can be delivered/collected in person (no postage)...

1 x posted Australia wide

1 x posted Overseas wide

Birthday competition starting tonight running until end of Sunday 17th Australian time.

As usual, our Hildegarde von Bingam has helpful advice for the unwell. She advises:

For the sick, frail and physically run down,
it is good and healthy to breakfast in the mornings
in order to gain some strength from nourishment,
which one might not have had otherwise.

She's so right.I'm not happy until I've had my vanilla yoghurt or leftover pizza or whatever.

More Medieval Household Hints From The Middle Ages Which You Still Need Today. Featuring my lovely cover lady, Amber Shearer.

Mother's Day is this Sunday in Australia!!!

I'm doing a post box drop off on my way to work before the post office opens tomorrow morning. Hit me up if you want your pressie gift-wrapped with a tag and message from you. It can be posted directly to them because you're running out time! This special is for Australia-wide postage only!

The Medieval Wisdom series book special also runs for the same time.

For any other combo, message with what you want and I'll figure out your special combo. Square was a bit tricky to do the special, so don't order there at the moment, so please email me rather than order from the square shop as this special is not there!

Selfies are hard (part 1453).

Rosalie's Medieval Woman is at Strathpine Community Centre. So much cool stuff at the Best Friends Felines cat rescue Mothers Day Markets this morning! Not all pet stuff, other awesome hand made artisan stuff too! The venue was absolutely wonderful, easily accessible, air-conditioned and roomy and bright. I am definitely booking in for their Xmas markets when the call goes out.I have met a lot of very interested people who were happy to chat and ask questions about medieval arts and crafts and many bought books to support my endeavours.

New arrival in my research library and it's so wonderful!! It's part of the set of the Wyvern Collection.

So. Much. Enamel!

And this one!

Also from the same series, and even though these were really expensive, they really are fantastic. Each item has a full page image and a page or more describing the item and it's specs and history. it's wonderful!

I'm making a limited number of paternosters from manuscripts for my upcoming stall. This is a new style for me from a 15th century manuscript. I love the groupings and the crystal beads.

An absolutely wonderful After Dark at the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology and a huge THANK YOU to everyone who came along and to our fabulous hosting staff! We had a full house and it was really wonderful to compare the workmanship of medieval craftsmen against their modern reproduced items. Im most cases, even with our modern tools and technology, the medieval workmanship was superior and finer than expected.

The hand carved comb by Ezio Zannini thrilled the audience with its sheer size and workmanship and the ladies and sewers present marveled at the Opus Anglicanum work by Alison Hecker. Other folks were amazed at being able to hold a piece of 800 year old history in their very own hands, and think that a human wore it close to their body so long ago.

The wines and antipasto platters really were absolutely delicious, and much enjoyed by all.

The Abbey Museum were kind enough to have this to say about the event, held in their museum amongst their timeline history of human history artifacts.

Our evening guests enjoyed our latest instalment of our Abbey After Dark events, featuring Rosalie's Medieval Woman, exploring the craftsmanship and details of medieval accessories. With an exclusive ‘white glove’ experience, guests were invited to touch and hold intricate replicas and artefacts from the Gilbert collection.

Special thanks to Jason Lake and Annette for all their assistance tonight!

As a bit of a fun photo op, Jason dressed in his Brother Thomas outfit and we were able to get some really great photos using the carved wooden Tudor panels as backdrops in the museum. They just looked so great!

Since I've got a little bit of stock and I'm going to do a few fun stalls, I need to work out prices. Those ones shown on this page are AUD, so the rest of you can adjust in your head to get your local currency for the means of this post. Also, I need signs, but modern ones are always frowned upon, so I had an idea to make a catalogue book like a photo book and have it printed out. I can then cover it with leather and make it look a bit like a medieval book, so it is less noticeable.

Today I've been photographing things and making the pages. Each will have my Rosalie's Medieval Woman logo, the Crowned R, a title and price, and a small description of what it is. I have a few things which are a bit similar, so it will help to keep things sorted. I'm planning on using the matching photos on my square shop in a special Event Special page, as the book prices will be discounted.

Many hours of editing still to do but I'm more than half way there. I need to get it off to the printer to have it back soon, but I haven't actually made a few of the items on the list yet (the linear paternosters and the quartz crystal and green glass looped ones) so I need to shake my tail-feathers there too.

Working on my Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology "Abbey After Dark" presentation today which focuses on the workmanship of medieval dress accessories, adding the finishing touches and gathering the artifacts and samples for the White Glove touchy touchy table.

Yes, that reproduction Ezio Zanini comb is coming too!

I know a lot of people will be keenly interested in that, even though it's a reproduction. Obviously, the artifacts themselves will be enjoyed, but I think one of the biggest surprises will again be the quality of hand spun, woven and dyed cloth which is seriously better than most people expect.

St Gertrude's day today, and since she's the patron saint of cats, here are some pretty kitties to celebrate it!

It's a really sweet smile on the little striped tabby cat in the middle.

