QUEEN ANNE BOLEYN

Anne Boleyn was executed on May 19, 1536 on charges of adultery by her no longer loving husband Henry VIII. She was wearing a black velvet gown, edged in pearls over a red quilted petticoat.


Source: Sex with the Queen: 900 years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics by Eleanor Herman. Published 2006

Source: Wikipedia

HANS HOLBEIN PAINTINGS

Hans Holbein was the court painter in England during some of the reign of Henry VIII, and he painted many portraits of the important people at court, including the 1543 one of Sir William Butts the Younger (Holbein 1950).  His sleeves have quilted Celtic knots on them.  There is no reason to believe that this is not an accurate painting, since Holbein did detailed paintings of his models.

Source: Holbein, H. (1950). The Paintings of Hans Holbein. 

DOUBLETS & BANNERS - 1500's

In 1589 The Tailors Pattern Book by Juan de Alcega was published for the secrets of the tailor trade.  In his instructions for doublets for both men and women he notes that if the item is to be quilted “cut up to three extra finger breadths” than is needed if not quilted (pg. 22 – 23).  He also includes instructions on how to make a patchwork banner (pg. 54 – 55). I personally found this book very interesting for the historical context as well as the directions.

This book has been reprinted and is available.  I bought a copy at an SCA event.

Source: De Alcega, Juan. The Tailor's Pattern Book. 1589.  

MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS 1542-1587

Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=mary+queen+of+scots&sa=X&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ved=0ahUKEwia05aHv9PbAhUD3IMKHYfTCqsQiR4I2wE&biw=1255&bih=861

Mary, Queen of Scots (1542 – 1587) was well known in her life-time for her skill at many forms of needlework, including quilting. It is thought she learned these skills while growing up in the court of Queen Catherine de Medici, her future mother-in-law.  Much of her work survives and is currently owned by the Duke of Devonshire (Ickis, 1949; Osler, 1987). Read almost any book on her and there will be comments about Mary doing needlework as gifts, for herself, or asking for supplies during her captivity by Elizabeth I. 

Mary, Queen of Scots was recognized as very emotional and not planning for the long term.  She married Lord Darnley in July 1565, whom she very quickly tired of because of his drinking and “whoring”.  However, in her political world, she needed to attempt to make peace with him, and in August 1566, she gave him a “magnificent bed……with its quilt of blue taffeta” (Weir, 2003; pg. 166-167). This same quilt possibly turns up again in one of the longest running mysteries in European history, “how was Darnley murdered and who was responsible”? There is some current thought that he actually was suffocated with the quilt that was found next to his body (Weir, 2003; pg. 283). I do not usually think of quilts as murder weapon.

Sources:

Ickis, M. (1949).  Standard Book of Quilt Making and Collecting. New York: Dover Publication.

Osler, D (1987). Traditional British Quilts.  London:  Batsford Ltd.

            Weir, A. (2003). Mary, Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley.  New York: Ballantine.

Update on 11/13/2021: 

In the book, Threads of Life by Clare Hunter, there is an entire chapter of Mary, Queen of Scots. On pages 26-27: After the breakup of Mary and Darnley in 1566-67, he moved to separate lodgings in Edinburgh's Kirk O' Fields. According to Mary's inventory the relocation of textiles from the royal store included velvet drapes stitched in gold and silver. Darnley's bed was furnished with "black velvet cloth of state, a canopy of yellow taffeta, a green velvet tablecloth, two quilts, and various......"