News
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Latest news: January 2013 THE TUDOR CHILD: Clothing and Culture 1485 to 1625 An exhibition at The Weiss Gallery, London Friday 8 March to Thursday 21 March 2013 THE TUDOR TAILOR team is pleased to announce an exciting new collaborative project with the Weiss Gallery to celebrate the launch of The Tudor Child, a sumptuously illustrated book offering a detailed insight into sixteenth century clothing for infants, young children and youths. |
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The exhibition investigates how Tudor children’s clothing demonstrated their place in society and signaled their growing maturity. It also explores the use of portraiture as source material for the reconstruction of historic dress. A selection of the reconstructed children’s costumes made for the book will be displayed alongside the portraits which inspired them. Visitors are invited to meet the Tudor Tailor team and take part in two weeks of tours, talks and interactive events.
For more details click here The new book The Tudor Child was released on 1 March 2013. Click here to order. |
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January 2013
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The Tudor Child: Clothing and Culture 1485 to 1625 will be released on 1
March 2013. The new book is lavishly illustrated in full colour offering
a visual feast of paintings and sculpture, beautiful line drawings by
Michael Perry, and high-quality photographs of reconstructed costumes.
More than 40 patterns with instructions are included for making garments
for all ages: from infants to children aged 12 years, including
underwear, headwear and knitted items.
Drawing (left) by Michael Perry of a coat and petticoat for an infant aged eight months. |
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December 2012 |
The Tudor Tailor has joyous Christmas tidings! Our new book, The Tudor Child: Clothing and Culture 1485 to 1625, is booked in to its new printing slot and will be released on 1 March 2013. In the meantime, we are offering gift vouchers to guarantee purchase of the very first hot-off-the-press copies - signed, sealed and delivered to your door at a special pre-order price of £25.
In addition, the Tudor Tailor team has put together a fabulous doll kit containing everything needed to make a doll just like the one on the cover of the new book - ready to dress in whatever style you choose - Click here for more details.
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October 2012Jane and Ninya are currently working with author Jane Huggett to bring the latest publication to completion. The Tudor Child: Clothing and Culture 1485 to 1625 contains fascinating insights into the way in which Tudor children were raised, educated and of course clothed.  |
Lavishly illustrated in full colour the book is a visual feast containing reproductions of original paintings and sculpture, beautiful line drawings by Michael Perry and high quality photographs of reconstructed costumes. More than forty patterns and instructions are included for making children's clothes from the period. After suffering a slight set-back with the scheduled printers going into administration the book is back on track and due to be published in early 2013. Visit our Facebook page for the very latest updates. |
January 2012
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Jane and Ninya are delighted to announce that the next project from The Tudor Tailor team is a collaboration with Jane Huggett. It focuses on children’s dress from 1485-1625. Plans for the book include the usual mouthwatering combination of sumptuous reproductions of original source material, illustrations by Michael Perry, patterns by Ninya Mikhaila and glossy photographs of reconstructed garments. The picture to the right shows Sir Edward Denny and his wife Margaret had ten children, including two daughters and one set of mixed twins, who are depicted on their monument dated 1600 at the Church of the Holy Cross & St Lawrence in Waltham Abbey, Essex. Jane Huggett is author of numerous titles in the Stuart Press range of publications including Dress of the Common Man 1580-1660 and Dress of the Common Woman 1580-1660. Her paper on “Rural costume in Elizabethan Essex: A study based on the evidence from wills” was published in Costume (The Costume Society’s annual journal) in 1999. It offers a fascinating insight in to the dress of ordinary sixteenth century women. |
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The book is scheduled for publication in October 2012 and an exciting programme of promotional events will be announced later in the year. |
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November 2011The new book is finished and has a title! The Queen’s Servants: Gentlewomens dress at the accession of Henry VIII is the sister book to Caroline Johnson’s The King’s Servants. This volume paints a vivid picture of the styles of dress worn at Henry VII’s and Henry VIII’s courts, using evidence from royal warrants and account books in The National Archive. These unpublished documents reveal a wealth of fascinating facts about expenditure on garments for gentlewomen at the Tudor court. 
Ninya and Jane at the International Living History Fair
wearing two of the reconstructed gowns from The Queen’s Servants. Copyright NTG Patrick 2011 |
 Click here to order. |
July 2011Ninya and Jane took a break from researching and pattern drafting this month to present The Tudor Wardrobe at St Fagans National History Museum in Cardiff The presentations were given twice a day on both Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th July and were well attended by visitors of all ages, many of whom stayed to chat and ask further questions. Jane and Ninya would like to thank Mared Maggs and all the other staff at St Fagens for hosting The Tudor Tailor at their beautiful site. Now it’s noses back to the grindstone to push forward with the publication of Caroline Johnson’s new book on the clothing of women at the early Tudor court. More details will be posted here soon, but let’s just say it’s looking really rather good!
