http://thedreamstress.com/the-historical-sew-monthly-2016/ (http://thedreamstress.com/the-historical-sew-monthly-2016/)
Is anyone else planning on participating? I've done a few each year she's been running the sew monthly/fortnightly and really enjoy it. I'd like to try to do mostly medieval/renaissance this upcoming year but we'll see. The themes:
- January – Procrastination – finish a garment you have been putting off finishing (a UFO or PHD) or make something you have been avoiding starting.
- February – Tucks & Pleating – make a garment that features tucks and pleating for the shape or decoration
- March – Protection – make something to protect yourself (from weather or injury) or your clothes (from soiling etc.)
- April – Gender-Bender – make an item for the opposite gender, or make an item with elements inspired by the fashions of the opposite gender
- May – Holes – sometimes the spaces between stuff are what makes a garment special. Make a garment that is about holes, whether it is lace, slashing, eyelets, etc.
- June – Travel – make a garment for travelling, or inspired by travel.
- July – Monochrome – make a garment in black, white, or any shade of grey in between.
- August – Pattern – make something in pattern, the bolder and wilder the better.
- September – Historicism – Make a historical garment that was itself inspired by the fashions of another historical period.
- October – Heroes – Make a garment inspired by your historical hero, or your historical costuming hero.
- November – Red – Make something in any shade of red.
- December – Special Occasion: make something for a special event or a specific occasion, or that would have been worn to special event of specific occasion historically.
Monochrome won't be difficult - a chemise will work as will many of the finds at the Greenland digs. Travel will probably be the most difficult although a cloak or any outside garment will work.
So who else is in?
This year's challenges aren't striking any chords for me right now! I did a whole slew of 'em in 2015, but am scratching my head over pretty much everything except Red and Protection (and, unfortunately, that's the same idea for both challenges! And they're the whole year apart from one another.).
Some ideas then!
Tucks & Pleating: One of those crazy Elizabethan wheel farthingales and the dresses. A pleated Norse dress. Anything 18th or 19th century as well.
Protection: A parasol. One of those lace inserted late 16th century aprons. A cloak. A surcote.
Gender-Bender: Elizabethan doublet - both women and men wore them. 19th century stuff like the bloomers and some of the ties and waistcoats.
Holes: Puff and slash. Anything German, really. A lot of Italian and English when it comes to the sleeves. Really, almost anything 16th Century will easily fall into this category.
Travel: One of those Elizabethan Face masks. A pilgrim's bag.
Monochorme: Chemises, smocks, slobs, or any medieval/renaissance underwear. Also, anything from the Greenland digs - all the items are black and white wool or some combo of the two.
Pattern: Damask patterns or even embroidery.
Historicism: Regency, Second Empire, Neo-directorate or, to put it in the middle ages/Renaissance - the loose dresses of the early Italian period that were to mimic the Roman statues as well.
Heroes: The 16th Century is filled with admirable women -lucrezia Borgia who basically rant he household affairs of the Vatican, Maragret Pole, Queen Elizabeth, Grace O'Malley... there are tons out there to take as a hero and recreate their attire.
Red: Too easy.
Special Occasion: Court gowns! Field of Gold anyone?
I'm doing the procrastination. I have a gown that i want to do but never started from 2 years ago. And A petticoat that I have but to put a ruffle and a waist band on. April I might do the Gender bender one. I need to make a ladies tail coat for a friend. I've got a anniversary dress I'm making from old wedding dresses for May so that might work. Then special Occasion? I know I can do something but not sure what.
I finished my January/Procrastination entry!
This is a hemp-boned version of Simplicity 2621, which I've made several times before in different incarnations. I started this one in 2010 and somehow... didn't finish it. I pulled it out a few years later, trimmed down the cords and put in half the machine eyelets, yet somehow... didn't finish it. Thank goodness for the HSF/M, because now it's DONE!
(https://elizabethcbunce.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/st-cath-corset-front.jpg?w=663&h=833)
More info, including some details on how the eyelets are done, on my dress diary (https://elizabethcbunce.wordpress.com/2016/01/31/early-costuming-progress-for-2016/).
***
Next up: Hoping to make an Italian petticoat with a stiffened hem for February's "tucks and pleats" challenge. Have been assiduously studying Anea's/Operafantomet's page (http://aneafiles.webs.com/renaissancegallery/doppia.html), altho' I have not yet figured out the pattern shapes I'm aiming for. Perhaps I'll just go with what I'm familiar with + the hem stiffening.
That's lovely, Gem!
For the Feb challenge, I'm going to "cheat" and go 18th Century...maybe. If I have time, I might actually finish my Norse Apron dress for the challenge instead. Tons of tucks and pleats on the front of that thing!
Gorgeous, gem.
Check out in the Projects thread what I am working on for myself. A big non Renaissance Production.