All posts tagged: Historical Sew-Fortnightly

The HSF Challenge #25: One metre

This is it!  The second to last challenge to be posted! I was a little stuck on this challenge, as all my ideas were either too elaborate and demanding for such a busy time of year, and for the end of a marathon, or too similar to the challenges around it.  So I opened the suggestions up to popular opinion on the HSF facebook group. Clearly you guys weren’t too worried about ‘too elaborate’, as the second most popular suggestion was ‘Copy a Painting’, but the slightly more restrained ‘One yard/metre’ suggestion won out in the end (Make something in under 3 hours was also very popular, which had me a bit worried.  If it ended up taking longer, did you fail the challenge?). So, for Challenge #25, due 16 December, make an item that takes one metre or less fabric (I went with one metre, rather than one yard/or metre to be consistent). So what takes less than 1m of fabric?.  Lot’s of things I’m sure!  I’ve thought of : 1920s & ’30s tap …

The HSF Challenge #24: Re-do

Hurrah!  It’s the challenge you’ve all been waiting for: the Re-Do challenge (due 2 Dec).  This one is super easy.  Pick any previous challenge and re-do it (or do it for the first time). It could be one that you didn’t finish, one that you wish you’d had more time for, or any time for, or one where you loved the theme so much you want to do it  again. The challenges so far have been: #0 (the bonus challenge): Starting Simple  – due 31 December NZT.  Finish a project, make a very simple garment, or something you have made before. #1:  Bi/Tri/Quadri/Quin/Sex/Septi/Octo/Nona/Centennial  — due 14 Jan.  Sew something from __13, whether it be 1913, 1613, or 13BC #2: UFO  – due Jan 28.  Let’s get something off our UFO pile! Use this opportunity to finish off something that’s never quite gotten done, or stalled halfway through. #3: Under it all  — due Feb 11.  Every great historical outfit starts with the right undergarments, and, just in time for Valentines day, here’s you’re excuse to …

Regency sleeve mitts (more or less)

I’m doing two entries for the Historical Sew-Fortnightly ‘Separates’ challenge, and neither of them is the project I had originally planned, and started working on in week 1 of the the fortnight. However, I’m pretty excited about my first entry, soft as it is, because it is inspired by an image that was shared on the HSF facebook page, and the ensuing discussion. Sarah posted these knit sleeves from the collection of the Nordiska Museet: Made of fine wool or silk, they were worn with evening dresses in the chill northern winters, to keep the wearer warm while still being elegant and fashionable, combating the problem of “Dressing in French and freezing in Danish” that Tidens Toj mentions. I looked at these and thought how perfect they would be to go with my 1813 Kashmiri gown, which, being made of wool, is pretty warm, except for all that exposed arm and chest.  There are other examples of similar sleeves or mitts (maybe) in the Nordiska collections, and at the MFA in Boston, indicating that wearing …