Photo right: Jane and Ninya dressed as their alter egos presenting The Tudor Wardrobe at St Fagans National History Museum in Cardiff.
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April 2011Spring is most definitely here and the trees are not the only things blossoming! The Tudor Tailor team has been beavering away bringing the latest books closer to publication. Jane Huggett has completed the first draft of her book on children’s clothes and patterns are currently being drafted. Caroline Johnson’s follow up to the The King’s Servants is also at the pattern drafting stage and will soon be further enhanced with Michael Perry’s wonderful artwork.Meanwhile, The Tudor Tailor shop has expanded again with the addition of a range of foundation fabrics. Our cotton calico (aka muslin in the U.S.) is perfect for making mock-ups (toiles) and the specially selected range of weights and qualities of 100% linen will assist any costume maker aiming to produce high quality, historically accurate reconstructions. |
Ninya and Michael at The Templar's Fayre back in 2006 with the newly published Tudor Tailor. This year the shop will be inside the barns with a much expanded range of books and products.
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The new fabrics, and the complete range of Tudor Tailor wares, will be available for viewing and purchase at The Templar’s Fayre on the Sat 7 and Sun 8 May. The fair will be held in the fabulous surroundings of the Cressing Temple Barns near Witham, Essex and will be host to dozens of traders. With entertainment and demonstrations on both days, the event should make for a great day out – Jane and Ninya look forward to seeing you there!
February 2011Jane and Ninya are delighted to announce that the Tudor Tailor team of authors and researchers has been joined by costume maker and dress historian Jane Huggett. Jane has worked with us on numerous occasions before and was largely responsible for producing the costume and patterns for The King's Servant's. Now she turns her attention to one of her special areas of interest and is writing a book on children's dress in the Tudor and Stuart periods. More details of this exciting new project will be posted here soon! Meanwhile Caroline Johnson has completed the first draft of her follow up to The King’s Servants. This new book will focus on women’s clothing at the early Tudor court and is scheduled to be published later in the year. |
Ninya and Jane with ILHF organiser Dave Allan
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Customers can visit the Tudor Tailor shop again at The International Living History Fair next month. This will be the first event at the new improved venue of Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome and Proving Ground near Leicester. The Tudor Tailor will be one of more than a hundred stall holders offering a wide range of goods to participants and organisers of living history events and to those working for museums and heritage sites. The fair will be open from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th February 2011.
September 2010
Due to unforeseen circumstances The Tudor Tailor will not be attending the Templars Fayre at Cressing Temple on the weekend of 11th & 12th September 2010. However Jane and Ninya look forward to setting out the shop again at The International Living History Fair next month. The fair will be open from Friday 29th to Sunday 31st October 2010 and is host to dozens of high quality traders. The many stall holders offer a wide range of goods to participants and organisers of living history events and to those working for museums and heritage sites. |
Photo: Caroline and Jane examining extant items of dress at The Museum of London as part of the research for The Typical Tudor
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July 2010
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Ninya and Jane took a break from researching this month to make two public appearances. The first was for the Embroiderers Guild who gathered in Letchworth for their Eastern Regional Day on Saturday 10th July. An audience of over 200 members of the guild watched with fascination as Jane, dressed as Dorothy Speckard (silkwoman to Queen Elizabeth I) attended Ninya, dressed as Lady Mary Talbot (Lady of the Privy Chamber) and plied her with luxurious goods and fripperies. On the following day Jane and Ninya presented a paper at the annual Symposium of The Costume Society. The paper was entitled To ten poor women a gown: Charitable bequests in sixteenth century wills and was drawn from some of the findings from the latest research. The feedback from members of the society was very positive and the authors are now beavering away with renewed enthusiasm to bring The Typical Tudor closer to publication! Photo: Jane and Ninya dressed as their alter egos Dorothy Speckard and Lady Mary Talbot. Photo by Andrew Foden. |
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June 2010Jane and Ninya will be presenting a paper at the Costume Society's annual symposium in Leeds on Sunday 11th July. The paper is entitled To ten poor women a gown: Charitable bequests in sixteenth century wills and is drawn from some of the findings from the latest Tudor Tailor research. The team's ongoing study of sixteenth century wills, inventories and household accounts is steadily building a mass of data that will all go toward the next book The Typical Tudor: Reconstructing everyday sixteenth century dress. To attend the symposium and get a sneak preview visit http://costumesociety.org.uk
Right: A pauper wearing a gown and hood. Drawing by Michael Perry, taken from The King's Servants: Men's dress at the accession of Henry VIII
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April 2010The latest Tudor Tailor outing was made at the end of April, by Jane and Lucy, who took Queen Elizabeth I to visit the Embroiderer's Guild in Dumfries for their Scottish Regional Day. The presentation was a huge success and much enjoyed by the Guild members who were treated to the spectacle of seeing Gloriana in her undies (photo right), followed by the rest of her dazzling clothes and jewels. Here is just one of the many positive comments received: “We have received so many compliments about The Tudor Tailor, many ladies declaring it the best regional day they can remember. They really appreciated ‘The Queen’ walking among the audience and allowing photos to be taken. It was wonderful that they got to see all the detail of the beautiful and meticulous work you had done to bring a portrait to life” - Pat Stonell (Chair, Dumfries & District Embroiderers) |
