How it works: The HSM 2020 is a monthly historical garment challenge. Every month in 2020 will feature a themed challenge. Sew (or knit, or crochet, or tatt, or embroider, or milin, (or whatever it is you call making a hat), or otherwise create) a historical garment or accessory that fits the monthly theme. We’d love it if you did all 12 challenges, but how many you complete, and what order you do them in, is up to you. Push yourself and participate in all 12 challenges, do a half-marathon with 6, or just pick and choose the ones that fit your sewing schedule. Do them in order, or skip around doing the challenges as it fits your schedule. Finish all 12 challenges by the end of 2020, and there will be an exciting finishers badge for you to put on your blog/IG/FB page/Twitter/ etc. Your HSM 2020 items can be as basic or elaborate as you want, from a simple fichu to fill in the neckline of a gown, to a full ensemble from …
Last week’s Rate the Dress was quite popular, although not everyone was on board with its colour. For this week’s Rate the Dress I’ve picked a very different dress, but one in the most-suggested alternate hue for last week’s frock. Last Week: an 1882-3 day dress in fawn brown Last week’s dress was way, way, way more popular than I thought it would be! I just didn’t expect people to be in to fawn brown, all the pleats + lace, and the very unusual front pocket situation. But it turns out you just really, really like pockets. And some people even like fawn brown! The Total: 9.2 out of 10 A very elegant effort. This week: a blue velvet robe de style by Poiret This week’s Rate the Dress is a robe de style by Paul Poiret. While the overall shape is typical of a robe de style, in typical Poiret fashion it combines unusual and inventive elements to give a twist to the standard shape. This take on the robe de style features multicolour …
I wore the 1918-19 ‘Not Another Blue Dress’ at Costume College, and loved it just as much as the first time I wore it. I made a few improvements to it, and got some help from friend for a few more, and paired it with my Costumers for Climate Action sash. For improvements, I loved the detailed yoke I’d made, but felt the sleeves were a bit plain in comparison. I had just a few scraps of the yoke fabric left, and by careful placement (and one small mend, which you can just see in the photo below if you look closely) I managed to cut a set of cuffs. I’d paired the cuffs with fancy cut-glass buttons that imitate jet, and added matching buttons on the shoulder, where the yoke opens. For more texture and visual interest, and a little bit of colour, Hvitr the tassel queen made me a set of tassels: And Madame O the embroideress extraordinaire embroidered little motifs taken from a 1910s embroidery manual on the sash ends – no …
