All posts filed under: Historical Sew Fortnightly

The 1770s Masquerade Stays

I’m hard at work on my item for the HSF Masquerade Challenge. Remember my terminology post on marmottes? (If you don’t, I highly recommend that you go read it, as it’s one of my favourite pieces of research ever). If you follow me on facebook you may remember that only a few days after I wrote it I found a fabric featuring marmotte themed 18th century hair: ZOMG. How awesome is that!?! It’s crazy and fabulous and 18th century and masquerade-y. And it has marmotte hair! It also has ship hair (cute, but such a cliche) And lion hair (just weird): Obviously I had to have it, but just as obviously, it’s not exactly suitable for anything historically accurate. But for Masquerade? For something where historicism blends with fantasy and alternative realities? Perfect! So I’m making 1770s stays, featuring this fabulous fabric. Even if they won’t be accurate in any meaningful sense, I still intend the shape they give me to be accurate, so that I can wear them under 18th century clothing. I’m using …

HSF ’14: Challenge #2: Innovation

Published by The Dreamstress

Since it will be a new year, the second Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge of 2014 (due Sat Feb 1) will be all about new things: Innovations. Innovation is one of the biggest drivers in new fashions, today, and in the past. New inventions, the introduction of new materials or new styles from abroad all create new trends. Some of these fashions faded quickly, others had a lasting impact on what we wore. To celebrate the way inventions, introductions and discoveries have impacted fashion, make an item that reflects the newest innovations in your era. Because the Historical Sew Fortnightly is about learning as well as creation, I’d really encourage you to share the research you did into your innovation when you present the finished item. There have been innovations in fabric that have changed fashion, like the introduction of Chinese silks into ancient Rome (much to the distress of Roman officials, who worried about the economic impact of all that Roman gold going East to pay for the silk coming West – to the point …

Thinking green: a mid-1920s evening gown

Published by The Dreamstress

For the HSF ‘Green’ challenge, I’m keeping it simple, and making a mid-1920s evening gown out of some fantastic dark jade & ecru silk that I bought over four years ago, and have been waiting for the opportunity to make up ever since. The silk is a heavier habotai, and it instantly reminded of the fabulous textile that Raol Dufy designed for Paul Poiret’s 1911 ‘La Perse’ coat: Dufy’s design was printed on cotton velvet, rather than silk habotai, and is over decade earlier than the date I’m aiming for with my dress. However, there is evidence of similar prints in later ’20s fashion. This Lanvin dress is made from warp-printed silk taffeta. The fabric is a bit ‘sweeter’ than my print, and so is the cut of the dress. I think my fabric needs a slightly more sophisticated, slinkier cut to show it off to its best advantage. Not quite this sophisticated and slinky though: This has distinct possibilities: As does this: I’m can’t find an exact example of the idea in my …