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April 2010The Tudor Tailor will be at the newly re-launched Templars Fayre at Cressing Temple Barns on the weekend of 11 & 12 September (see www.labrynthevents.co.uk for details) as well as the next International Living History Fair (ILHF) in Warwick from Fri 29 to Sun 31 October 2010 (see www.livinghistoryfairs.com for details). Since attending the The Original Re-enactor's Market (TORM) in March, Ninya and Jane have received several enquiries as to whether The Tudor Tailor will be taking a sales stand there in future. They would like to clarify that the show's organiser Anne Laverick requested in a pre-arranged meeting that they choose between having a stand at TORM or at ILHF. |
Ninya and Jane with 14-month old Holly at The International Living History Fair in February 2010
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For this reason, The Tudor Tailor will not have a stand at TORM in the near future but will continue to attend the ILHF in the spring and autumn.
Ninya and Jane look forward to seeing you at Cressing or Warwick, or indeed both!
January 2010If your new year’s resolution is to make a start on costume projects which have been languishing on the shelf, The Tudor Tailor’s new products may help. They include some hard-to-source findings such as hand-woven laces, specially-commissioned points and hand-made hooks and eyes. The Tailor’s Shop now features specially-dyed woollen fabric and cotton lace. The Tudor Tailor now has a range of gifts and books on sale in Nottingham town centre thanks to a pre-Christmas deal with local artist Jill Perry (see photo right) who has opened her new shop Inspired. The shop has been such a success that Jill is continuing the venture into the new year. The shop can be found in the Flying Horse Mall, which runs between Poultry and St Peter’s Gate. |
Tudor Tailor books and products on display in the window of Inspired in Nottingham town centre
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The Tudor Tailor bookshop now has an exciting addition which is Maria Hayward’s comprehensive Dress at the court of Henry VIII. The photo to the right shows Jane Malcolm Davies, Maria Hayward and Ninya Mikhaila at the launch of Maria’s book Dress at the Court of King Henry VIII. |
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The team has also launched opportunities for work experience and internships with The Tudor Tailor. Details are on the home page. Meanwhile, Caroline Johnson is hard at work on a new case study book with the working title The King’s Women, which is likely to cover dress at the English court from the late 15th century into the 1530s. It is scheduled for publication later this year. Lucy Capito is researching dress at the Scots court in the early 16th century with a view to another new case study volume in 2010/2011.
Jane, Ninya and the rest of The Tudor Tailor team wish all our visitors and customers a very happy new year and every success in 2010.
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The King’s Servants launched at Bosworth Battlefield!Bosworth battlefield’s annual reenactment of the day the Tudors claimed power in 1485 was the setting for the official launch of The King’s Servants. Author Caroline Johnson signed copies for eager customers and cover boy Richard Knox, Keeper of Bosworth, modelled his turn-of-the-century outfit. Visitors to the event were able to see the recreation of a Yeoman of the Guard jacket circa 1501 (featured on page 43 of The King’s Servants) in the exhibition centre. Ninya and Jane were also there to promote the full-size versions of patterns for late medieval/early Tudor garments in the book. These include a pack of two shirt patterns (£20), three men’s bonnets (£18) and the full wardrobe (doublet, hose, coat and jacket) for a typical man of the era (£30). Visit the shop for further details. |
Left to right: Jane Malcolm-Davies, Richard Knox, Caroline Johnson and Ninya Mikhaila
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September 2009
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The new book has arrived! Early feedback from readers who pre-ordered The King’s Servants is positive and copies are selling fast. It features full-colour illustrations of early Tudor stained glass and effigies together with detail on typical fabrics and yardages for garments worn by servants at Henry VIII’s court. Caroline Johnson’s careful analysis of documents in The National Archive and Michael Perry’s skilful artist’s impressions of Henry’s household servants provide a vivid picture of the people who worked for him at the time of his coronation on 24 June 1509. Full-size patterns based on the ones in The King’s Servants, including doublet, hose and coats will be available in August. Caroline Johnson and Lucy Capito are at Acton Court in South Gloucestershire on Saturday 9 August giving costumed presentations about Henry VIII – his personality, his servants and his clothes. Click here for details and booking information. Tickets cost £8. |
Left: Henry VII's footman in 1505
Right: Henry VIII's henxman in 1510 Paintings by Michael Perry |
April 2009
The Tudor Tailor team is pleased to announce the publication of an exciting new book. The King’s Servants: Men’s dress at the accession of Henry VIII builds on the success of The Tudor Tailor: reconstructing 16th century dress by exploring early 16th century men’s dress in detail. This year is the 500th anniversary of Henry’s VIII’s coronation as King of England in 1509, an era to which many people are now turning their attention. Thanks to numerous readers of The Tudor Tailor who have sent feedback, it seems there is a demand to know what Henry’s subjects were wearing at this important time of change. The typical clothes worn by middling men during the decades between the battles of Bosworth (1485) and Flodden (1513) are described and reconstructed in this beautifully illustrated book. For further information click here.
