Saturday, March 23, 2024

Winter Carnival

 This has been on the making... for about two years. At least, according Facebook and Instagram, I've started to knit this in november 2021, and got as far as most of the body (after divinding the body and sleeves), then who knows why, most probably because of the New Year's Good Luck Sweater I've put it aside, and didn't pick it up... until last fall..

(I was not angry... we shoot the pictures in Gödöllő after a day long event... I was tired, not angry or anything)

Originally, I started it as a stash-busting project, to make use at least some small part of my gigantic sock-yarn collection. I remember, starting out according to the pattern (DROPS, what else?), and then (especially after dividing the sleeves) kind of going after my own head, picking up colors and patterns as I felt right. 

When I picked it up again, last fall, I needed to figure out where I was (which was no small feat), then finish the bodice. Picking up and knitting the sleeves were easier, as I only had to follow what I was doing on the body (at least color- and pattern-wise), and add my usual wide cuffs. 

As usual, I can only say good things about the DROPS pattern, it is pretty straightforward, and my changes are for my own preferences, like adding some decrease for a more pronounced waistline, and adding more increases (evenly around the round) for giving space for my hips. 




Pattern: DROPS Winter Carnival
Yarn: Mostly DROPS Fabel
Needles: Knit Pro 2,5 mm 3 mm and 3,25 mm

Photos: Norbert Varga @Bodeszphoto


Thursday, March 21, 2024

Fluffy, white underthingies...

 Because that is what I've sewn in the last couple of weeks... and not even for myself. 

Since they were made more like work, I was trying to keep track of time, thus didn't really made photoes while making them (except for one short video-clip, but you will see that, somewhere below.

If you ever talked to me about historical clothes, you already know that I am a firm believer of the underwear matters principle. And while I do make concessions sometimes. Even though I have knitted quite a number of historical stockings, I do wear modern cotton knee high sockings for most events, sometimes I wear a modern tank top under my corsets, but from the very first time I paid attention to underwear (too). 

This time I was asked to make a set to wear under an 1870-ies dress, so...

A chemise was made, from the combination of a plain cotton, and embroidered batist.

Decorated with a bit of lace, a blue ribbon, and pintucks. (I absolutely adore pintucks, and totally do not mind doing them).
Then open crotch drawers:
Since it is a sett, the same fabric-combination, same lace and ribbon, and similar pintucks.

Then the bustle, a grand bustle very similar to mine:
This is the same fabric-combo, plain cotton, somewhat stonger and thicker than the one I used for the chemise and the drawers, but the same embroidered batist for the ruffles.
Finally, petticoat to cover the bustle:

Pintucks galore:
Then I turned about to a period of 20-25 years earlier, as I was asked to do a corded petticoat and a ruffled petticoat to wear under an existing early victorian dress.
When was it, when I said, that ever since I do historical clothes I do at least one (sometimes more) corded petticoat? This year was no different either.
Yippie, an actual photo of making the thing...
And on its new owner.
Last, but not least, a really fluffy, ruffled petticoat to give even more volume to that dress.
And here is me, hemming all those miles and miles of ruffles...

As much as I love white as a color (even though it is not actually a color, but let's not get into that theory), also love it in clothes, by the timeI finished with everything, I was really, really wishing for something else. Black, maybe? 




Friday, February 16, 2024

Love at first sight - Love in a mist

Remember, when a few posts ago I showed you the pile of handknits I've done, and wanted to show you? The time has come, and here is the first one of those. 

Whatever the title says, this was a long process... 

And as almost always, has a bit of a story. Years ago, I found a little more than three skeins of turqoise sock-yarn - some unknown brand- in a second hand store. Its color was a bit boring. 


No, I take that back, as we all know, there is no such a thing as a "boring turqoise", but I always felt it could be made a bit more interesting, so at one of my dyeing days, I dunked it into some dye. the plan was to make it semi-solid, but it became more contrasted than my original plan was, however, I absolutely LOVED it. 


So much that I was searching for the PERFECT pattern to use it. I knew that the 3 skein was too little to make a sweater on its own. At the same time, it was way to much to use as a contrast color for a sweater that has patterning on its yoke. 



I did try to make it into a striped cardigan with some pearl-gray DROPS Flora. Though I loved how the two yarns worked together, still I thought I have knitted a number of striped cardigans in the last few years, for now I wanted something else. So the yarn was languising in a bag, along with the Flora. For years. I did came across a few really lovely fair isle yoke sweaters, but I wanted something that has more patterning. At the same time, I wanted a pattern which has fine, almost filigree lines.

Is it only me, that as I grew older, my taste grews more peculiar? I like less and less things, and I am more and more decisive -at least with certain things- about what I like and what I do not like. Sweaters with stranded patterns are a premium example of this. 

So, it was a surpise when I first saw Elenor Mortensen's Love in a Mist pattern, how it hit me. It had all the right things. The drawing was very fine, I loved the lines, I loved the filigree (and still not the christmas-y/starry) motif. The patten didn't only went on the shoulders, the yoke, but run way down on the body and the sleeves. 

