Sunday, March 9, 2014

HSF Challenges: An Update

Because I have fallen behind on the Historical Sew Fortnightly ("HSF") Costuming Challenges, I am rethinking which projects I will do for which challenges.  I've also had some new ideas for a few of them:

# 8:  UFOs and PHSs--due Thursday, May 1.  Hopefully I will be able to complete my red Hedeby apron dress for this one, though I will be out of town on May 1.

# 9:  Black and White--due Thursday, May 15.  This is when I'd like to complete my wool shift, if not before.

#15:  The Great Outdoors--due Friday August 15.  I'm kind of phobic about exposing my historical clothing to hard wear.  So maybe the thing to do is start small--with a pair of sewn stockings!  Here I'd want to use wool, and wash them so they both shrink some AND become felted.  Some of the blue flannel I bought for my (formerly) Birka overtunic would work very well for this.

#24:  All That Glitters--due Thursday, January 1, 2015.  I had an inspiration that doesn't require me to learn brocaded tablet-weaving during what promises to be a very busy year!  I can simply make a beaded necklace that goes with the Roman earrings I am making for Challenge # 7.  It should be easy to find rose-gold-filled beads and pink gold pearls, and the results will be pretty, shiny, and wearable with modern clothes as well.

9 comments:

  1. I'm having to re-think the challenges a bit too. At present my strategy is to put my available time into a few of them and end up with a small number of projects where I have an idea that really speaks to me and go all out on those, plus a couple where I don't sweat the accuracy thing too much and just have fun with the concepts. Consequently, for the Fairytale challenge, I have half a 14th century V-neck gown made up in wildly anachronistic silver foil print that's been lurking in my big bag of polyester shame for a while.

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    1. At this point, I think I'm just going to do the ones that can be finished in an hour or less. :-)

      I *might* be able to do the bog blouse in a few hours this weekend. The earrings I'm planning to do for HSF #7 should take all of 5 minutes, and the rest are up in the air right now. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to the Hedeby apron dress and do a sprang project soon!

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  2. Speaking of Hedeby dress, I did say i'd link a picture when I finally got one of my brown wool twill dress. My kit is still pretty minimal, but the dress turned out pretty good (still needs more decorating!) and it was very comfortable.
    Front-
    [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/synj_munki/costumes/2013-2014/sherwood/IMG_1035_zps159914e9.jpg[/IMG]
    Back-
    [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/synj_munki/costumes/2013-2014/sherwood/IMG_1037_zps7a9595c5.jpg[/IMG]

    This was after all day walking around faire; I wore a belt but took it off before the picture, I'm still working on getting the belt to look just how I want (I really prefer a belt for faire to hold all my stuff)
    For now the top deco is just some trim I got on super sale and am putting on all my apron dresses as instant-bamf, the charms are a necklace, and the brooch are belt buckles.

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    1. Oops, looks like it doesn't allow imbed; here's links :)
      http://smg.photobucket.com/user/synj_munki/media/costumes/2013-2014/sherwood/IMG_1035_zps159914e9.jpg.html
      http://smg.photobucket.com/user/synj_munki/media/costumes/2013-2014/sherwood/IMG_1037_zps7a9595c5.jpg.html

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    2. Very nicely done! Somehow I don't imagine I'll ever get an apron dress to fit my curves so well, except by the dubious approach of making the whole thing too tight in the first place (been there, done that, didn't like the results). Congratulations, synj-munki! (And love the braids.) ;-)

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    3. Thanks! I mostly went off "Making a tailored smokkr" http://ciarsstitchintime.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/ti-excerpt-making-a-tailored-smokkr.pdf
      Though I went straight to the slightly felted twill wool rather than a thin cotton mockup. To get the drape right I used the super scientific method of putting it on inside out, taking a little bit in, taking it off, etc. until I couldn't take it off then undid the last stitch. I made the personal choice of keeping it pretty long and the bottom full (I could run full out in this) and made the back just a touch longer, cuz I found it pretty that way. With my build it's easy to look like a hanging pile of laundry, so I usually veer to the more fitted styles like this. FWIW I fit it over my compression sports bra, which gives me a profile similar to what I get with mammilar and strophium (except easier to put on. 34J takes some time to strap up the roman way!.
      .
      The braids were so much fun! I made them the night before and they just clip to my buns :) they were inspired by the two-braided silver figure from Denmark- http://www.flickr.com/photos/28772513@N07/4560502772/sizes/o/in/photostream/ and I got tons of positive comments on them (I was worried they looked too fake but they only got clocked once, and that was because she thought the braid too complex for a one-day playtron, lol)

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    4. I've seen Ciar's pattern. I think it's interesting, but I don't have a solid feeling for whether I think a similar pattern was used in period and thus I'm of two minds as to whether I want to try it myself. As for the actual fitting, it sounds as though your n method is a lot like mine (cut right into your wool, put on the partly finished dress, and fiddle). Clearly, you're better at it than I am! I'm inclined to agree with you that a good sports bra gives a profile that is similar to a mammilare or a strophium, though I don't wear one with my Viking garb (I go bare-breasted under my clothes). However, I do think that the use of a mammilare or the equivalent is defensible for Viking period.

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    5. I was going for the neighborhood of 50% plausible, 50% pretty, pretty princess :)

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    6. Then I think you got it just right!

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