My name is Caitlin and in the Society of Creative Anacorism I am known as Scolastica Capellaria. I have a fondness for medieval history that goes deep into my bones,
To get in contact, feel free to email me at:
About the SCA
The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is an organization wherein folks reenact aspects of medieval life. We wear medieval clothes, eat medieval food, and do medieval things. There is combat and wars, but also dancing, singing and games.
To me, the SCA is about exploring history with people of mutual interests. It is about chivalry, and not the kind on the battle field, but the kind that is in our hearts and shown through our courtesy. It is about inclusivity, learning, and exploration. It is about camping and cooking and laughter.
To learn more about SCA click here https://www.sca.org/
How did I get here?
My interest in medieval art and architecture began when I was about 5 years old and I watched the Hunchback of Notre Dame for the first time. Less than a year later my parents took me on a trip to Europe to visit my father’s dutch family and I visited castles, cathedrals, and road on boats in Holland, Belgium and France and fell in love with what I saw there. There are few buildings in the world that speak to me like Gothic cathedrals.
In 2009 I started Kent State University as a Crafts major with a focus in metal work. I loved the process of creation, but I knew right away I was more interested in the process, techniques and historical replicas than creating unique works of my own design. After one class with Dr. Diane Scillia I switched my major to Art History with a focus in Medieval Art. I wrote about Borges Cathedral Façade, Thomas Becket enameled caskets, Visagothic Belt Buckles, The Wilton Diptych, and wrote my senior Honors Thesis on Ivory Mirror Cases. My interests were always focused on items that fell into the “craft” category of art historical objects, rather than those hauty “fine art” pieces.
After undergrad, I was determined to become an Art History professor and attended Indiana University to pursue my Master’s degree. While there, I decided that independent scholastic research was not quite for me, and while researching the legal side of museum acquisition practices and working part time in a law office I decided to switch career fields entirely to law. I have been a paralegal ever since.
In 2019 I discovered the Society for Creative Anacronism (SCA) and discovered there was a space for me to explore my love of history and my practical interest in the process of recreating historical items. I immediately dove head first into creating my own garb based on historical techniques and learning new styles of embroidery I didn’t know existed.
What am I doing?
Recreating Historical Fashions: My first love will always be fashion, and recreating historical fashion. I think clothes are something that have the ability to unite modern life with historical life. By wearing a garment we can understand how people moved, walked, played, cooked in the past. My linen overgown weighs 5 lbs and includes 17 yards of fabric, it is difficult to walk in, heavy, and gets in the way of almost everything. But, the act of wearing it, of reminding me of these issues is in itself a reenactment of history.
Cooking: I love to cook, and at events in the SCA, the main thing that we do, is feast! In the plague year, without access to in person events, I have enjoyed recreating recipes from medieval cook books, often involving bacon.
Millinary: Scolastica Capellaria is a hat maker. Similar the way a large skirt changes the way you walk, different hats, headdresses, and even hairstyles change the way you move your head and interact with your world.
Embroidery: My first love will always be needle and thread, and I find nothing more enjoyable than stabbing a taunt fabric to create a beautiful decoration. It is meditative. This year (2021) I am working on a year long project exploring different embroidery techniques that were used during the middle ages. I am also working on a German Brick Stitch project similar to a wall hanging in the met.
The Inevitable Scadian 