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The HSF ’14: Favourites for Challenges 21-24

Oh my goodness! A month into the HSF/M 15! Most of us are just finishing up our challenges for #1, Foundations, so let’s take a little break to look back and 2014, and some of the amazing things that were created in the last four challenges of the year.

There are always too many fantastic things to choose from, and I always end up with lists that are twice as long as what I can post. I try to highlight pieces that have interesting backstories, that are well made, and show research, thoughtfulness, and a stretch on the part of the maker. Most of all my favourites 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.

For every one piece I was able to feature, there are three or four fabulous ones with their own story that I couldn’t cover. Have a browse of the links through the challenge pages on my blog, and the HSF facebook albums to see them all!

Challenge #21 — Re-do (and the facebook album for the challenge) The easiest challenge of the year to do, because we all ended up with UFOs, but the hardest challenge to choose favourites for, because there was such a variety of themes!

Sarah’s 1840s maternity gown – Sarah may be a co-moderator of the FB group, but there is no favouritism going on here (except that anything paisley is going to be a favourite with me). The gown is stunning by any standard, it’s fantastic to see historical maternity wear, and the fact that she made it while pregnant, with a young toddler, just adds another layer of impressive.
Ninka’s Regency chemise: There is something so beautiful and satisfying about a really lovely, well made chemise or shift. This one gives me chemise envy!
Vanessa’s Regency Era shift & bed gown — Like Ninka, Vanessa re-did Under it All and Black and White, but her bed gown is a bit of adorable ridiculousness, rather than the elegant simplicity of a chemise – and I think both options are fabulous! And so nice to see something for totally indoor, private wear (but that still isn’t really an undergarment).

Challenge #22 — Fort-nightliers Choice: Gentleman (and the facebook album) Lots of amazing, amazing menswear! So hard to choose, because there were so many cool things! Surprisingly, there weren’t that many menswear-inspired womenswear pieces.

Brann’s cravat — Sometimes the simplest things make an outfit, and a beautiful cravat certainly makes a gentleman’s look. Plus, different cravat styles!
Jamie’s military inspired spencer jacket — a fantastic piece illustrating the influence of military costumes on women’s fashions.
Jeannette’s Gentleman’s Smoking Jacket — Fabulously evocative, from the Mark Twain inspiration to the final product.

Challenge #23 — Modern History (and the facebook album) I was really excited to see how people would interpret this challenge, and I was not disappointed! From period pieces used in a modern wardrobe, to period inspiration for modern pieces, to periods (like the 20s & 30s) that are very wearable in a modern context anyway, there were lots of fantastic creations!

Sophia’s ‘Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough‘ 2015 meets 1702 frock — I LOVE this! The way it looks just like Sarah’s robe, but is also so now!
Lisa’s Regency Chemisette — What a fabulous statement piece worn under a cardigan! And, of course, perfectly period for Regency wear.
Dawn’s chainmail bracelet – The chainmail bracelet is a great way to use a period technique to create a modern fashion item. Very effective!

Challenge #24 — All that Glitters (and the facebook album) Oooh, sparkly, glittery, sequined, shiny beautifulness! So exciting!

Stephani’s 1794-1803 gown after portraits of Queen Luise of Prussia — A beautifully made frock that looks just stunning on Stephani (proof that Regency isn’t just flattering on the extremely tall and thin) and the luminous glow of the fabric adds just that extra bit of special.
Cathy’s Roman pearl bead necklace & earrings — Pearls are pretty much my favourite gem, and the appeal of this Roman necklace is timeless. There is almost no period when this necklace and earrings couldn’t be worn and look right..
Black Tulips ‘Twelve Dancing Princesses’ 1900s ‘enamel’ necklace — It’s glittery and shiny and has a wonderful historical backstory, and a wonderful tie-in to the Fairy Tale challenge. Divine!

Congratulations ladies and gentlemen! We made it! You were a joy and an inspiration throughout the year! Onwards and upwards to 2015’s makes! (where I will be featuring favourites at the end of every challenge, rather than wrap-up posts every four challenges).

ca. 1800 Recamier gown thedreamstress.com

Getting things right: my foundations pledge

Published by The Dreamstress

Update: Please do read this post and comment on it, because it’s interesting and pretty and important, but don’t leave your links to your HSF/M Foundations challenge blog posts on this one, because that’s not what it’s for! They belong on yesterdays post. 🙂

Five years ago I made this ca. 1800 dress, inspired by two portraits of Madame Recamier:

I managed to make it in one day, even though it is predominantly hand-sewn. Unfortunately, in the rush to make it, I didn’t double-check Janet Arnold, and I made a rather big mistake.

