Señora Leonor Ruiz de Lisón is a minor Spanish noblewoman, c. 1580-1585.
Leonor is the SCA persona of Melissa Barton, a graduate student in museum studies, who lives in Colorado (SCA Barony of Caer Galen). I love both history and crafts, so the SCA is the perfect place for me to exercise those interests, and also full of smart people who make beautiful things. Figuring out how to recreate a garment from close examination of portraits and other evidence is kind of like engineering.
Authenticity
I am interested in authenticity and accuracy to a certain point, which is within my budget and time constraints. So I buy natural fibers whenever possible (but usually not 100% silk brocade), I hand sew the things that show, I wear machine-embroidered shirts while I work on the hand-embroidered equivalent, and I wear my modern glasses so I won’t fall and break my leg at events. Beyond that, I try to create as authentic an impression as my budget will allow.
Interests
I started out with an Ilkhanid Mongol persona (Mongol Persia, c. 1350), but when three years or so passed and I had no Mongol clothing and fell in love with 16th century English embroidery, I figured it was a sign. I’m still interested in the Mongol Empire, but for the present my interests lie primarily in the clothing and embroidery of Spain and England in the 14th and 16th centuries, and 15th and 16th century Italy. Periodically I plan to foray into German embroidery on behalf of my lord, who may or may not get me into German clothing someday.
I dislike sewing and suffer it as a necessary evil. I like pattern drafting and I love embroidery and embellishment. I haven’t made up my mind about millinery yet.
I also like dance, music, cooking, and archery.
