Lisette the Medieval Milliner, lives in Victoria, BC and has been an avid member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) for 10 years.  I started making my own costumes and as a former seamstress became quickly involved in the recreation of period costumes.  My own character, Lisette de l’Acadie is a 14th century merchant living in Brittany.  This is based on family history, as my ancestors landed at Port Royale Acadia from Brittany in 1632.  The Brettons are often called the forgotten celtic tribe, linked by language and history to the Welsh but separated by an ocean and time.

 

These Tudor and Elizabethan costumes were a labour of love, as the majority of the sewing (over 90%) was by hand.  I truly enjoyed creating these costumes but they took months to complete.  I began merchanting at SCA events 5 years ago, and as I do not have a vehicle, the costumes were all but impossible to transport to various events.  I have always been intrigued by the various fashions in hats throughout the medieval period. My first hats were French hoods and gable head gear from the Tudor period. I also made many silk Tudor and Elizabethan flat caps and riding hats.  I will make leather flat caps on order because of the large amount of leather involved. After a request at one of the large events to create something manly for the Scots, I started making jaunty highland tams in period appropriate tartans. 

I became very interested in creating Viking hats after a very, very cold encampment when I observed the only people truly warm were the Vikings.  I now have a Viking outfit reserved for the cold encampments (which was all of last summer).  The Viking hats lead to making Mongol hats, as they were of similar composition. All my fur trim comes from refurbished fur coats and I have had the best time researching new hat styles suggested by my customers (who get to have an original hat style named after them).  As of late I have been concentrating on creating Mongolian tribal hats.  The selection and varieties of tribal hats are endless and I have always suspected I was a warrior queen in a past life.

At this time I sell only on EBay and SCA events but would like to expand my market. Also I love to sew at events and explain the difference in the many styles of hats and the history behind these hats, so huzzah to hats!!!!

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