July 2008
Late Elizabethan patterns are now available at The Tudor Tailor's shop. The men's pattern pack includes doublet and hose suitable for a very fashionable gentleman in the late 16th century. The high fashion women's pattern pack includes a bodice designed to be worn with a pair of bodies and two styles of petticoat to go over Spanish (conical) or French (wide) farthingales. The patterns for the bodies and farthingales are also available at the tailor's shop . Both men's and women's Elizabethan patterns are available in two size ranges: smaller (waist 32 to 40 inches/81 to 102cm for men and 8 to 16 UK/6 to 14 US for women) and larger (waist 42 to 50 inches/107 to 127 for men and 18 to 26 UK/16 to 24 US for women). Each pattern pack costs £25 plus postage.
June 2008
Different approaches to reconstructing 16th century women's dress are reported in Jane, Ninya and Caroline Johnson's article in the current issue of Costume (volume 42, pages 21-29). It details their experiments in stiffening different layers of the bodice "in pursuit of the Holbein look". Although the article concentrates on reconstructing dress for the 1540s, the results of their investigations are equally interesting for later decades in the 16th century. More information is available from Jane at books@jmdandco.com. Off-prints of Jane's recent article in Museums and heritage magazine on approaches to reconstructing dress for use at historic site are also available.
May 2008
Ninya and Jane have been busy with talks for the UK Embroiderers Guild at Narberth in west Wales in June and Cambridge in April. There was a presentation at Coughton Court for The National Trust and an evening with the Costume Society of Scotland in Edinburgh. The Tudor Tailor also provided two sessions for guides working at a variety of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust sites in and around Stratford-upon-Avon. Ninya has made another splendid costume for Kentwell Hall's annual recreation of Tudor life and Jane ran an evaluation project at the Roman Baths in Bath to recommend appropriate training for the costumed interpreters there. |
Guides from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust's team asking enthusiastic questions about fabric and examining Tudor Tailor goodies, including a swatch book with modern versions of c16th materials.
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 Enthusiastic embroiderers examine the tailor's shop equipment and sample fabrics after the presentation Tend your Needle. |
Jane and Ninya as Mistress Ferrers (clothier's wife) and Mistress Galliard (Tailor's wife) at the Embroiderers Guild's Wales regional day in Narbeth
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April 2008
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The Tudor Tailor has also produced its first sewing kit. It provides everything necessary for making an apron typical for working women in the 16th century. Research into Essex wills shows that the majority of aprons were black (57 per cent) or white (19 per cent). These colours, which were often worn for Sunday best, are not difficult to buy today. But other aprons were green (nine per cent) or blue (nine per cent) and seem to have been usual for everyday wear. The kits contain green or blue fabric - a vintage French hemp hand-dyed by Polly Lyster at her workshop in Gloucester using natural dyes. |
Tudor Tailor apron kits include linen thread, beeswax, green or blue hand-dyed hemp plus full instructions - all for £30
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Each kit also contains linen thread and beeswax plus full instructions for making up the apron. The apron kit costs £30 and is a great way to start hand sewing if you are new to costume making or a quick way to finish off a costume if you have already made a full set of clothes.
March 2008
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Jane and Ninya were at The Original Reenactors Market in Coventry again - this time with a bigger stand to accommodate the ever-growing range of patterns. The organisers reported a record attendance by overseas visitors - from France, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Spain, Holland, Germany, Sweden, New Zealand and the US. At least one of each visited the Tudor Tailor and many bought books and patterns - including a man from Amsterdam who took one of each pattern! Many people reported how they had got on with the patterns they bought the previous November and most were very pleased with the results. |
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Others confessed the pattern and fabric were still on the shelf waiting to be made up! Sales were also very good for the Tudor Tailor range of pewter buttons designed by Michael Perry, all based on original examples. It was particularly gratifying to see previous customers sporting garments they had made using the patterns and buttons bought at the 2007 autumn show, all looking very splendid indeed!
