Dr Katharine Edgar
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katharineedgar.bsky.social
Dr Katharine Edgar
@katharineedgar.bsky.social
1.7K followers 1.5K following 1.1K posts
Historical fiction writer, recreational Tudor and mistress of many obsolete crafts.
History, textiles, costume, more history
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katharineedgar.bsky.social
Now it’s just a question of seeing if I can get the right effect with stitches the right length and amplitude. Turns out it’s really simple to do once you know how. 🫤
I will probably experiment with stitching on a plait at some point too.
White linen with a black edging that starts off terrible and improves.
March 28, 2025 at 4:43 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
#16thc blackworked linens often show a thick black edging like in this #Holbein sketch of Thomas Vaux. So it’s a question of how they did the edging: couched cord? Blanket stitch very close together? Or another stitch altogether?
Holbein drawing of a man with a big beard and a blackwork embroidered collar with a little black edged frill
March 28, 2025 at 4:43 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
I’m going to try to learn Elizabethan double twisted chain stitch now, please pray for me.

#blackwork #embroidery #historicembroidery #costume #needlework #crafts
Pages from a book of historic embroidery stitches showing a complicated confusing loopy stitch. A needle threaded with black silk is poised by some linen, ready to begin.
March 28, 2025 at 3:39 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
Counted blackwork from Johann Schönsperger the Younger, Ein new getruckt model Büchli, 1529.

For @kentwellhall.bsky.social 1536 re-creation this year.
Deveres 36 silk on 46 count linen.
I love bringing old patterns to life!

#embroidery #blackwork #needlework #crafts #history #crafts #counted
An embroidery hoop with two designs in black on white linen. Both use tiny stitches with no diagonals. One is symmetrical and about 3 cm and the other has two rows of little offset crosses.
March 22, 2025 at 11:54 AM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
If any UK based spinners want a Great Wheel, the amazing Jack Greene is taking commissions.
He made my #spinningwheel, it’s incredible craftsmanship and excellent value.
#wool #textiles #spinning #greatwheel #walkingwheel
#textilecrafts #medieval #tudor #reenactment #livinghistory
Picture of a girl in Tudor dress spinning on a Great Wheel. Text reads: Great wheels made to order. Can be broken down and re-assembled for transport. Price under £500 Contact Jack Greene Email alchemyjack@gmail.com Tel 01636 707836
March 12, 2025 at 5:06 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
These North #Yorkshire #sheep would like to send empathy and solidarity to all our non-Trump voting American friends.

#yorkshiremoors
#sheepsunday
A grass field with a dry stone wall, some leafless trees and blue sky. Several sheep stand in the sunshine looking calm and happy.
March 2, 2025 at 5:47 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
Here’s a winter beach at Scarborough. I hope you only encounter positivity today online and in RL. ❤️
View over a bay with dark blue sea and light blue sky
February 27, 2025 at 9:20 AM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
Barista in Waterstones in Greenwich made a bear on my son’s hot chocolate.

Could AI do that? I think not!
Hot chocolate with a cartoon bear drawn in the swirly milk foam
February 22, 2025 at 3:46 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
#coral necklace in #Scarborough art gallery said to be a #charm against #witchcraft and toothache.
Quite a #pittrivers vibe to the label but also frustrating: where from and how do they know it’s #16thc?

#folklorethursday
Necklace of unworked coral with old handwritten museum label
February 20, 2025 at 12:23 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
For #textiletuesday, this #Victorian #sampler of the 23rd Psalm from #Beverley Museum made me laugh because of the way it goes, ‘He maketh me to lie down in gre—‘ and then just stops.
#embroidery #historicembroidery #textilehistory #crossstitch
Sampler embroidered in cross stitch in different bright colours
February 18, 2025 at 3:19 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
Indeed they do!
Brewer climbing steps in medieval brick built brew house to peer into steaming vat
January 27, 2025 at 5:10 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
@greenleejw.bsky.social saw this and thought of you
Museum case containing a many pronged eel spear, a book on freshwater fishes, a model lamprey with terrifying jaws and a fake pie
January 25, 2025 at 4:04 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
Making second pair of #medieval knee length cloth hose for #15thc #reenactment. Cut on bias from twill weave wool for stretch, each is made from 4 pieces, the leg and upper foot, sole and 2 side gussets which can be cut as part of sole. Tricky to fit, fiddly to sew, warm & comfortable to wear!
Dark wool cloth hose lying on a carpet along with pattern pieces for another: leg shape, sole, 2 little triangles
January 22, 2025 at 5:11 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
I was sucked into reenacting @kentwellhall.bsky.social back in the 1980s by the ‘Live as a Tudor’ ad they used to run in @theguardian.com every year.
Now they are recruiting #Tudors for this year, all ages welcome, no experience necessary.

