Finally Joining the Historical Sew Fortnightly

So after months of waffling, I am finally going to take part in the Dreamstress's Historical Sew Fortnightly.

As the Dreamstress explains in the post I link to above, the purpose of the HSF is to provide more incentive for historical costumers to sew by setting a series of historical (i.e., 1938 CE, or earlier) costuming challenges for the year, one every two weeks. One can choose to work on a challenge many weeks in advance, or try to do them all, or something in-between.

Which challenge am I doing? That's hard to say. I know what garment I'm making for the challenge--my long-planned Byzantine himation.   However, there are quite a number of ways I can fit that project into the remaining HSF challenges.   My hope is to get it done by October 21 for Challenge #21: Colour Challenge Green--since the linen from which I'm making it is boldly and lusciously apple green. However, if I miss the 21st, I could finish it under the auspices of Challenge #23: Generosity and Gratitude (due November 18), since my idea, as well as much of the information, for making it in the first place came from Peter Beatson's page on the Manazan shirt (since there's no point in making underwear if you're not going to make an outfit to wear on top of it) and Timothy Dawson's Levantia site (which triggered my interest in Middle Byzantine clothing).

If I blow the November 18 deadline, there's still Challenge #24: Re-Do (due December 2). This is the one where you can do, or re-do, a prior challenge. My himation, which solidly meets the criteria for Challenges #21 and #23 at least, would fit in handily. However, the himation project meets several prior challenges too, such as # 8, By the Sea (it's a Byzantine tunic, and Byzantium a/k/a Constantinople a/k/a Istanbul was, and is, a seaport); #11, Squares, Rectangles and Triangles (which is an excellent description of the himation pattern); and #17, Robes and Robings (because the himation is arguably a robe, and it will be trimmed with broad strips of linen, which arguably are robings).

As of today, I have finished cutting out my pattern pieces, so all I have to do is stitch them together and add my trim.   Most of the stitching I will be using will be whip stitches, which I can do quickly, so I should be able to complete it to at least a wearable condition by December 2.  Wish me luck!