Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books: Author Guest Post: Anne Barnhill, Author of At the Mercy of the Queen

Author Guest Post: Anne Barnhill, Author of At the Mercy of the Queen

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Today I'm pleased to welcome Anne Barnhill to the castle as part of the blog tour for her recently released book, At the Mercy of the Queen.

I am waiting for my black velvet flats to arrive so I can sew or glue pearl (or possibly gems--fake, of course) onto them, adding one more layer to my Tudor ensemble. While it isn't true I wrote AT THE MERCY OF THE QUEEN just so I could don a Tudor dress, I will admit hiring a seamstress and getting a pattern were among the first things I did once I'd signed the contract. Yes, I love to play dress up and this gives me a tax-deductable reason to do it.

Thus far, I have the smock or shift, which in Tudor times was made of anything from coarse linen to lawn, which is a finely-woven linen, to silk. The higher a women stood on the socio-economic ladder, the finer the materials for her clothes. Thus, queens and duchesses wore silk while workwomen wore lindsey-woolsey or lockram, a coarsely woven linen. At the beginning of the 16th century, elaborate embroidery was used to edge the neckline and cuffs of the smock, often in black and referred to as blackwork. Henry VIII loved this look and in Jane Seymour's portrait, the blackwork is evident on her cuffs. As the century progressed, this fell slightly out of fashion as lace and ruffs grew in popularity.

On top of the smock is the petticoat, which is red, as was the case in Tudor England. Red was also the color of martyrs and Mary, Queen of Scots was executed wearing a red petticoat to proclaim herself a martyr for her Catholic faith. The petticoat can be full, including the top piece which holds the body up, or it can have a deep U in the front. Bess Chilvers, who is truly an expert in this area, has tried to explain this part to me, but I'm not sure I have it right yet. I think the stomacher is the top part. But there are so many possible layers it becomes confusing. Plus, sometimes the women wore different layers depending on the occasion and weather. If you are interested in further details, check out THE TUDOR TAILOR by Ninya Mikhaila and Jane Malcolm-Davies.

So, I have smock, red petticoat and red and black stomacher, the shoes and, last but not least, I have a French hood. I want to start a movement to bring the French hood back into fashion. It's the perfect accessory for a bad-hair day! Plus, you can hide everything you might need to hide right under that hood---grays, thinning spots, cowlicks--the perfect way to keep looking your best under all circumstances!

Now, all I need are the outer clothes. I'm going shopping soon to select just the proper fabrics. By the time the next book comes out, I'll be ready to go, fully-clothed!

Thank you Anne! Since I am past due for a hair appointment I think you may be onto something about bringing French hoods back in style!