Once again, I plan on doing at least some of the Historical Sew Fortnightly. We'll see how many I actually end up doing - and how many times I change my mind on what project I do for each!
- #1: Make Do & Mend – due Wed 15 Jan. I have no idea what I'm doing for this one. Maybe the embroidered and lace chemise I've been planning forever?
- #2: Innovation - due Sat 1 Feb. One of the greatest inventions for anything fiber in the late 15th/early 16th C is something we hardly ever think about anymore - the flyer on a spinning wheel. Probably invented around the 1470's, the flyer made it so you didn't have to stop cranking the wheel, wind the string/thread/yarn around the bobbin and then pick up the roving again. This way, you just held the roving with one hand, hand cranked the spinning wheel with the other, and the yarn wrapped itself around the bobbin. It saved a lot of time - and the yarn didn't get so crinkly and knotted either. Treadles didn't come until around the 1630's for spinning wheels. Still, the quicker you can make the yarn for the fabric, the quicker you can make fabric. This included at home- which may be part of the reason we see such a range in clothing and the start of fashion crazes around this time - fiber was getting easier to make. For this, I'm debating about two different pieces. I could do one of my favorite but simple embroidered jackets or I could go peasant. I'm leaning towards the latter but we'll see how much time I have.
- #3: Pink - due Sat 15 Feb. Easy - Pink 1790's dress for the ball.
- #4: Under it All – due Sat 1 March. No idea. Maybe go crazy and make a 1650's pair of stays?
- #5: Bodice - Due March 15 Probably a doublet.
- #6: Fairy Tale - Due April 1 I'm super excited for this one because I know exactly what I want to do. Not telling but it will be yellow with a touch of pink and very, very 16th c German.