For the fifth Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge of 2015 (due by May 31st), we’re getting down and dirty and making something that is about getting work done: building up, cleaning up, fixing up, and generally being practical. Fancy party frocks are all very well, but everyone,  even  princesses, sometimes needs a practical garment that you can DO things in.  In this challenge we’re creating the jeans-and-T-Shirt-get-the-house-clean-and-garden-sorted outfit of your chosen period. This challenge is particularly interesting, because the get-work-done outfits are the ones that are least likely to survive.  People keep their special occasion garments: their wedding outfits, party frocks, and delicate pieces, and museums are full of these, but who has a paint-spattered, slightly ripped, well  worn T-shirt and their gardening jeans carefully preserved for posterity?  It’s a bit ironic, as we’ll spend more time in these type of garments than in our posh togs. So, let’s focus on work aprons, wash frocks, slat bonnets, shorter skirts, basic blouses, short gowns,  and other working garments: the unsung wardrobe heroes of the past. For many …

April’s  Challenge in the Historical Sew Monthly 2015 is War & Peace: Make something that shows the effects of war, or of extended peace. You may not know this (because it’s not always obvious from what I blog about), but as an undergraduate, I studied international relations.  And art history.  And  costume design. (yes, I like to stay busy). The relationship between the latter two was obvious: I was focusing on textiles and costume in art history, and in historic costume in costume design.  The first one confused a lot of people. It seemed quite random.  What does  international relations have to do with costume history? Well, everything.  IR is everything that’s going on in the world: looking at why it happens, why countries interact the way they do, how they are likely to act in any given situation, why wars happened, and how their repercussions will effect the rest of the world. Anything event that significantly  impacts your country, or the world as a whole, is going to significantly  impact on what you wear. …