Historical Sew Monthly – 2023

Pattern for a French Edwardian-era skirt

Jupe Courtisane skirt pattern

It’s been many years since I started participating in the Historical Sew Monthly projects, and as years have gone on, I’ve been able to participate less and less. For 2022, I only completed ONE of the twelve suggested themes, though given my mood, budget, Covid, and lack of participation in my local reenactment group (largely due to Covid, amoung other factors) I wasn’t really surprised to do so little towards the challenges.

However, each year I DO find the themes inspiring, so once again I’m making my “wish list” post, for the challenges for 2023.

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October 2022 trip to Marshall’s Fabrics in Edmonton

Trim at Marshall's in Edmonton, October 2022

Trim at Marshall’s in Edmonton, October 2022

I was up in Edmonton (well, Nisku) in October for a conference and thanks to some very generous folks who drove me up – and were willing to take a 20 minute detour – I was able to pop into Marshall’s after a LONG time since I was there last.

The last time I was up there was in the spring, but since I’d be walking around by myself afterwards, I only got a little bit of elastic when I was there, and not the meters of fabric I was tempted to get… prior to that I hadn’t been there since pre-covid I think.

I find it fun (ish) to look back at my “shopping” posts when I actually USE the fabric I bought (to see how long I stored it… LOL) so I figured I’d do a quick shopping post this time around too.

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Grandmother’s sale haul 2022

2022 Grandmother's Fabric Sale Shopping Haul

2022 Grandmother’s Fabric Sale Shopping Haul

The 2020 Ujamaa Grandma’s Fabric & Yarn sale was cancelled due to Covid, and while there was a 2021 version, I didn’t hear about it, and didn’t go. (Apparently it was quite small.) However, this year my housemate did a bunch of clearing out of her fabric and we both went through a bunch of our craft supplies and dropped off a bunch of donations a few days before the sale, which ran April 29-May 1. Continue reading

TARDIS painting apron

TARDIS apron - a gift for my mum

TARDIS apron – a gift for my mum

All the way back in September 2016 I posted about some TARDIS-print fabric I’d picked up to make something for my mum. Well…. it sat folded up for a while. Then it got cut out. Then it got partially sewn up.

Finally… in the first few weeks of 2022, I finally FINISHED it.

Wow, that’s a journey.

I only got a small amount of this fabric, because it was really expensive for fabric from Marshall’s… (probably because it’s a licensed print…) though I’ve been back a few times since and they haven’t had it anymore, so I guess it sold well!  I think I might have originally been planning on making a tote bag for her art supplies – but then she made one of her own, so that plan was scrapped.

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So apparently I can sew shoes…

Finished heels with a lengthened strap

Finished heels with a lengthened strap

Hopefully that title didn’t make you think I’d made a pair of Viking shoes (totally on my wish-list). No, instead I spent part of my birthday (after needing to take time off work because of a confirmed Covid exposure and waiting for a PCR test..) hitting my UFO pile, including FOUR pairs of shoes I wanted to try to alter.

If you follow me on Instagram, you already got a sneak-peek of this project, but now that I’m done and photographs have been taken, I can share the project!

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