I’ve been thinking lately about how much our first introduction to something shapes our attitudes towards and perceptions of it.  Case in point: the term ‘Pretty Pretty Princesses’ which is the theme for this fortnight’s HSF challenge. Lauren at Wearing History just posted about her historical costuming likes and dislikes (remember my post from three years ago about my historical costuming likes and dislikes (no?  What!  You mean you don’t have every.single.one of my posts memorised?  What is wrong with you!), which, incidentally was inspired by a WH post), and her #1 dislike is being called a ‘Pretty Pretty Princess’.  She  describes the historical costuming community as being two camps: Historical Accuracy and Pretty Pretty Princesses.  My response to this was: “Wait, what?” My first introduction to the term ‘Pretty Pretty Princesses’ was through Kendra of Demode posting about the Eugenie Project – a highly research and historically accurate based attempt to recreate Winterhalter’s painting of the Empress Eugenie with her ladies in waiting. It never occurred to me that it was shorthand for costume …

A few months ago when I solicited suggestions for future Historical Sew Fortnightly challenges someone asked if we could do an ‘Up-Cycle’ challenge and I said “Absolutely not.” Not because it’s a bad idea, but because I loathe that word.  The word was a good idea to begin with, but has been used to describe so many silly, dreadful things that it has lost its credibility. While I don’t like ‘up-cycle’ as a trendy word, I distinctly applaud the idea of taking old things and giving them new life, and new purpose.  It’s a very historical idea – fabric and materials were very expensive, and people got as much use out of them as possible. In this spirit, the Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge #18 is Re-make, Re-use & Re-fashion.  Sew something that pays homage to the historical idea of re-using, re-making and re-fashioning.  Turn one thing into another.  Re-fit or re-fashion an old gown into something you would wear again.  Re-trim a hat for a new outfit, or re-shape a modern hat to be a …