Sunday, May 31, 2009

Fully Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

At present these are not done yet but I wanted to remember what I did before it was too late.

One of my co-workers really loves homemade baked goods full of lots of stuff so these are made in honor of her birthday. I mixed a couple of different recipes together and came up with this:

Sift together:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Whisk together:
1 cup butter (2 sticks) melted
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

Add the dry and wet ingredients together. Then fold in:
2 cups quick oats
3/4 cup dried fruit mixture (I used a combination of craisins, cherries, blueberries, golden raisins)
1/3 cup sunflower kernels (if you opt not to use these add 1/2 tsp salt to recipe)
3/4 cup chocoate chips
Optional: 1/2 cup coconut

Form into balls. Place 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Let sit on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to baking pan.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Heraldic Embroidery

This project completed December 2004



Based upon documentation found in Donald King's "Opus Anglicanum: English Medieval Embroidery". From my research, it appears that heraldic embroidery was occassionally done in either plait or cross stitches in silk thread combined with couched metallic thread. This embrodiery is an attempt to learn how to use plait stitch. There are several different types of plait stitch; the one used may not be the period form. I also attempted to try couching in such a way that a pattern was formed--notice the Laurel leaves on the silver. Materials used: silver passing thread, colored silks, linen ground, silver-tone beads (exact composition unknown though they did tarnish) couched with linen thread.

(Device registered to Master John Chandler)

Or Nue

This was completed circa 2003 or 2004? I am not sure which.



I have been trying to find documentation for how or nue was executed. There are lots of examples of pieces that were done but not a lot of good explaination on the techniques used. This is an attempt to try one theorized technique--I stitched the image row by row in the colored thread. This meant that I had up to 6 needles acting at once. I've also seen people lay the gold thread first and then go back over it in colored silks, but I worried that this would cause uneven tension and allow limited access to the image beneath the gold. I would be happy to hear suggestions.

I understand that varying the spacings on various couched colored threads created depth and shading to the image couched on the metallic thread. For this project I was just trying to figure out a plausible way to recreate the style and was thus more concerned about creating an image. I will work with shading as I progress in my skill level.

(Materials used: gold colored passing thread; colored silks; linen ground)

Goldwork Sampler

This was completed circa 2004 as part of my entry for the Laurel Prize Tourney



Goldwork Sampler

Gold and silver threads are a valuable addition to an embroidery, and their use has been abundant throughout history as evidenced by historical writings, scripture, and surviving pieces. This sampler aims to provide aid in how metal threads may be worked and what materials are available.

1). Pearl Purl---This purl, like other forms is manufactured by wrapping gold wire in a spiral tube, however, one side (the exposed edge) is convex creating a look of a string of tiny gold beads. This is generally seen outlining figures of gold that have been appliqued to the ground of another fabric to help round out the edges. There are extant pieces of goldwork showing outer-edges being outlined in gold pearls. I cannot speak with certainty whether or not these were executed with actual gold beads or pearl purl as I have not seen the pieces, however, as most beadwork usually doesn't survive intact my guess is that pearl purl has been used in these cases.

2). Smooth Purl---A smooth round hollow tube made by wrapping wire like a spring. It is a very pliable material. Be cautious when using purl and bullion (the larger form of purl) as stretching too much will distort the material. Purl may be cut to any length. Smooth purl is specifically created by wrapping a flat wire spirally around for a bright polished finish. The flat wire creates a wider surface area for greater reflectivity. Rough purl is similar except it uses a rounded wire giving it a duller appearance. Smooth purl can be seen on the cuffs of a dalmatic from the Royal workshops at Palermo (1130-1140).

3). Check Purl--this type of purl is created by wrapping flattened wire in varying patterns which creates a greater number of surfaces from which the light can reflect. When one looks down the coil, I find that it looks as though it was wrapped around a triangle and then turned so that the next coil is wrapped at a different angle. I have yet to find any documentation for this thread to be used in our period of study.

4). Passing Thread--This is one of the most common examples of metal fibers available. Essentially, it is made by wrapping gold around a core material. Silk is the most durable, but it can also be wrapped around linen and parchment. The Maeseyck embroideries of the 9th C. use passing thread with a core of human hair. The earliest form of gold thread was passing threads. Pure metal was beaten into thin plates and then cut into narrow strips. Several centuries later, it was drawn into wire form. It is known that in the 13th C, English ladies created their own gold thread by spirally twisting gold around a core of silk or flax before working it. Passing thread comes in a variety of sizes.

