I'll pipe in on the discussion.... The *early* Celts were know to wear *saffron* dyed linen shifts. This observation was from outsiders making comment on the clothes that were worn by the inhabitants of Ireland. I highly doubt the linen was dyed with saffron, but that was the color name used. So someone was dyeing linen yellow. If you really want to know, I can ask folks I know that use natural dyes and are familiar with color choices in medieval times. Most upper income folks wore white under dresses (shifts, shirts), the pristine white indicated they didn't have to work.
Beth McCasland in the suburbs of New Orleans > [Original Message] > From: Adele Shaak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: Tamara P Duvall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: Lace Arachne <[email protected]> > Date: 1/14/2008 11:59:38 PM > Subject: Re: [lace] Re: Brilliana Lady Harley > > > *Yellow* "starched ruffs and bands"? *Yellow* ruff (on Mrs Turner)? > > Yellow??? What "gives" here, does anyone know? Does Planche mean > > "gilt" (metallic), or yellowed linen? And, if linen, how come it was > > allowed to get yellow? This is the first time I've *ever* heard of > > yellow lace and here he seems to be suggesting it was commonplace... > > I have heard of this before; that the linen didn't "yellow" on its own, > it was deliberately treated in some manner so that it became bright > yellow. I don't know how long the colour lasted - linen is notoriously > difficult to dye, and I don't think the colour change was due to a dye > so much as some kind of yellow starch being used, which would of course > wash out. > > Of course the novelty of yellow linenwork made the process extremely > popular, but the fad ended quickly. The story I heard was that the only > woman who knew the recipe grew rich from it and then murdered somebody > and was hanged and her secret died with her, but that seems too > melodramatic to be true. > > Adele > North Vancouver, BC > (west coast of Canada) - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
