Recreating Marcia of Boccaccio’s manuscript “The Lives of Famous Women”

A while ago, a friend in the SCA (Cecilia de Gatisbury) started a group to portray the women of Robinet Testard’s illuminations of Boccaccio’s manuscript “The Lives of Famous Women”. We all chose the person we wanted to recreate and a great project was born. You can follow along on the full project at the main blog: Famous Women Project .

I chose to recreate Marcia, Daughter of Varro, and an artist.

Boccaccio writes:

It has long been known that in Rome there was a woman named Marcia, daughter of Varro, who remained a virgin all her life. But I do not remember having found out which Varro it was or even when she lived.

I believe that this woman should be extolled all the more because she was legally independent and preserved her virginity in its full integrity of her own free will, not because of the coercion of a higher authority. As a matter of fact, I do not find that she was bound by holy orders to Vesta or subject to a vow made to Diana or entangled in another commitment – all reasons which curb and restrain women. I believe it was through purity of mind alone that she conquered the sting of the flesh, which occasionally overcomes even the most illustrious men, and she kept her body unblemished by any relations with men until her death.

I chose Marcia, mostly because I felt this was a dress and accessories that I could complete AND contained items (from hat to dress to apron) that I would wear again. Because hats and aprons are always in style. ;-)

I have since completed the apron and am in patterning mode for the hat at the moment. I have purchased and prepped the red and white linen needed for the project and am looking forward to the final result. Many thanks to Cecilia for having this idea and for bringing us all along for the ride!!!

Other References for Marcia

Paris. Bibliothèque Nationale. Ms. fr. 12420, fol. 101vo. Boccaccio. De claris mulieribus (in French translation).
Harvard: Literature and Arts C-22 European Culture in the Latin Middle Ages
"In Boccaccio's work De claris mileribus (On Famous Women), Marcia scorned the usual occupations of women and devoted herself to painting and ivory carving. Here, with the aid of a mirror, she fashions her own portrait; brushes, a palette, and pots of paint are on the easel and table nearby. (Detail)"

Historian Errant - Boccaccio's Women Artists

14th Century Dress - Green Plaid

So, I had this lovely cotton (almost flannel-ish) plaid fabric that my Mom had given me many years ago (when I was still focusing on Anglo-Saxon stuff), because she thought I could put it to good use. Unfortunately (or... I suppose, Fortunately!) I never did find the perfect project.

Well, fast-forward to January 2017 and we've got a sewing weekend set up for Charle Manor. The goal was to help a friend get an underdress and several of us get general patterns & help with fabric that we owned, but didn't know what to do with (or were too scared to cut into ourselves). I brought 2 tubs full of fabrics - I needed help designating projects for them, as well as patterning them (and actually cutting into them... O_o). Definitely the hardest part for me...

When Kat saw this fabric - she immediately said "Bias-cut Plaid Cotehardie"... I just looked at her skeptically. "Really? Plaid? Cotehardie? for me?" 

Good thing she knows what she's doing. Pictures of process & final project below (coming soon). Turns out, plaid cotehardies were a thing, although not as popular as other styles. :) 

Couture Mayah Blog

Laura Parker Blog

The Master of Estamariu: Detail of the
Alterpiece of St. Vincent, Estamariu,
Catalunya (Catalonia) - 2nd Half of the 14th C

Los Reyes de Oriente, detalle de la Tabla de la Anunciacion y la Epifania,entre 1347 y 1360

I almost always need supervision while cutting
fabric. It's too paralyzing otherwise...

I pinned the HECK out of this dress during every phase of the construction. I really wanted the pattern of the fabric to line up appropriately. IT PAID OFF!
Take the time and pin your fabric... It's worth it.

Sewing, Sewing, Just keep Sewing!

Pinning and Ironing made this
matchup of the fabric pattern almost
PERFECT! YESSSS :D

So there wasn't enough of the fabric width wise to get a fuller skirt, so we improvised with extra fabric. I thought it would be cool to reverse the pattern for this little piece. I actually like it. It's almost like an optical illusion. Is that really reverse or is it just your eyes? ;-)

Again with the pinning! This time was so that
I could hand sew the neckline.

A dress deserves a proper hairdo!
Experimenting with looped braids. 

The big Reveal! Chieftains, February 2017. The underdress is an old underdress that Alethea gave me (simple cotton lace-up). I really *love* how this dress turned out. I am letting it "settle" before finishing the final hem (if you look closely, you can see that it's unfinished). This fabric stretches A LOT and I wanted to get as much stretch out as possible before putting work into the hem. ;-) Kat is going to help me with some arm revisions, but it's wearable and I got lots of compliments on it.

Good thing, too, as this is the dress (and the event) that Eringlin begged a Boon for me for the Order of the Pelican!!!!!!!! Good timing, I suppose. ;-) Kat may or may not have known about that part (sneaky Laurels).