Shoes, Costumes
Women's and men's historical costumes, flags, banners and historical shoes - Roman, Celtic, Viking, Medieval and Renaissance.
footwear
Medieval, Celtic, Saxon and Norman, Viking (large offer of Medieval Boots) and Renaissance Shoes and Boots. Footwear for Scottish and Irish re-enactors. Living History Footwear. Footwear for theatres, film, historical sites, and museums. Renaissance and Pirate Boots. Roman period footwear. Our shoes are handmade (fully hand-sewn or machine-sewn) in the Czech Rep.
- instructions for the custom made shoes - How To Measure, download here
costumes for women
Please send us your measurements following this guide:
A – max. chest circumference
B – min. waist circumference
C – max. circumference of hips
D – length of your back - from your 7th cervical (neck) vertebra to the waist
E – width of the back
F – width of the shoulders
G –width of a shoulder - from the middle of your neck to the shoulder joint
H –from the shoulder joint (flexed elbow) over the required length of a sleeve
I – arm circumference
J – frontal height - from the 7th cervical vertebra to the waist
K – breast height – from the 7th cervical vertebra to the top of your breast
L – required length
woolen blankets
Our textiles come from the slopes of the Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria, a land deeply-rooted in mythology and once the very center of ancient Thracian culture. The soil here was once home to the likes of Orpheus, the most celebrated poet and music-maker of all time. Some 25 centuries later, inhabitants of today’s Rhodope region are proud not only of the Thracian temple ruins that still remain on their mountain peaks, but of the textile tradition which is still alive. Today’s Bulgarians have continued to evolve the ancient art of wool weaving, handing down the craft from generation to generation.
It’s no coincidence that wool has long been the favorite textile in the Rhodopes. Ideal for the local climate, it keeps its people warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It also has a wide range of exterior and interior uses. Our wool comes exclusively from local shepherds, preserving its natural qualities, and is spun by Rhodopian manufacturers who are mindful of the environment while using traditional techniques. These modern-day weavers have the finest of local wool at their fingertips, as well as a wealth of expertise and tradition. Shaped by the influence of many cultures that have passed through this Balkan region, the variations of pattern and color we have to offer are as varied as the Bulgarian land itself. Try one for yourself and you will not be disappointed.
decorative textile belts
Tablet weaving - technology of tablet weaving is exceptional for its patterning possibilities; from simple lines and motifs to letters and complex animal or plant patterns. „Tablet“ (or „card“ in the US) is a plate, through which individual warp threads are threaded. Most often we encounter square tablets with four holes in all corners but there are also tablet with two holes, three-sided, six-sided, octagonal, etc. The most common way of weaving is rotating each tablet by 90° forwards or backwards in various combinations according to particular pattern.
Origins of tablet weaving are not clear; the debate about the method of making the so-called „Rameses girdle“, that was crafted in approximately 1185 BC, is still going on. The reason for small number of archaeological findings is the organic origin of yarn, but also of tablets themselves (wood, leather); however, tablets made of bones, ivory or bronze were preserved. The easiest item to use today for a tablet is a piece of sturdy paper, such as a playing card.
More findings were preserved from an area of the Roman Empire, the Celtic civilization (patterns from Hochdorf), the Vikings (patterns from Birka) and Slavic civilization. The oldest tablets (the 9th century) in the Czech Republic were found in Staré Město near Uherské Hradiště.
Outside of Europe, this technique was used in Africa and primarily throughout Asia. Tablet woven belts served mainly as decoration of garments, however, these items possess great strength and resistance and were also used as straps, belts, etc. The card could also be hung on sides of a standard loom for production of textiles that came out already decorated (cloak found in Thorsbjerg). Weavers in history used easily colored wool, sometimes with silk, gold or silver threads; less often linen threads; while cotton was added later in history.
About me - Anna Kadlečková
After I gave up my studies of archaeology in Prague and decided to keep this field just as a hobby, after a few months' detour to Middle Ages, I started to focused on the Celtic civilization. With several living history associations, I participated at dozens of events in the Czech Republic as well as in Europe. I became particularly interested in tablet weaving and I have been creating products this way for many years now. Recently I started upgrading my knowledge and started making costumes of the early Middle Ages (the Slavs). My future plans include agricultural experiments, natural dyeing of wool and using a vertical loom.
Ties, bow ties, handkerchiefs
Neckties, bow ties, handkerchiefs - for various interest groups: hunters, fishermen, sailors, medieval motifs.
woolen socks, Donegal, Ireland
Woolen socks, Donegal, Ireland.
These Socks are the unique end product of the third generation of a family business involved in the manufacturing of traditional wool socks in Donegal tweed colours. The rugged patterns of mountains and moor intertwine with hues of wild sea and blue sky in the patchwork weave of colour that is Ireland’s Donegal. People visit from many lands for peace, tranquility and renewal, and watch a centuries old tradition of sock making, a rare craft which has passed down generations. The natural ruggedness of our product is a reflection of the colours and patterns which reflect the wild and beautiful scenery of this region.
Donegal Hosiery is situated in the picturesque town of Glenties on the North West coast of Ireland surrounded by the Bluestack mountains. The town of Glenties has been synonymous with sock and knitwear manufacture for many hundreds of years. In fact the film ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’, starring Meryl Streep and written by Brian Friel, is based on the town of Glenties, where the Mundy sisters on whom this play and film were based earned their living knitting socks for the local factories.
Today almost all the traditional skills have gone, however the Breslin family is endeavouring to hold on to the skills that their forefathers bore and continue to manufacture socks for the home and export market.
- Wulflund is a direct importer of these socks to the Czech Rep.
- Wulflund is a direct importer of these socks to the Czech Rep.
... and some pictures from my journey from Ireland.
