How it works: The HSM 2021 is a monthly historical garment challenge. Every month in 2021 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 the …
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 …
True story: quite a few of my closest friends became my friends because they heard I do historical costuming and said “Oh, I’ve always dreamed of making X kind of dress.” And I said “Really? Well, I can help with that! Let me tempt you to the dark and full of handsewing side…” And then 300 hours of pattern choosing and handsewing later we’re sending each other terrible memes at 3am, and crying on each others shoulder when things are hard. I can’t promise you a costuming friend for life, but I can give you some of the tips that I give friends when they start on this journey. Hopefully they will help you achieve your costuming dreams. First, choose what you want to make: That’s pretty obvious! But it can be a bit overwhelming. The three main strategies that people use to get started are: Pick an era, and make a complete outfit for that era, from the inside out. Pick a simple item that can be used for multiple eras, and …