5). Couching--This is the most common method of applying metal threads to a ground. It is far to valuable to waste by pulling through the fabric, and gold thread is, in fact, usually too inflexible to be much use in regular stitching. Couching is executed by laying the metal fiber on the surface fabric (occasionally, two layers are used for stability) and tacking it down with another thread such as silk or linen. I show couching in three shapes. Generally speaking, it is easier to work from the outside in except when making circles when the shape is more easily maintained by working outside in. Some things to watch for: when turning corners it is sometimes easier to stitch the threads separately to help minimize gapping rather than stitching over two threads as is generally done. Even so, it can be a difficult area to navigate, as is evidence by my example.

6). This was created by cutting check purl into a bunch of little "beads" and randomly laying them at different angles. Pearl purl is couched along the outside to finish the look.

7). Underside Couching--This technique reached its height in the 13th and 14th C though examples my bee seen as early as the 12th. It almost exclusively existed in England and the technique vanished in the 15th C. It is executed quite similarly to surface couching with one notable exception. When the tacking thread goes back down through the fabric, it exits through the same hole, thus drawing a small loop of metal thread with it. This adds both durability and flexibility as the "hinge" of thread allows more movement and protects the couching thread from wear and tear. Extant pieces illustrated this point more fully; in pieces where the silk has deteriorated on surface couching, the gold threads hang loosely, however, in underside couching pieces of metal threads are perfectly preserved in original form as is seen in the Ascoli Cope.

As the skill of craftsmen progressed, underside couching began to be worked in patterns. The couched threads were staggered from row to row to create zigzags, geometric elements, and foliage. They even used multicolored silks to enhance the effect (though these were usually hidden). When trying this oneself, an embroiderer may wish to draw guidelines on the fabric. This technique is difficult to master as seen in my sample the rows should lay straight and the tension should be even.

8). Raised Work--This technique was much more common in the 14th and 15th C; there is less evidence of its use earlier. One of the most beautiful examples is the badge of the Order of the Dragon from 15th C. Hungary. Wrinkles around the mouth, veins of the wings, and overall "bone" structure of this three dimensional embroidery add more life and charm. The technique is executed by first padding the ground with threads or fabric (usually silk, wool, linen, flax, and/or cotton when available), usually in the opposite direction as the threads being laid, and then stitching over it. Another example of this can be found on the interlacing border of a 15th C chasuble. My example uses gold purl that is wrapped very tightly so as to look like passing thread and is stitched down with silk. The raised threads are waxed cotton that have been stitched down to the thread. To help enhance the design, lay a couching stitch on either side of the raised piece.

9). Or Nue (Shaded Gold)---This technique reached quite heights in Italy and Flanders in the 15th C. The technique creates blocks of stitches in colored silks--the overall effect is that of graphic images highlighted by sparkles of gold. Varying the space of stitches allows the embroiderer to deepen the effect with shading.

Pigment Translation

This project was originally completed sometime in 2003.

Colors: The Story of Dyes and Pigments By Francois Dleamare and Bernard Guineau.
As the title suggests, the book takes a look at the history of dyes and pigments, how new colors were created and how changes within the textile and dying industries were effected by these changes. One of the things that I enjoyed about this book was the amount of information about Roman and Medieval dying methods and the evolution of processes during the time period. I’ve always been sincerely disappointed by the small paragraph of information many authors use to mention any history on an artform that existed during the Middle Ages, so it was definitely refreshing to have an entire chapter with beautiful color photographs devoted to the era. It’s a nice read with some interesting information. In the back there is an appendix of sorts that contains exerts from documents as well as a good listing of books for further reading. One thing I would have liked would be a glossary of commonly used terms for easy reference as I read the book. It’s a nice place to get started if you’re interested in or ever think you could be interested in pigment history.