February 2008
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The latest phase of the Costume Research Image Library is now available at www.tudoreffigies.co.uk. The Pasold Textile Research Fund made a small grant for Essex and Norfolk effigies to be photographed and added to the site. There are 75 new images of effigies in Essex (31) and Norfolk (44) churches adding further material to the eras already represented, and considerably expanding the data for the latter decades of the century. The database now offers 151 effigies or groups of effigies for browsing or specific searching by date and/or gender. Jane welcomes your feedback on this facility at jane@jmdandco.com. |
New additions to the effigies database are Thomas, Henry, John, Edward and Richard (in skirts) Berney circa 1584 sporting peascod doublets and hose (much like The Tudor Tailor's new Elizabethan patterns) at the Church of St John the Baptist, Reedham, Norfolk
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Friday 30th November 2007
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The Tudor Tailor's Christmas treat for 2008 is a pattern for the typical Tudor woman's waistcoat. It is suitable for a lady of the court in embellished silks or serviceable for a washerwoman in russet wool. The waistcoat (which has a flattering fitted waist) is available in a range of sizes and comes complete with a guide to buying materials and full instructions. Also available for Christmas is a pattern pack featuring several variations of a French hood. Visit the shop page for further details. |
Jane and Ninya model waistcoats behind the Tudor Tailor
stand at The Original Reenactor’s Market in Coventry |
If you are thinking of buying Tudor Tailor goodies or gift vouchers as presents for friends, family or for yourself, please note that Tudor Tailor last posting dates for Christmas are: Fri 7 Dec for USA, Canada, Japan and E Europe; Tues 11 Dec for Western Europe; and Wed 12 Dec for UK.
Friday 16th November 2007
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The autumn has seen two exciting developments in Ninya and Jane's own projects. Perth Museum and Art Gallery won a prestigious award from the Institute of Conservation for their imaginative display of a carefully conserved cream satin doublet dated 1620. The Heritage Lottery Fund helped pay for Ninya's services in replicating the doublet, which is now available for close examination at the museum. It was featured in an article on good practice in reconstructing dress by Jane which appeared in Museums and heritage magazine (issue, 2, 2007, 27-29). Jane has also added 36 new effigies (all in Sussex churches) to her Costume Research Image Library (www.tudoreffigies.co.uk). Photo: Ninya’s reconstruction of the early c17thdoublet in Perth Museum and Art Gallery |
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Two National Trust properties played host to The Tudor Tailor in October and November. Chirk Castle (near Wrexham) was the venue for a sell-out Tudor Tailor talk and tea, while Uppark (near Petersfield) sold out its lecture lunch for the second year running.
The unveiling of a reconstructed 16th century tapestry at Stirling Castle (to be featured in the recreation of the royal apartments there) was attended by an interpreter dressed as a servant whose responsibilities included carrying furnishings from one royal residence to another. JMD&Co researched the likely dress of three people known to be at court in 1542 (the year that Mary, Queen of Scots, came to the throne) for Historic Scotland. Ninya made the servant's clothes which were satisfyingly ordinary!
Photo (right) Keith Williams models the 1540s royal servant’s costume made for Stirling Castle
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Friday 31st August 2007
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A short break from researching and lecturing has been required for the Tudor Tailor team to enable the celebration of Jane’s marriage! Jane, resplendent in a ‘50’s style embroidered linen dress and fabulous handmade hat, married Dirk Daude on board the beautiful Schulschiff Deutschland in Bremen, Germany. The wedding took place on the 16th August amid rainy showers, which miraculously cleared to beautiful blue skies and sunshine in time for the exchanging of vows and rings on the poop deck. Photo (right): Jane and Dirk exchange rings on board the Schulschiff Deutschland |
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Friday 13th July 2007
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It's already been a busy summer for The Tudor Tailor. Ninya and Jane opened the 2007 season with a stand at The Original Reenactors' Market in Ryton-on-Dunsmore. Their new range of pewter buttons were much admired and sales were good. A new talk on The Tudor Household was well received at Oxbrugh Hall, near King's Lynn in May. June saw the Tudor Tailor team in the US. Jane gave a paper at the Costume Society of America's annual symposium in San Diego, where she was ably assisted in promoting The Tudor Tailor by Mark Hutter, who manages the tailor's shop at Colonial Williamsburg. |
Ninya, Minnie and Jane after a busy day of selling at The Original Reenactors' Market
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Mela Hoyt-Hedon's costume shop hosted a successful day of activities at Fullerton College, Los Angeles, where participants transformed themselves with Tudor headgear, and worked on fitting bodices. A short flight to Arizona saw Jane and Ninya at Phoenix Art Museum, where costume curator Dennita Sewell, introduced them to an audience of nearly 300 enthusiastic visitors who began queueing more than an hour before the doors opened!. Santa Cruz was the next stop on the itinerary where participants examined reconstructed garments used in "The Tudor Wardrobe" presentation up close. Christy Gordon Baty and Erin Moody were the hosts of a bodice fitting workshop in Berkeley with a final stop at the Vallejo Music Theatre for a sell-out study day plus an excellent tea. The trip to the West coast was hard work but great fun. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet so many U.S. readers and hear about their various projects. Jane and Ninya would like to say a big thank you to everyone who organised or attended the events.