So I threw away everything else I was working on (including those stockings that should have been finished weeks ago). 

As usual, I could only follow the instructions until the sleeves and the body were separated. Which already was done at a slightly different place. Then, as I always do, added waist shaping, decreases and then at a bit more agressive increases for the hip area. I made the sweater longer,  and while I was at it, I added one repeat of the main pattern. The sleeves got those long ribbed cuffs I love so much that they are kind of my trademarks. 


While I was knitting the pattern I was absolutely enchanted, how the variation of the handdyed yarn's color popped up and worked with the pattern's lines. 

And it goes perfectly with the petrol colored trousers, I made... now, you see, why I needed this particular color, don't you?

Modelled photos, of course by @Bodeszphoto

Pattern: Love in a Mist by Eleneor Mortensen

Yarn: gray: DROPS Flora from Garnstudio, Petrol: handdyed sockyarn


Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Modern turqoise

Now, that I've kinda got over the adrenalin rush (umm, dare I say "succes"???)  of the blue polka dot dress, and that Budapets 150th event, let's get back to... what? Some stuff that I've been meaning to post about for months now.

I wanted to sew modern, "civilian" stuff (that is not-historical) clothes for a while now. 

I used to sew clothes for everyday use a lot, then I knitted a lot more than I sew, and I missed it. 

I started to sew again seriously in 2016, but historical clothes this time, and those enchanted me so much, I did not really had time and energy for much else, but the thought of it would not leave me alone.


Back in the early 2010's, when I was going to the Uni. I had a couple pairs of soft, bubble legged baby-corduroy pants, their style was fun, they were very comfortable, I loved dearly. I used them, until they were threadbare, and I was sorry becase I could not find any replacement for them. That soft, baby corduroy fabric came back into fashion with a venegance last year. I bought some dresses, but though I did looked, no pants in those stores. So I thought, high time for me to try and make some. 

I took out one old pair, that I kept, even though it was threadbare, and way to small these days. but I loved its styling, and started to try and copy and enlarge its the pattern. Then I added a few ideas, I had for a kind of boho, wide, or rather bubble legged pants, like having folds end up at the edge of the pocket, so the pants does not have much ease at the waist, but from the hip it gets agressively wider. Then I thought, I should make a mock up.

Mock ups are the alfas and omegas of historical dressmaking, those dresses of the past were fitted to the hell and back,but such a thing like "useable mock-ups do exist. They are trial pieces, that are made from fabrics that , would the piece turn out okay, could be used, but should it turn out bad, we don't mind the wasted material too much. 

I happen to have quite a few meters of purple cordury (don't ask), and there was one piece that has dark rust colored wrong side.. the fabric -of course- came from I love Textil, it was cheap, but I still don't know what was I thinking. Anyhow, it was perfect for a trial piece. 

Which turned out not bad, but there was space for improvements. It was just a bit short (though that length is still okay for lober boots), and the back inseam's arch looked off. I mean a nice big crease, but if I use a longer sweater, like this Newleaf sweater, the trouble is hidden.

I did changed the length of the legs, and the arch of the inseam, and then looked around for the final fabric. As you know all well, I love colors, and I have a bit of petrol color phase (it started a couple of years ago, before it became real fashion, but I do not mind.).
I have a dress in a color I love, and I also had a piece of corduroy, that was in a bland, grayish blue color, rather boring.... now you know what is coming, right? 
I knew exactly what color I wanted, because I have this piece of linen, I bought last year...
I also had this dress (above that linen), just about the same color.... And I was wondering if I can come up with a petrol that is similar, and seee... I think I was succesful matching. 
Unfortunately, once again, I do not have pictures of the sewing process, but here is the finished pair.

I never really liked zippers... Now, I can sew them in to a skirt, into the opening of a pair of trousers, I can even deal with invisible zippers, still I do not like them. It started with the feeling that they do not go with knitted stuff (handknit sweaters and zippers, just a big NO for me), then it went further with the fact that historical clothes do not use zippers, and they work just fine. 
I always loved buttoned jeans, so I used colorful buttons on these. 
Now I think this is a good base for an everyday boho/lagenlook mixed with handknits style, and I can tweak it if I want, putting different pockets on, more pockets (BUT definetly no less), hidden buttonbands, maybe put the folds giving its width somewhere else, maybe use light, soft jeans with contrasting yarn, so I have a ton of ideas, but in my next post I will show you, just why do I wanted exactly this color. 
See you then. 
Photos, of course, by Norbert Varga @Bodeszphoto
The kolibri T shirt is from Virág Lovizer @ Virágnak Világa.



Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Under and over

 In my last post I promised to show, what I have under and over my blue and silver polka dot dress, so here we are. We all know that accessories, and understructure can make of break a historical outfit, so it is all worth to think them through.