Pigment Translation:
While perusing this book there was an image taken from an example of a 16th-century recipe recipe for making fine-grained scarlet lake. The recipe was in French and as I could easily see every letter in the image, I decided to attempt a translation. While there are a few words that I am still unable to find any modern equivalent/translation of, the following is what I was able to come up with. Thanks to Eliane for assistance with the translation

Pour Faire Lacca de graine fine.
Pren une livre de tondure d’ecarlate fine, et la mets en une poelle neuve pleine de laissue, qui ne soit point troup forte: puis la fay bouillir tat que la laissiue en prenne la couleur. Ce fait, pren un sachet, large par en haut, et agu par bas, au-quel verseras la-dite tondure d’ecarlate, et la laissiue, mettant un vaisseau dessous: puis presse bien le sachet, tellement que toute la sustance, et toute la couleur en puisse decouleur, apres lave la tondure, et la sac, au-dit vaisseau, ou est la couleur. Et sil te semble que la tondure ait encore d’avantage of couleur, tu la feras bouillier avec autre laissiue, faisant comme par-avant. Ce fait, mettras chaufer au feu la-dite laissiue coulouree, mais ne la laisse point bouillir: et faut tenir toute preste, sus le feu, quelque poelle nette, avec de l’eau nette, la-quelle, estant chaude, y mettras cinq onces d’alun de roche pulverise: Et incontinent que tu le verras dissoudre, pren un sachet, comme le premier: et quand la couleur sera chaude, ote-la du feu, et y boute le-dit alun: puis jette ainsi tout ensemble au sac, mettant dessous quelque vasseau plomme: et regarde si par en bas la couleur en vient rouge, lors prendras de l’eau chaude, et la verseras au sac, y versant aussi tout ce qui estoit coule, au-dit vaisseau, sous le sac: et verse tant de fois ce qui coulera par en bas, que tu verras que la liqueur qui en sorte, ne soit plus rouge, mais claire comme laissiue: ayant ainsi ecoule toute l’eau, la couleur demourera au sac, la quelle tu deferas d’une spatule de bois, la mettant au fond du sac, et la reduis toute en une masse, ou en tablettes, ou comme bon te semblera: puis la mets saicher, sus un carreau neuf et net, a l’ombre, ou a l’air, et non pas au soleil. Et par-ainsi tu auras une chose excellente.

For making a lake of fine seed.
Take a pound of tondure of fine scarlet, and put it in a new pan full of laissiue, that isn’t too strong: then make it boil as long as the laissiue takes in the color. That done, take a small cone-shaped [big on the top and skinny on the bottom] bag, into which, pour the above mentioned tondure scarlet, and la laissiue, put a tiny vessel underneath: then press the bag well, so much so that all the substance and all the color draws forth. After, wash the tondure and the bag as well as the vessel where the color is. And if it seems that the tondure has more color, you should boil it with another laissiue, done as before.

That done, heat in fire the previously mentioned laissiue color, but don’t leave to boil: And you must keep ready on the fire, a clean pan with clean water, which is warm, and add 5 ounces of powdered alum: And once you see that it is dissolved, take the bag, like the first: and when the color is warm, take it away from the fire, throw in it a bit of alum: then throw thus all together in a bag, place underneath some lead vessel: Look to see if the bottom color is turning red, at that time take the warm water and pour it in the the bag, in it also pour all that had sunken into the vessel beneath the bag: and pour so many times that which runs in the bottom is a sort of liqueur that isn’t red, but clear as laissiue: having poured off all the water, the color will stay in the bag, that which you defer to with a wooden spatula, and put it in the bottom of the bag, and reduce it all in a lump or in bars or as it seems good to you: then let it dry, in a clean and new box, in the shade or in the air but not in the sun. And by thus you have an excellent thing.

Pears Poached in Port

This originally compiled circa 2000 I believe (I am transferring data from my original website). Not my best work but again an effort to help me mark my progress.