#16thc #livinghistory #reenactment
Picture of a Tudor red brick house, together with photos of people in Tudor dress doing various activities including archery, blacksmithing, cookery. Text reads: ‘Live as a Tudor at Kentwell. Volunteers wanted, no skills or experience needed! For further information email volunteers@kentwell.co.uk by 20th February 2025. Kentwell Hall, Long Melford, Suffolk, CO10 9BA’
January 17, 2025 at 4:33 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
I’ve got my grandma’s 1940 #Singer out to sew heavy linen for the straw paliasse I will be sleeping on in 1461.
(Yes I know, but it’s in just over a week and I don’t have time to handsew.)
#sewing #medieval #reenactment #history
Old Singer hand cranked sewing machine made of black metal with gold decoration, sewing a large piece of natural linen canvas.
January 17, 2025 at 11:05 AM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
My favourite shop name in #Whitby. Perfect Whitby vibe.
Antique shop named ‘Den of Antiquity.’
January 11, 2025 at 3:41 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
What’s going down in #Whitby?
Pink child’s pedal car parked on a pavement. What appears to be a genuine penalty charge notice has been affixed.
January 11, 2025 at 3:40 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
The pattens are really helping, people always talk about them raising you up to keep your clothes clean but honestly they make your feet so much warmer by stopping the cold coming through the thin leather soles, as well as keeping feet dry. #costumehistory #footwear #medieval
A foot in cloth hose, pointed leather bar shoes and overshoes made of wooden soles with leather pieces held on by leather thong.
January 10, 2025 at 10:55 AM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
I am stress testing my #medieval clothes this morning by sitting having a nice cup of tea in a -1 garden and it is all fine. The only thing that isn’t working is my scarlet hood so I’m adding new hood to the list.
#reenactment #costume #textilehistory
Woman smiling in frosty garden in browny pink wool dress with white linen headgear
January 10, 2025 at 10:55 AM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
Drafting some mittens so my hands don’t fall off doing 1461 #Candlemas at the Weald and Downland Museum.
Using that well known medieval tailoring tool, a bendy ruler.
#reenactment #costume #sewing
Green cutting board with a yellow inch grid. On the board are a piece of undyed grey wool, a piece of tailor’s chalk, a pair of scissors, a bendy plastic ruler and a mitten pattern sketched out on tracing paper.
January 9, 2025 at 2:14 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
AI generated Hannah Hauxwell was something I really wasn’t expecting to see. Why, Facebook, just why?
Screenshot of Facebook page showing black and white photo of young woman in old fashioned dress in front of rural cottage Screenshot of Facebook page showing black and white photo of old woman in the snow in front of a ruined cottage
January 4, 2025 at 6:05 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
Playing around with scrap linen and a compendium of #16thc pattern books I seem to have accidentally made a Peter Quentel 1529 Modelbuch sampler #embroidery
#blackwork
#textiles
A strip of white linen with samples of counted geometric embroidery patterns in black silk, many including crosses, next to a book called German Modelbucher 1524-1556
January 3, 2025 at 6:16 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
New #Tudor #costume project, almain (German) sleeves to wear with 1535 gown. The cutting out is going to be fiddly, the sewing is going to be fiddly (16 panes to line!) but it will be fine, I’ll put podcasts on and be very Zen about it.
Deep red taffeta lying across a page of costume instructions including a photo of a foresleeve made of lengthwise white strips with white lining showing through. Another photo shows the sleeves under construction, with the strips lined up and basted in place.
December 29, 2024 at 1:39 PM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
V pleased w this Xmas present #tudor #cookerybook by @tudorfoodrecipe.bsky.social because it combines cultural info with recipes, not just how did they cook it but what did they THINK about it. And lots of references/sources which enhappies those of us at geekier end of #reenactment. #earlymodern
Copy of book, Eating With The Tudors by Brigitte Webster
December 26, 2024 at 10:51 AM
katharineedgar.bsky.social
Here is my nephew’s interpretation of York Minster chapter house.
York Minster chapter house in gingerbread
December 24, 2024 at 9:30 PM