[Sca-cooks] Period table linens (only slightly OT)

[Stefan li Rous]

Samrah asked:
> My embroidery group did a bit of research into embroidered napkins &
> found some in Turkey during period, but save that all of the period
> linens I have seen seem to be simply white clothes over tressel tables.
>
> Has nybody came across anything more elaborate, perhaps something like
> a colored table runner, or any form of embroidery on anything?
There is this file in the Florilegium:
tablecloths-msg   (28K)  3/23/03    Period tablecloths. SCA feast 
tablecloths.
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-UTENSILS/tablecloths-msg.html

One of the things I remember that was interesting here, or that I read 
elsewhere, was that medieval tablecloths were not a single large sheet, 
but were rather three or more runners laid down in parallel strips. 
They also appear to have almost always been white and not the mixture 
of colors you usually see at SCA feasts. Of course some of this might 
be because linen makes a good, washable cloth for this which doesn't 
stain easily and stands up to the rough, medieval washing techniques. 
Conversely this stain resistance also makes it that much more difficult 
to dye it any lasting color using the natural dyes they had, so you get 
natural or bleached white tablecloths.

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****