Spices were definitely not added to food to mask the taste because it was rotten. That's a myth. It constantly amazes me how with all the really good info we have out in the wider world in the last 2 decades that ideas like this still make the "Top 10 things you didn't know about the Middle Ages" along with ones about hygiene and other nonsense.

The people who could afford the spices had such a high turn over of food because they fed a lot of people, the whole spoiled food thing just doesn't even make sense. Garden herbs, of course, were home grown and easily accessible. Mostly the myth is more to do with high end spices used by rich people to mask their rotting food, which we know is not correct.There were heavy fines and people were charged at court for selling poor quality food, so it wasn't good business to sell rotting food, though we know a few did, and were fined at court!

Some people forget the medieval cookbooks which use a lot of spices were made by the people who could afford cooks and books!

Not the poor.

This 13th century foodie advice comes from Bartholemew Anglicus from his treatice, On the Properties of things, and from Medieval Household Hints compiled and photographed by yours truly!

I've braided and luceted cord and punched holes in all of the leather I have already cut for the little drawstring pouches I'm making, so more of that today.

I found a few other luceted cords which were leftover from other things which may be long enough for the teeny, wee pouches, so I've added them to the pile of cords and will start putting pouches together tomorrow.

I'm a little sick of the judgy people on social media asking what thread type I'm using when I've been very clear the the pouches are predominantly not for reenactors. Instead of linen or silk, I'm mostly using crochet cotton, which is 100% a natural fibre and better than synthetic, but the fact of the matter is, using silk luceted cord pushes the price way up to where it's more than regular non-reenactors will pay, and since I'm using up leather and stuff I've already got AND it's pretty, I don't mind at all. There's no call for the "I'm relieved it's not nylon" when I've been very clear about what I'm making.

It turns out I have some leftover luceted wool cords, so some will have those, but most public would be happy with a leather thong.

Assembling is now my next pouch job!

Dramatic op shop find! And this is why second hand book shops are the best. You find books you weren't looking for that you didn't know existed! Not everything has been digitised.

For everything else, there's Project Gutenberg.

A few fun snippets from the medieval plays book: Father Christmas is already a thing, Saint George was a Prince, the creation of the most beautiful Lucifer by God, and... fresh eels? A load of all the usual themes as well, but good to see Santa getting a look in.

Yeah, sure it was.

What's in a name? Not every medieval rose is a "Tudor rose," in fact before the Tudors adopted the double rose as part of their identity, roses were widely used in manuscripts as... just roses. Symbols of love, seen in medieval gardens and pelted from allegorical castles or woven into flower crowns.

My friend Michelle from Cabinet of Medical Curiosity grew me this from a cutting and yesterday it flowered for the very first time!

Medieval Household Hints:
Advice on Running a Household From The Middle Ages Which You Still Need Today

The household advice in this petite coffee table style book is taken from the pages of actual medieval manuscripts is as relevant today as it was back then.

Photographed with an array of modern women and handcrafted reproductions of historic artifacts, this little book makes a perfect little gift for your favourite modern person.

This book is proudly Australian written, photographed, processed and printed in Australia by Australian businesses right here in Brisbane. 100% Australian every step of the way.

Book specs:
Medieval Household Hints
Advice on Running a Household From The Middle Ages Which You Still Need Today.
Genre: Petite Coffee Table Book
Paperback: 64 pages
Illustrations: 60 photographs
Format: Full colour
Printed: InHouse Publishing, Underwood, Brisbane
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-646-73501-6
Product Dimensions: 20.3cm x 20.3cm
Weight: 370 grams

NOW AVAILABLE!
Buy from the InHouse Bookstore

At InHouse Publishing this morning signing off on the first copy of Medieval Household Hints! My new little quote book!

Exciting news everyone! Pre-Ordering for both of my Medieval Quote books are now live with the release day within 10 days! Book 1 has been out a while, but is now available for joint shipping with my new one, so it's listing says "new."

Brisbane re-enactors will recognise some familiar faces on the covers (and inside) bringing fabulous manuscript advice to the wider world!

Book 1: https://inhousebookstore.com.au/.../medieval-wisdom-for...

Book 2: https://inhousebookstore.com.au/.../medieval-household-hints

Order here!

https://inhousebookstore.com.au/.../medieval-household-hints

It's a very exciting time for me right now!

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Rosalie's Medieval Woman

Author Things, Medieval Website & Sewing Tutorials

July 2026

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Rosalie Gilbert

Author & Medieval History Enthusiast

Entries tagged with medieval

Ear spoon reproduction

Sorting part the millionth

A birthday game

Medieval breakfast advice

Mother's Day 2026 book special

Mother's Day Markets are here!

New in the library

Manuscript prayer beads

After Dark at Abbey Museum 2026

Making a catalogue

Abbey After Dark prep

St Gertrude's day

13th Century Foodie Advice!

Starting the pouches!

Medieval and Tudor Drama

It was this big

Roses, roses, everywhere

Winter Olympics.

Medieval Household Hints is LIVE!

Little Medieval Quote Books