Poached Pears
Pears appear in a multitude of forms throughout medieval cooking and their use dates back thousands of years before period. They were often served at the end of a meal with other sweets and were thought to have medicinal properties. Chiquart’s "On Cookery" includes instructions for baking pears that were thought to help the sick, and scribes from circa 2750 BC recorded medical prescriptions that include a poultice made of pears, figs and thyme. In Siena, in 1326, candied pears were served at the end of every meal of one particular knighting ceremony, and the lower classes of Rome sometimes ended their meals with a dish of grapes, pears, and apples.
Recipes for pears cooked in wine and spices appear throughout English manuscripts. Surprisingly, there are few examples of similar dishes in French, Latin or Italian manuscripts. There was mention in some French and Italian menus of "Pears with Hypocras" however, a recipe did not appear until the 1400s. In fact, Le Ménagier de Paris mentions that they were "like turnips." This is different from sweet pear desserts of the English.
Pears were pureed, baked, or poached with spices in wine. With the poached recipes particularly, there are many variations, almost all include wine, pears, sugar, and cinnamon. Other ingredients include anise, cloves, mace, dates, currants, and vinegar. Also, salt or ginger was used. (Ginger can sometimes be an interesting alternative when trying to cut salt from ones diet). In "Forme of Cury", there is a recipe called Peeres in Confyt which adds mulberries to enrich the color and has the final dish served with the cooked pears in a pyramid shape with the syrup poured over top. This created an interesting variation of color when serving.
Color was important in medieval cooking. The authors of The Medieval Kitchen: recipes from France and Italy state that color "defined dishes an were an element in the cooks choice of ingredients." Meaning, that the kind and color of sauce determined which spices to use to preserve the integrity of the dish—for example, a yellow sauce may have used saffron, etc. The recipe from which mine is based, Perys en Composte from Harleian MS 279 Potage Dyvers, includes the addition of "Sawnderys" or sandalwood. Sandalwood, sometimes called dragon’s blood, adds an old rose/reddish color to dishes. The Boke of Godecookery website recommends the use of red food coloring instead, as the affect is similar without the difficulty of trying to find the spice and the unpleasant taste that sandalwood can sometimes add.
The following is the modern variation that I use when making poached pears:
2 cups of red wine (I prefer port)
1 tbsp sugar
4-6 pears
3 cinnamon sticks
a couple drops of food coloring
pinch of salt
powdered cinnamon to taste
In saucepan, heat through the wine, sugar, food coloring, salt and cinnamon sticks. I let mine simmer slightly to thicken a bit and to remove as much alcohol as possible. Remove cinnamon sticks. Peel and slice pears. Add these to wine mixture and heat at low. When pears are translucent (this may take awhile depending on how many pears and how firm they are), taste and add sugar and powdered cinnamon to your liking. Pears may be served warm or chilled. Keep refrigerated.
While many recipes call for the pears to be parboiled, this isn’t as necessary with modern pears as they are probably sweeter and softer than those available in period. While slow cooking wasn’t really a possibility in a medieval kitchen (hence the parboiling), it can break the pears up too much. I find the flavor to be better when they are simmered with the wine to soften them. For authenticity, or for particularly hard pears, you may wish to parboil them.
Also the original recipe called for 2 tbsp of powdered cinnamon to be added to the simmering process rather than cinnamon sticks. This can make the mixture gritty and requires straining of the cinnamon. For ease and for a subtler flavor I used cinnamon sticks. As mentioned above, you can also add dates or currants along with other spices.
Enjoy!

Bibliography
Hieatt, Constance B, Brenda Hosington, and Sharon Butler. Pleyn Delit: Medieval Cookery for Modern Cooks 2nd Edition. Canada: University of Toronto Press, Inc, 1996.

Matterer, James L. "Perys en Composte." 2000. .

Matterer, James L. "Apples & Peres." 2000. .

Redon, Odile, Francoise Sabban, Silvano Servent, and Edward Schneider. The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy. Chicago & London: The University of Chicago Press, 1998.

Tannahil, Reay. Food in History. New York: Three River’s Press, 1988.

Roman Necklace

This project originally completed prior to fall of 2004. Exact date unknown



The instructions for the necklace came from Fire Mountain. They based it on a Roman necklace dated from the 2nd C. CE. Their source was the book "Ancient Gold Jewelry at the Dallas Museum of Art" by Barbara Deppert-Lippitz, photography by Tom Jenkins, (ISBN 0-936227-19-2). I haven't compared the model with the original so I'm not sure how closely it mirrors the one in the original source; however, the original model used gold and emerald while my remake is garnet and gold-filled wire. Each link is made with a simple "S" shape.