# What colors and fabrics did medieval Europe have access to?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-colors-and-fabrics-did-medieval-europe-have-access-to/297720>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 4, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-colors-and-fabrics-did-medieval-europe-have-access-to/297720 "2005-04-04T19:44:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-colors-and-fabrics-did-medieval-europe-have-access-to/297720/21 "2005-04-06T00:41:42Z")

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Mostly Wool, and linen. However, they had grades of Wool that make Pashmina feel coarse.

And not all wool was Sheeps-wool.

Of course- hide and leather was also used.

In general- **Ms Boods** has a completely correct and informative post.

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**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-colors-and-fabrics-did-medieval-europe-have-access-to/297720/22 "2005-04-07T05:15:00Z")

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Yes. Janet Arnold is Costume Goddess. There’s a bit in one of her books- I think it’s Eleanor of Toledo’s burial gown- where she says she had to guess at the back pattern because the corpse had decomposed so badly. She had nerve, that woman.  
Huh. I didn’t know they only had warp-weighted looms up until the 15th. That’s extremely limiting. I’ve done spinning (drop spindle and wheel) and weaving on a box loom with heddle, and it’s a very limited and annoying way to make fabric. I am doubly impressed at early medieval weavers.

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**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-colors-and-fabrics-did-medieval-europe-have-access-to/297720/23 "2005-04-07T05:46:54Z")

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> [@](#):
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> Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival every May in Howard County, MD

Heh. I lived there for fifteen years, including high school. Do they hold this at the County Fairgrounds?

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**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-colors-and-fabrics-did-medieval-europe-have-access-to/297720/24 "2005-04-07T13:37:17Z")

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> [@picker](#):
>
> Heh. I lived there for fifteen years, including high school. Do they hold this at the County Fairgrounds?

Indeed! I used to help out there with one of the vendors for years.

**Ms Purl** – I would like to be me when I grow up 🙂

Anyway, glad I could help answer the questions; please if I have mixed up anything or got my facts wrong, I hope someone will sort it out. Handwork has been a hobby and a source of extra income for more than 30 years for me, and it’s been nice that I’ve been able to handle and study a lot of mediaeval textiles first hand as a side field in my history work (The British Museum has some nice old things, and I’ve been on a cook’s tour at the Victoria and Albert Museum’s textile storage facilities – do you remember the final scene in _Indiana Jones_ when they store the Ark? That big, high vaulted room that goes on forever? The main textile storeroom at the V & A looks just like that!)

Again, must dash; I play lute in an ensemble and we have rehearsals today.

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