Can you see it?

It’s the front-skirt to bodice join. I gathered my entire front skirt to the apron bodice, where there should have been almost no gathering, and the sides of the skirts should have hung over, and wrapped around the back, thus eliminating that enormous fold running down the side of the skirt, and the weird gathered-front but flat sides effect.

I realised the mistake almost as soon as the dress was done, but didn’t fix it. Every time I’ve worn the dress in the 5 years since, it has bugged me, and I’ve thought “I really should fix this.” But I just didn’t get to it.

Then, two weeks ago when Theresa and I did our Regency photoshoot, I remembered it again, and kicked myself when I hadn’t thought to fix it beforehand. I’m particularly gutted about it when I look at the photos (so gorgeous) but know the dress isn’t right.

And, to top it all off, when I finally decided to fix it, it took less than two hours, all handsewing, to get it perfect. I unpicked the bodice from the skirt, flattened the skirt, matched centers, sewed the skirt to the bodice lining, sewed the bodice front down over it, hemmed and sewed together the sides and back facings, sewed on ribbons, and worked ribbon carriers.

Here is what it now (and should) look like. Flat front, tabs extending to the sides to wrap around the back:

Tapes sewn to the sides of the skirt wrap around the back and tie underneath the front:

The front skirt is folded back and sewn to itself at the side slits, to help to cover them and to form a facing:

I worked little thread loops at the back, to help carry the skirt tapes and keep them in place.

And while I was at it, I made a new cord for the front lacing that hides under the apron front, as the old cord had broken and was too short (clearly my cord-making skills need work):

The dress still isn’t 100% correct, and still represents my sewing 5 and a half years ago), not my sewing today. But it is much, much better, and I feel much better about it. When I made it, it was meant to be the foundation of a Regency wardrobe – to get sleeves, and a chemisette, and a spencer, and be wearable in lots of situations.

That may still happen, but that is not entirely how this is a foundation.

If not that, how is this a foundation? I want the my sewing to be based on getting things right. Taking the time to research things, and fit things, and sew things properly, so that every garment represents the best I could possibly do. And when I do make mistakes, I want to fix them right away. I’m not going to fix all of my older garments that I am not happy with, but I am going to pledge that everything new going forward will be something I can be 100% proud of.

And that is a good foundation.

The Challenge: #1 Foundations

Fabric: None new

Pattern: ca. 1800 Apron front gown in Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion

Year: ca. 1800

Notions: cotton thread, art silk ribbon.

How historically accurate is it?: Well, a lot better than it was!

Hours to complete: Just 2 to fix it.

First worn: Not yet, but maybe I can convince Mr D to do another photoshoot this weekend!

Total cost: None.

HSM ’15 Challenge #1: Foundations

Published by The Dreamstress

I usually try to write Historical Sew Fortnightly/Monthly inspiration posts wells in advance of the challenge, but I’m running quite late this year, so am writing this post only a few days before the challenge is over.

Challenge #1 for the Historical Sew Monthly 2015 was Foundations. I deliberately left the challenge quite vague: “make something that is the foundation of an outfit (however you interpret that)”

So what is a foundation? According to dictionary.com:

[foun-dey-shuh n]

noun
1.
the basis or groundwork of anything:

Lots of scope there!

Interestingly, being able to write this post most of the way through the challenge, with a whole folder full of entries on FB, it turns out that most people have chosen a much more specific meaning:

foundation garment

noun
1.
an undergarment, as a girdle or corset, worn by women to support or give shape to the contours of the body.

Only you’ve extended that meaning to include any undergarment. Fascinating. One HSM-er mentioned that she thought foundations were anything that created structure – rather like the Shape and Support challenge from last year

Of course, undergarments are often also the foundation of a historical garment in the sense cited above: the basis of the outfit. Get your undergarments right, and it’s much easier to get the outside right. Get your undergarments wrong, and it’s almost impossible to get your outers right.

You could extend that concept, and the idea of foundations, even further. I like to say that correct fabric choice is the foundation of successful sewing. Get it wrong, and you just can’t get the garment right.

There are many other ways you could interpret foundations. By making an item that was the basis for a whole wardrobe, depending on what you paired it with. Or by making shoes, which are a nice twist on the idea of building foundations. Or socks – there is an old saying about being able to do anything as long as you have a good pair of socks. Or a skirt from an era when you had a different evening and day bodice – the skirt becomes the foundation piece for a whole wardrobe. All these ways to think about foundations! All interesting and valid

Tomorrow, I’m going to show you how I interpreted it – which is yet another way.

For now, here is a hint: