Weekly SO

I hate the changes of the clock between summer and winter times.

I never really understood how it is possible to save electricity with it, and as I read, lately it does not even do that, because our lives and the way we use electricity changed so much.

Being the owl type, the one who can hardly function in the mornings, while I hate dark, and the fact that , especially because of this change, it gets so dark so early in winter time, so, if we would ever have the chance to say which time-zone should we stay in, I would definetly vote for the summer (saving) time.

Pink stays

New stays to go with the new dress... and my new sizes. 

The thing is, I made one, when I started this project, and did sized down the last pattern I worked out earlier...

But when I finished it, it was just a tiny bit big. I mean, what I usually say, when I talk about stays and corsets, that sizing down the waist is not their main task. This one was just the size which already gave me the typical 18th century conical silhuett, but did not pull anything in...

So, when the last evening I had a couple of hours left, I thought, what the heck, let's do one that is properly sized...

Rococo, the second time... The Aidah Gown (again)

 At least second time in this year, because rococo is one of my favorite eras (alongside the renaissance), and this is not the second rococo outfit (that was my petrol colored Aidah gown) I made, but it is the second I am showing you... this year. 

And -as most of my stuff- has a story. Back, in 2023, when I applied to be a tester for the Aidah gown, I had their view B in mind, because I was in love with this gown...

The dress is in the MET museum, pictures from Pinterest.

So much so, I had a length of pink and white striped cotton sateen in my stash, for just this dress.

However, it turned out that I either messed up the application, or there were way to many people wanting to do that view, I was chosen to do the one that had the tabs, but without the diagonal cutline on the bodice. I did run out and gotten another fabric, and the result was fab, and looking pretty much like an existing dress, so I did not mind. Here is my blogpost on that dress.

But, I did that at the point when I was almost at my highest weight, and just at the time I started to loose weight. first very slowly, but just enough that by that late spring/early summer the dress was way too big on me, which ended up in some emergency sewing of an other 18th century jacket.

Then, I made my black, "Maria Theresa" francaise gown, and I love it. Not only do i love it, but it is in the style that works well for changing body measurements, its lining can be pulled in with its lacing, and also the "robing" can be pinned in or out on the stomacher a bit more to accomondate for lost (or gained) weight. 

However, one of the biggest event we do in 18th century is the "Baroque wedding" in Győr, wich is in early August, and that means we are out in pretty high temperatures, in blazing sunshine, on teh city's central square that has white, sun reflecting stones... In one word it is HOT there. Which is not going well together with a black taffeta gown. So much last year there was a moment, when I thought I am going to faint from a heatstroke, and at that moment I decised, that there is no way I am going there in that dress again. And since I lost even more weight this summer, I thought, it is high time I actually make that pink striped gown, I've put aside years ago.

I dug out my Aidah pattern (I still have the original test-version), but I only printed out the pages that had the lines for the bodice. 

Of course, I made a mock up, but time was thight and I only did a couple of photos while making it.

As usual, the inner, long seams were done with the machine, but most everything else, by hand... like the tiny stitching of the "zone front".

Pinning the knife pleats for the back, was yet again a feat (done it three times when I finally managed to get the pleats just right...)

Since the fabric came from that I Love Textile chain that sells factory rejects, leftovers and who-knows what, and this fabric was really not expensive, no wonder, it had parts where the printing had faults, though I thought, I had enough to get around those areas, and still have enough for a petticoat... The only thing I did not accounted for, was the fact that the pettocoat supposed to have a wide ruffle at the bottom. I also thought If not the original, wider stripe, but the narrower stripes  I had enough to do the ruffles, but nah, that was only enough for some decorative ruffles. 

I really had to carefully calculate the width of those ruffles to get them working, and since because of that once again instead of a reconstruction piece I ended up with one that was more "inspired by", I went all out of the decorative ruffles, using the bit of light, pinkish purple linen I had in my stash, and some silk ribbon.

And here is the finished piece:

If one really wants to compare it to the one, it was inspired by:

And at the end of the day, during the procession around the city.

Pattern: Aidah gown by Scroop Patterns

Fabric: I Love Textil

Photo: Norbert Varga @Bodeszphoto

Some planet..

must be in some house...

I used to have a friend, who did astrology, who had the surefire answer for everything "You shouldn't be surprised, XX planet is in YYY house...".

Well, I have no idea which planet in which house causes technical problems, but first my much and more loved laptop (named Charlie, and you can find in this blog, how I bought it from the 200 FT coins I collected for years), which was almost exclusively used for my work... kicked the bucket, taking with hm many docmunets, the memories of 12 years of work and 12 years worth of translation memory... and the fact that Charlie was mine, I collected the money for it, I bought it, I had the shop put double RAM into it, I worked with it for 12 years. Yes, he was kinda oldie, he was kinda slow too, but still...

Luckily I got loaned another lapto that is okay for work, and Chris managed to save the most important data (big part of the translation memory and most of the old work-docs), so I did not had to start from ground zero... but still lost several days because of it (among other things.

And then today my phone decided, that will not share the pictures I  took with my computer, so I cannot show you the miles and miles of frothy white ruffles I am sewing. 

Okay, I know it is nothing new, you've seen me doing that...But that is what I have now.

Anyhow, here is to hope that things get back in order, and I can come with normal posts...

Na mindegy, remélem hamarosan rendeződnek a dolgok, és jöhetek rendes bejegyzésekkel... 

Weekly SO

 The thing I hate about fast fashion... aside the obvious environmental reasons, and the fact that it contributes of clothes and clothmakers not being dealt with respect is...

Its speed, and how with that speed it tries to push you spend money...like NOW. Right now, because if you go home and think about it, and you still want it a day or two later... you might... no, not might, you WILL NOT find it. 

I noticed this trend, and how fast merchandise changes in stores a few years ago, thinking that, in the "old times" if I could not afford something at that moment, I could spend... not only a couple of weeks, but even a couple of months to save up for it (a sweater, a coat, a pair of pants, etc), and now (I mean a couple of years ago), if I saw something I could not afford (or did not want to spend on at that time), I cannot find things a couple of weeks later.

By now this speed up so much, that in the last few months it happened more than once, that I've seen something, tried on something, and I needed to think it through, but by the time I went back a day or two later, said thing was not there.

The last case was a pair of denim trousers in Zara. I recently lost weight (more on that in later posts), and I need new stuff that would not fall of my butt, besides, I am really liking the current trend of looser, wide legged pants. Now there was the perfect pair, in a dark unwashed denim, in a size that a couple of size smaller than the one I wore a year ago, fitting like a glove, having a form fitting waist and hip line, but an added fold just below the packets, so the legs are soft flowing and wide. However, it cost about a third more than I usually spend on denim trousers, so I thought, I will sleep on it.

I went back a day or two later, and thee were none of it in the store. None. Not on the website (that had it, when I first tried it on) and not in any Zara store I've been since (Budapest, Prague, Bratislava, Wien)...

Yes, I usually have the thought about stuff, that I am unsure about at the first moment and leave in the store, that if it is not there when I go back for it, it was not "my" stuff. And I can usually let go of said stuff. With a very few exception, when it takes me longer.

Now, I do know that fashion changes a LOT faster these days, and these fast fashion stores are behind that, also, that with these really fast changes they are pushing you to buy-buy-buy, and buy NOW. they are not giving you time to think through your purchases. Just buy it before it is too late. 

And I do resent that.

The Flappy TV-Stealer

 Aaand actual sewing content :-)

As I said, I spent the first half of the year in a rut, wanting to sew, trying to sew, but never really getting much of it actually done...

And the push that helped me to get out of the rut was my friend, Anna, who asked for my help, to put together an 18th century Francaise gown, to do a "historically accurate Belle" cosplay. 

This is the type f dress, which, when I need to narrow down to Norbert just which style of dress I am talking about, I endearingly call "The Flappy TV stealer" referencing the meme (and the flappy back, for zhose big cape like folds, these dresses are known for):

You might remember, I made a dress in this style already, two years ago, when I made my Maria Theresa gown, so I was familiar with its construction. Reading blogs, and watching youtube videos, I feel that the generally thought 18th century clothes are the most difficult of the historical clothes, but I do not think so. Nor the stays are more difficult to make than an 19th century corset, nor the gowns. They do have their own peculiarities, they are diffucult in a different way, but not more.