I did mention in my procrastinating post that I made two different bustle... 
Actually I made three, as my friend, Anna wanted one, and I was like, making one would be just as difficult or easy as making two, so we started with hers.
It was a lobster tail, from the Truly Victorian pattern. 

Then, since my dress is an early 1870-ies dress, when bustles were still trnasitioning from the round hoop-skirts, and then the oval shaper crinolins, so they were still round-ish, though the emphasis were on the back. Besides, I am talking with someone about a comission for a set of underwear for the early bustle period, I was like, why not try the grand bustle, then I will have the pattern, the knowledge, the experience, and the choice, so I can decide what to wear under a certain dress. 

The pattern also came from the Truly Victorian company, there is two things I might note: one that a smaller one might have been enough, not for the back, that is fine, but I had to gather the front of the skirt lightly. The other, that if I used the pattern as it was, the back was to rounded, or two flat, I am not sure which is the right expression. Anyhow, I took out some bits from the inner insert (that actually holds the shape of the back). Now, I might have taken ot too much, thus the back is more pronounced, more shelf, like, so next time I would probably go for some middle route. However, I love all those ruffles, even though they did took a ton of fabric (I used some embroidered white cotton, I Love Textile has in their shop these days. ).
Then I became a bit unsure (besides I was on high levele procrastination mode, so I did a lobster tail for myself too.
Just for the fun of it... and because I could not decide which shape would fit my dress better, and I kinda thought that this dress would not be my last bustle dress, I do have fabric for others (inluding some 1880-ies stuff), and also, because I could procrastinate doing the actual dress, while working on it.

Then, the bustle shape also needed a new petticoat, and you know I love fun fabrics peeking out, an di had the choice either to make it from the white, embroidered fabric, or the blue stripy one... For this time, I chose the blue stripy one, because... just because I loved it and it went well with the blue dress anyway.
 
This is the petticoat on my dressmaker dummie with the lobster tail bustle. Also used Truly Victorian pattern for it, but next time I will have to be more careful, as I started with more pintucks as the original said, and I still had to add two extra, because it was so long. 

At the end, I did decide to wear the grand bustle and the stripy petticoat, and even though I do have an 1860-ies corset-cover, the edwardian I just made fitted so much better with the neckline of the polka-dot bodice. 

So basically what is underneath? A chemise, a split drawer, stockings, shoes, corset (yes, in that order!), bustle, petticoat, and a corsetcover. 

And what is over the dress? Meaning, what accessories I used? 
First of all, I needed HAIR. My own hair is rather deceivingly dissapointing, as it looks okay, like fairly long, and rather white, but I have precious little of it. Using hairpieces are also a careful balancing act, as every gray umm, silver hair is totally unique, and not only most of the hair-piece makers largely ignore the fact that silver haired women might want to add to what is already on their head,  the rare silver hairpieces that are out there, very difficult to match. I have a bunch of them, that are just a bit off, not quite right, or okay under a hairnet, etc. Also, since I have very little hair on my head, and what is there is very sensitive, even if I do find hairpieces in the proper color, they are very difficult to attach, as 1). I don't have enough to attach too, 2) I do not have enough to hide the place they are attached. 

In this case I had a lucky stroke, as in one of those asian type of stores, that have everything from underwear through food to showerheads, they also had a few hairpieces, and one, that you can click around an existing ponytale had just the right color. 
And I could click it around to the ponytail I can make from my own hair, so attaching it was easier too.
Now, I only needed to make ringlets from it. To do that I rolled up around some old foam hairrollers, that passed their prime, so I wanted to cull anyway. 
Dipped the whole thing in boiling hot water, leaving it long enough so the hot water truly penetrated it, and then left it until it was absolutely, totally bonedry. 
Then I only had to add a braid, I already had, and my 1870-ies hairstyle was done.

There was two things left, a hat and a handbag. I do have two antique handbag, but since tas pretty as they are, both of them are really old, they are starting to fall apart, and I wanted to keep them, and not abuse them any longer, so the last night before the event, as an attemp to win the who does the craziest thing the last night I decided to make one. I wanted to give ribbon embroidery a try, but I failed at the first stitch, I resorted to some soutache, I already knew I can make. This was the first bag (that is attached to a wire frame) I made and I know, there is room for improvement, but now, that I tried it, I know this is not the last one.

As for the hat, I had tiny small hat I bought off E-bay a couple of years ago (after I looked it for years, thinking that once we are doing bustle period, they will be good.) I was thinking about doing a wire and buckram hat, but run out of time, and this small base hat was my safety net. 
 
I added ribbon, some blue flowers, and a couple of blue feathers.
I wore it at the top of my head, and secured with hairpins.
I used an old pair crocheted glove I had, and that is it. Depending on the event, a parasol and/or a fan could be added (and I had them with me at the event), but at the minute just before I went out, I decided, that they would be too much, and would not add to the caratcter, but would hiner my performance if I have to pay attentin to them too, so they were left in the dressing room. 
(the first two and the last picture was shot by Norbert Varga @Bodeszphoto
other pictures are from my phone.)