HSF 2014: Thoughts and Plans

I really want to be more organized and focused with Historical Sew Fortnightly this year. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'm going to make it to Costume College this summer so I've decided to focus most of my costuming efforts on Elizabethan things I can wear to the Ohio Renaissance Festival.

I really want to focus on a wardrobe of pieces that I can mix and match to form different looks for different days with different weather conditions. Here in the great state of Ohio, it can range from 90F to 50F for the high during the Renaissance Festival so I really do need a bit of everything!

As I've already posted about before, my court dress needs some work. I've actually finished the new bodice for Challenge #1 but I'm a bad blogger and haven't got pictures of it yet. (I blame the bad weather.) It's going to need new trim but I'm going to save that for another challenge.

The Ren Faire Prep Check List:

1. Retrim Court dress

2. Remove lacing rings from red peasant kirtle and do eyelets instead

3. New shift

I have two shifts, both cotton and neither of which fit well. I'd love one with a ruff and cuffs (and maybe blackwork.

3. Aprons

Ideally, I'd like two-a more basic one for my peasant ensemble and a blackwork one for my middle class impression.

4. More black work projects

I'm thinking an embroidered coif and partlet set would be fabulous.

5. Linen jacket

I'm quite in love with the linen waistcoat from the Tudor Tailor. Lauren of American Duchess made the jacket on the right which I am quite in love with.

6. A fitted English gown

Also in the Tudor Tailor. I'd really love to do one of these in velvet, but I'll probably end up doing a wool one first and do a velvet one once I've had more practice. Lots of people do black ones but I've seen some more fun colored ones in period sources so I think I might go that route.

7. More kirtles

Now that I've "cracked the code" so to speak on kirtles, I want to make more! I have a few yards of wool in my stash that I originally bought to make a suit with but I'm not sure it's really the best fabric for the original pattern. It may end up as a pretty kirtle instead.

8. Gold Bullion Embroidery Muff

I started this last year at Costume College and actually got pretty far on the embroidery before I ran out of one of the threads and it ended up back in the UFO pile. Really want to finish this one up

I'm sure I'll also throw in plenty of 40s projects too. Actually, the next two challenges are going to be early 40s. But these are easier and need less planning.