All posts filed under: Miscellenia

Links and connections

I’ve been thinking about links and connections a lot lately. The first, and super obvious, reason is because I have some awesome links to share with you! In case you missed my notification, or don’t follow me on Facebook, the third issue of Glory Days is out. My article on crinolines & petticoats is on pages 52/53, but there is plenty of other fun to be had throughout the magazine. I particularly enjoyed Natasha Francoise’s article on Bodgies & Widgies, and Clarissa Dunn’s history of the Opera House in Wellington. If you missed them, you can also read Issues 1 & 2 in the archives as well – I’ve written articles for all three issues. Glory Days is crowdfunding to raise money to pay the staff and make it a paper issues (which would be fabulous – Christmas gifts sorted for half the people I know with subscriptions!), so if you can, please do give a little. You’ve already seen the photos of Polly / Oliver that Sarah the Photographer took on my dinky little …

The HSF Challenge #22: Masquerade

Published by The Dreamstress

Just in time for Halloween and the biggest costume celebration of the year, the Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge # 22, due Monday November 4, is Masquerade. Fancy dresses and Masquerades have been popular for centuries, both as very organised pageants that blended into theatre, and as balls where all organization and constraints were abandoned. Masquerades as pageants were about creating another world, and as balls symbolised an escape from your ordinary life, and the rules of society. In fancy dress, with your face covered by a mask, you could step out of yourself. The Queen had as much responsibility as a peasant girl, a peasant girl (in the right dress) could rub elbows with a queen. In this challenge, be inspired by historical fancy dress and masquerade, go whole-hog in an elaborate allegory (or a hog costume, or a side of bacon costume, because those exist), or keep it simple with just a mask and a domino. Because masquerades were a loosening of the rules, and a step into a fantasy, the Historical Sew Fortnightly …

Is there a doctor in the house?

Published by The Dreamstress

I’ve been reading Victoria Finlay’s Colour, and in her chapter on indigo she discusses how urine was used as the alkaline agent for fixing dyes across millennia and cultures: from ancient Pompeii to early 20th century Scottish islands. And then she casually tosses in the information that the best urine for dye vats comes from pre-pubescent boys. Wait. What? There is no exploration of this rather astonishing fact, no discussion of why or when it comes from, or what culture made the claim. Short of reading all her sources (some of which I’ve already read, the rest of which are already on my reading list), I can’t think of a way to explore or test the claim. I certainly can’t google it. My first though, as it often is, is “Ooh…I’ll look it up and see what google shakes out…” and then my mind contemplated the possibilities and quickly shut down. It would not end well. And then I realised that I already have a pretty awesome resource (and one that isn’t likely to result …