All posts filed under: Miscellenia

The HSF Challenge #19: Wood, Metal, Bone

In planning the Historical Sew Fortnightly challenges, I look for themes that can be interpreted in a number of interesting ways, can be used to create very basic, or extremely elaborate garments, and can fit across the many time-periods that we sew in. I’ll admit that I sometimes take into account my own sewing list, and schedule challenges that encompass a project I’d been hoping to do for a while. I’ve got a confession though. Challenge #19 is the first time I’ve totally dumped the theme I’d originally planned, and completely themed a challenge around an item I desperately need to make (1860s hoopskirt), and which I couldn’t find a way to fit into any other challenge. Still, I think it’s a pretty awesome theme, with lots of scope, so I hope you will forgive my selfishness! Challenge #19 is ‘Wood, Metal, Bone’: Cloth may be the most obvious material in historic costuming, but wood, metal, and bone are just as important to creating the right look and silhouette. They are often, literally, the foundations …

The Historical Sew Fortnightly: Favourites for Challenges 6-10

Published by The Dreamstress

It’s that time again (actually, I’m a couple of weeks in)! We’re almost halfway done with the Historical Sew Fortnightly, some amazing things have been created, and here is my round-up of my favourites from Challenges 6-10. As I did with my favourites from Challenges 0-5 I’ve chosen the items I thought best represent the spirit of the Historical Sew Fortnightly; the quest to explore history, raise our skill levels and standard, stretch ourselves (or sometimes just get something done, rather than just procrastinating); and the spirit of the individual challenge. Once again, there were so many more beautiful pieces I could have featured! Challenge #10 — Literature Lisa’s blackwork cap for Ophelia – Exquisitely worked with all of poor Ophelia’s herbs: rue & rosemary, pansy & columbine. A beautiful interpretation of the challenge, and integration of literature, textile, and history. Cation’s Victorian deerstalker cap — Inspired by a detailed description of a hat in Farmer Boy, and Sherlock Holme’s headgear, this cap get’s both inspirations spot-on. A Most Peculiar Mademoiselle’s mid-19th century Swedish dress …

Musings on the pretty, pretty princess, and my five favourite princesses

Published by The Dreamstress

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 …