The queue grows at the Phoenix Art Museum
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Audience members are
transformed into Elizabethan women at the Fullerton College, Los
Angeles, study day
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The early summer finished with Ninya's appearance as Mistress Sawcer, the tailor's wife at
Kentwell Hall, where she took on two new apprentice’s for the week.
Left: Freddie Laslett learns some of the skills required of a Tailor’s apprentice
Right: Minnie Perry begins her apprenticeship |
 
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Friday 25th April 2007
The Tudor Tailor team has been busy working on two exciting projects supplying reconstructed costumes to Historic sites in the West Midlands. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust commissioned 20 Elizabethan children’s costumes (10 boys and 10 girls) to be worn by school children on educational visits to Palmer’s Farm, part of Mary Arden’s house. The second commission was a costume based on an effigy of Joyce Acton (1533 to 1595/96) in the church at Charlecote, Warwickshire. The costume is intended for use as an educational resource to explain the material, construction and social history of dress for a well-to-do woman in late Tudor England.
Schoolchildren learn about domestic life in Elizabethan England at Palmers Farm
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Jill Perry models the reconstructed costume worn by an effigy of Joyce Acton at Charlecote
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Thursday 14th December 2006
Ninya Mikhaila will be teaching an exciting new course at the University of Nottingham in 2007. 'Dressing the Tudors: A Social History of 16th Century Dress' is a part-time undergraduate course running from 29th January - 30th April. There will be 10 sessions held on Monday afternoons from 2pm-4pm.
For further information or to request a brochure please contact:
The Undergraduate Office
Centre for Continuing Education
School of Education
The University of Nottingham
Jubilee Campus
Wollaton Road
Nottingham NG8 1BB
Telephone 44 (0)115 846 6466
Fax 44 (0)115 951 6556
email enquiries
Monday 27th November 2006
Christmas is coming and we are all going to need lovely new costumes to accommodate overindulgence and/or achieve New Year's Resolutions in 2007.
The Tudor Tailor is on hand to help with Christmas gifts which tackle these challenges - for yourself or your friends! Does someone you know need a pattern for a fancier doublet or advice on neat new headgear? There is the book itself for those who still don't have their own copy (all Christmas copies are signed by the authors) and research kits featuring a book, bookmark, notebook, pencil and the all-important mug - we need coffee when we're working! There are various gift sets available all of which include a 'Little People' card for your message. Visit the sales page for further details.
Ninya and Jane are also pleased to announce the Tudor Tailor's new gift vouchers - buy £10, £20 or £30 vouchers to send by email or, if you prefer, print them out and post or deliver them in person. The gift vouchers can be spent just like real or plastic money via Paypal on The Tudor Tailor sales page.
Patterns are now available in two sets of sizes: small (8 to 16 UK/6 to 14 US for women; Chest 38-46 inches/96.5-117cm for men) and larger (20 to 28 UK/18 to 26 US for women; Chest 48 to 56 inches/122-142 cm for men). If you do buy a gift voucher, you may like to let the recipient know they can save it for the release of our new patterns in early 2007. These will offer complete outfits for an elite couple of the 1540s as well as patterns for children's clothing.
The Tudor Tailor has added stocking fillers in time for planned or last-minute Christmas purchases: The 'Little People' range has been expanded to include hand-printed linen cards, bookmarks, pencils and dinky little sweet bags in boxed sets of two or four.
Friday 24th November 2006
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 Kat Myldmay (aka Ninya), Sunday 1540s - her "best" black apron is not quite hiding her happy state of fruitfulness! Modern dress just makes it all too apparent. (Thanks to Dawn Bagley, Charlecote Park for the photos) |
Volunteer room stewards were the audiences for talks at Falkland Palace (Scotland) and Charlecote Park (Warwickshire), where it was agreed the information on offer would prove useful in interpreting portraits for visitors and delivering education sessions. Charlecote was one of many National Trust houses on the tour, which also included Powis Castle, near Welshpool, and Canons Ashby, near Daventry.
