HSM 2020 review

 As I mentioned in some of my earlier posts, I finished all the HSM challenges this year, even if I feel that many of them were pretty small things. I was also greatly helped by the change of format, that allowed us to do the challenges any time during the year, instead of a specific month. Here's a review of all the the things I did for the HSM in 2020. 

Challenge 1 - Time travel

Create an item that works for more than one historical era, or that can be used for both historical costuming, and modern wear. It could be an apron that could do 1770s or 1860s in a pinch, a shift that can work under many decades of fashion, or a historical cape you also wear everyday, etc.

A simple white neckerchief

 Challenge 2 - re-use

Use thrifted materials or old garments or bedlinen to make a new garment. Mend, re-shape or re-trim an existing garment to prolong its life.

I used an old pillow to make a stomacher, and a fake 16th century shift was turned into a more accurate 18th century chemise.

Challenge 3 - green

Make something in a shade or shades of green. If you can also make it ‘green’ in the figurative sense, even better!

An Elizabethan sweetbag with goldwork

Challenge 4 - local

Support your local industry and your local history by making something that (as much as possible) uses materials made locally, or purchased from local suppliers, or that features a garment specific to your part of the world.

An 1890's blouse

Challenge 5 - basic

Make a garment that can be used for many occasions (like a shift, or the classic ‘Regency white dress’), or a simple accessory that will help you stretch the use of an already existing garment.

The basic item for any 1920´s wardrobe is a one-hour-dress

Challenge 6 - it's only natural

Make something inspired by nature, or use natural fibres and materials in a way that stretches your usual practice (e.g. natural dyeing, using cane instead of plastic whalebone for corsets/stays etc.). Or challenge yourself and do both!

 

An ealry 16th century wulsthaube, stuffed with wool

 Challenge 7 - no buy

Make something without buying anything. Whether it’s finishing off a UFO, using up scraps of fabric from earlier challenges in the year, sewing entirely from stash, or finding the perfect project for those small balls of yarn, this is your opportunity to get creative without acquiring more stuff.

Edwardian underwear

Challenge 8 - Celebration

Make something for a specific historical celebration, make something generally celebration worthy, make something that celebrates a historical hero, or just make something that celebrates some new skills you’ve learned.

The 1520 court gown

Challenge 9 - sewing secret

Hide something in your sewing, whether it is an almost invisible mend, a make-do or unexpected material, a secret pocket, a false fastening or front, or a concealed message (such as a political or moral allegiance).

The 1916 skirt

Challenge 10 - get crafty

Make use of your own skills or learn a new one to make something from scratch rather than buy material. The possibilities for learning and applying new skills and techniques are endless. Lace, pleated self-fabric trim, knotted fly trim, embroidery, dyeing, knitting your own corset laces, hand painting your own fabric…

Medieval cloth buttons

Challenge 11 - go green glow up

Be environmentally friendly and celebrate how your making skills have ‘glowed-up’ as you’ve used and practiced them by taking apart an early make of yours that no-longer represents your making skills, and re-making it so you’d be proud to use it. It can be as elaborate as a total re-make, or as simple as getting the ribbons or buttons you didn’t have time to source at first. You could even take something from a challenge made earlier in the year, and fix the tiny things you weren’t totally happy with.

 

The updated late 1520's shift

Challenge 12 - community 

 It is the season of giving. Create an item that honours or supports the communities around you, whether Real Life or online

A fur-lined cape

 And here are what I thought about some of the projects.

Most surprising project - I never thought that I would make anything 1920's.

Hardest challenge - Local. I had to go to the only fairly local fabric store and do several rounds around it before I found a fabric that I could use. When I had the fabric I could decide on the project. It's a great fabric store if you want jersey fabrics or new curtains, not so much for historical sewing.

The challenge I learnt the most from - It's only natural. It was fascinating to go all the way from a bag of raw an dirty wool to a finished wulsthaube.

The cheat - I still think my challenge 2 entry was a stretch. In hindsight I would have put my petticoat from the no-buy challenge there instead.

The thing I would never have done without the HSM - I would probably not have updated the 1520s shift, instead I would have stopped using it and made a totally new one instead.