"...Of course, not all cloth would have been dyed. Linens might be boiled in a solution of wood ash (Heinrich 1992, 48-50), rinsed and pegged out flat in the nearest open space, until they bleached to a pure white (Fig.284). Wool textiles made from natural fleece colours were generally left undyed.....Silks may have
been dyed here or in their country of origin and were sometimes left their natural straw colour."

Heinrich, L., 1992. The Magic of Linen: Flax Seed to Woven CLoth (Victoria, B.C., Canada).

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nikki:
(Fig.284).

I've got a scan of Fig.284, which is a 16th century line drawing of people staking out linens on a hillside in London...but I'm not sure if it would violate copyright to post a link to the image here, as it says 'reprinted with persmission from the museum of london' in the caption...

---

on my living room wall I have a color repro of a 16th century map of Ghent. You can clearly see the large amounts of yardage of linen staked out on the ground outside the city to bleach in the sun. Cool, eh?

--Anne-Marie, who just the other day had to deal with an SCA "expert" trying to tell me that they didnt use linen since it was a weed, they used hemp and nettles instead. I pointed out all the extant inventories, household books, pictures and farm treatises that indicate otherwise, but havent heard back from her....hmmmmm....

--------------------

--------------------

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brenna:
Don't blame the SCA for her blatant stupidity. And if she called herself an expert she needs a guy with a stick to hit her harder in the head.
Brenna

---

in all fairness, a persons knowledge is only as good as what they know. at least she's thinking about this stuff!

and I think we all know that the SCA does not have the corner of the market on bad info and self proclaimed "experts"

oops. was that my outloud voice? I'm supposed to be the NICE twin!

--AM

--------------------