Ninya's understudy for September was no less a person than The Virgin Queen as Lucy Capito and Caroline Johnson presented Dressing Queen Elizabeth with Jane instead of the usual Tudor Tailor talks. Ninya was busy spending more time with her new baby (see below)! The queen and her dresser appeared at Stonor Park (www.stonor.com) and Tissington Hall (www.tissington-hall.com). There was not even standing room available at these venues such was the demand for tickets.
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It was particularly exciting to be at Hardwick Hall (another National Trust property) which is home to the original painting of Elizabeth I on which the reconstructed costume is based. Ninya was back with the "queen team" for another a study day at Loseley Park (www.loseleypark.co.uk/home.asp) for the Southern Counties Costume Society, where there is a copy of the same painting. Queen Elizabeth also appeared at two churches - St Mary's, Bottesford and All Saints, Bakewell (see photo). Both venues are home to excellent effigies, several of which appear in The Tudor Tailor. The churchwardens worked very hard to attract large audiences and together they hosted 170 people. All Saints raised more than £800 for its restoration fund. |
Dorothy Speckard (aka Jane) hooks bodice and gown skirt together for "Queenie" (aka Caroline) while accessories do the rounds in the pews at All Saints Church, Bakewell
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 Jane laces Ninya (and Minnie) into her 1590s court costume at Falkland Palace in August. It still fitted six weeks later at Sudeley Castle |
Monday 16th OctoberNinya's latest project was completed and delivered on Sunday 10th September 2006. Minnie Mikhaila Perry weighed in at 6lb 11oz is happy healthy and getting to grips with the thimble and shears. Just three days before, mother and daughter were comfortably laced into a 1590s court costume at Sudeley Castle. Baby-gros are more practical now (for Minnie not Ninya!). Jane's latest project is a new partnership. After a visit to the Wasa warship (interesting sailor's doublet and several hats c1628) and the Royal Armouries (several early 17th century shirts) in Stockholm, her partner proposed and they are marrying next August in Germany. The venue is a three-masted schooner in Bremen. Could a sailor-suit be the thing to wear? |
Thursday 24th August:
Academic Appearances by The Tudor Tailor
The Tudor Tailor has been busy giving papers and presentations at academic conferences. Both The Costume Society’s symposium on men’s dress and the Textile Conservation & Textile Studies Centre’s (TCTS) third annual conference were held in Winchester in June this year.
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Ninya and Jane presented some of their findings about the dress of Essex men in the Elizabethan era at The Costume Society’s conference. They gave a poster presentation on the same topic a week later at Winchester School of Art. Maria Hayward was the Tudor co-star at both conferences. She gave a paper on Henry VIII’s tailors at The Costume Society symposium and reported her experiments in making a silk base to cover Henry VIII’s armour at the TCTS event. Ann Saunders also provided an entertaining insight into the records of c16th tailors’ disputes provided by the Merchant Taylors’ archives as the after-dinner speaker for The Costume Society’s opening night. |
 Jane and Ninya delivering their paper on the wills of Essex men at the Costume Society Symposium |
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Ninya took on the persona of Joan Peckover, Norwich tailor’s wife in the 1590s, to run a study day on tailoring, ably assisted by Jane as Dorothy Speckhard, silkwoman to Queen Elizabeth I. The 50 would-be apprentices enjoyed their visit to the tailor’s shop, which offered them the opportunity to make and decorate a codpiece using reproduction stamping and slashing tools. Among the more expert of attendees were Mark Hutter, c18th tailor at Colonial Williamsburg, and his real-life apprentice Neal Hurst, who spent two weeks staying with Ninya in the Midlands and Jane in the South. They burrowed their way into many museum stores taking more than 1,000 photographs of men’s garments for careful study back home in the US. | 
Costume Society members try out Tudor tailoring techniques
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Jane gave a paper at the TCTS conference on her effigies research project, undertaken at Winchester School of Art in late 2005. Visit jmdsrv1.dyndns.org/tudoreffigies to see the database of effigies that resulted from the project. A funding application has just been submitted for a second phase of research – please keep your fingers crossed for its success! |
 Jane studying a monument as part of the 2005 effigies research project
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The Tudor Tailor was invited to give a short presentation during a drinks reception at the TCTS conference. It concentrated on ordinary dress in the 1540s showing the differences between the wardrobe of a yeoman’s wife (Ninya) and that of a “mere” gentlewoman (Jane). Nearly all of the 100 conference delegates attended and bought a good few copies of the book, which Jane and Ninya signed.
July saw The Tudor Tailor team split up to do separate projects: Ninya built a reconstruction of an early 17th century gentleman’s suit for Perth Museum and Jane trained front-of-house staff for Buckingham Palace and guides for Clarence House.
They were back on the road together in August – watch this space for news and pictures at the beginning of November!
Monday 15th May:
Tudor Tailor Tour Begins....
The Tudor Tailor's tour began with a week of exciting presentations at prestigious venues. Audiences ranged from 12 interested folk who gave up a (rare) evening of sunshine in London to attend Sutton House's talk to a full house in the lecture theatre at The Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth. Ninya and Jane said how much they enjoyed meeting enthusiasts for Tudor costume. Here are a selection of pictures of the "dressing duo" in action!
Staff at The Mary Rose Museum learning about Tudor dress on Friday 12 May |
The Southern Counties Costume Society played host to The Tudor Wardrobe for the evening of Thursday 11 May. Ninya was keen to show off her hose!
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Jane gets up close and personal with the audience at The Vyne on Thurs 11 May |
Ninya and Jane among the crowds who came to their workshops each day at the
Victoria & Albert Museum on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 May
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Wednesday 26 April:
The Tudor Tailor's Official Launch in London
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The official launch party for the book was held in the magnificent surroundings of the Weiss Gallery, Piccadilly, London on Wednesday 26 May. The gallery, which specialises in 16th and 17th century portraiture, was generously offered as the celebration venue by Mark and Catherine Weiss in spring 2005, when the book was a mere twinkle in the authors' eyes. It made a perfect venue with several of the book's sumptuous illustrations from the gallery's collection beaming down from the walls and available for close inspection by costume aficionados. |
 Ninya and Jane at the launch |
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The guests included contributors to the book such as models and patterns testers as well as interested journalists and reviewers. All were treated to champagne and delicious sweet canapés while they mingled and enjoyed the surroundings. Lucy Capito and Caroline Johnson donned the costumes which they modelled in The Tudor Tailor. They both looked magnificent set against the backdrop of so many finely clad sitters, including Sir Reginald and Lady Mohun, a recent acquisition for the gallery. Valerie Cumming, chairman of The Costume Society, and Komal Patel from the publisher Batsford, complimented the book and applauded its success. The guests raised their glasses in toasts to the book, its authors and their future productions. Ninya reported the sales figures, the creation of a new readers group at Yahoo, and invited everyone to join the programme of Tudor Tailor talks at historic sites in the UK before she produces her next personal production: a baby in October! |
 Sir Reginald and Lady Mohun |
Ninya and Jane would like to thank Mark and Catherine Weiss for hosting the event, Taurus Wines and Penni Black Catering, Jessica Laslett from Merlin Productions, Jo Mitchell and of course, everyone who came and helped make the evening so memorable.
Here's to the launch of the next book!
Friday 21st April:
Tudor Tailor wows the world!
As pre-ordered copies continue to arrive on doormats across the world Jane and Ninya have been overwhelmed by the many emails which have been pouring in containing positive feedback. Click here to see just a small sample of readers responses so far.
Friday 7th April:
Sales reach halfway milestone!
Thanks to all those who have been eagerly purchasing copies of The Tudor Tailor. Ninya and Jane are delighted to announce that more than 635 books have been sold, putting them past the halfway mark for the breakeven point of 1,269 copies. The lucky recipient of the Tudor Tailor miniature by Michael Perry was Saragrace T Knauf of Arizona, USA.
Wednesday 22 March:
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A total of 616 books are now being read by those who collected them in person at the weekend or are on their way to purchasers around the globe. Complimentary feedback has already been arriving via internet chat rooms and costume forums. Please contact The Tudor Tailor with your comments too.
And watch this space to discover who is the lucky winner of the Tudor tailor in miniature!
Sunday 19 March:
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“Comments have been unfailingly positive,” said Jane, “everyone we met over the weekend has been pleased with their copy.” Signing every book has been hard work for the authors but it hasn’t dampened their enthusiasm: “It’s fun to think how many people will be delighted to see their Tudor Tailor envelope on the mat in the next few days,” said Ninya. |
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The publishers, Batsford, report that 300 retailers and specialist booksellers have placed orders which are currently awaiting despatch from their Glasgow warehouse. After Ninya and Jane receive their next consignment of books, there will be none of the first edition left. A second print run has already been ordered.
“The great advantage of a swift second print run is that we can correct errors and omissions straight away,” said Ninya. “There are a few typos we’ve spotted (see below) but we would be glad to know if readers notice things that need putting right – please email me at ninya@ninyamikhaila.com.”