Unfortunately, (as usual) I forgot to take pictures of the cutting and sewing process, but here are a few, in-between state, as Anna tried on the dress.

Since the yellow taffeta she bought was rather thin, we decided to line the whole thing, with the flatlining method, spending hours and hourst to tacking the layers together (you can see all the big stitches.

We made most of the gown together, which -also as usual- incolved a ton of handsewing:

but it was in a wearable state Anna wanted to wear it for. 

I got these pictures from her from the finished dress:

Having someone here for the cutting and sewing (for most of the time at least), and not having to do all the decisions myself did help, and I did enjoy the work. 

Weekly SO

 As in Strong Opinion (because some of you said, you like this "column").

We could call them pet peeves, or something similar, because these things that are bug me, or just simply have a strong opinion of (not even always bad opinion, though I do write about those more).

Like the thing called "dinamic pricing" on concert (or other event-) tickets. 

Of course I understand the the principle of demand and supply.

I understand that not all tickets are the same, like why those in the first few rows cost more than those at the back.

I also understand the "early bird discount" conception. 

Even though I do understand all these, I still do not like the principle of having the price of a ticket based on the fact, how many people are standing in line for them. 

Pécs

 I almost titled this "Restart", but that would be just another way of saying "I am coming back", exactly, which I said... a month ago. 

Of course I had the excuse of an extremely busy september (and then October isn't looking much better either), but the intention is there, though it is so hard to start, to decide what to start with.

If I do it time-wise, should I do it from the oldest thing toward today, or from the newest thing backward, or totally randomly? 

Since I have an awful headache, and can't even think properly, at the moment, let's do the simplest thing, the thing I have fresh memory of, something from this weekend :-)

However, to do that, I have to go back a couple of years, when in one of the reenactor groups a friend was looking for someone to sew Napoleonic / Regency clothes for a museum. Someone suggested me to him, he contacted me, and then he "introduced" me to Ildi, who is leading the museum-pedagogia in her museum in Pécs (which is a little more than 2,5 hours drive from Budapest. As we were talking, it became clear that they were not looking for Napoleonic, but early victorian (which is the "age of reform" for us), but hey, I can do that too. All through the project we became friends, I made the whole set of early victorian dress (from the undershirt, through the corset to the dress), and later that year, they asked for the male clothing items (shirt, waistcoat, pants. They did have a jacket, that was not my work). I never really wrote about them, they only appeared in the reel summarising my sewing for 2023. 

Fast forward to this fall, when the theme for this year's Fall Festival of Museums turned out to be "fashion and fashion history", and I saw from a Facebook event that the Museum of Pécs is planning a "Fashion of thousand year" event, including a fashion show, and I got curious. I wrote a message to Ildi, asking for more info, and thinking that since I do not have any hard engagement, event, etc for that day, I might even go down and see it. She called me back promptly and as our talk turned this way and that, she mentioned, how much they learned from me, when I took the finished dress, helped to put it on the manequein, and told about each piece, their history, use and such. Then and at a certain point, she asked, if I am planning to go, would I be willing to be a part of the event.

Oh, sure, I would. 

I was happy to talk about fashion, and especially about stays and corsets, their use, their functions (of which making one's waist thinner is the very last in the list).

Then it was such a joy to see the clothes I made years ago being used, and being used as intended, to tell people about history. Also to see that those clothes I made are valued, and carefully taken care of.

And, to top the afternoon, it was a joy to appear at the end of the fashion show as Maria Theresa (from whom the city received a free royal city status), and then talk about her for the people in the guided tours in the exhibition.

And, of course I had to grab a picture with the young people wearing those clothes. 

I am thankful for the friendship with Ildiko Toldi Hoffmanné, the invitation.

This was exactly the type of day/event I thought up making a Maria Theresa character, and sewn that black dress. It was good to finally prove to myself, that it can work this way.

Also, thankful for my son, Chris's help. Norbert was working, he could not take me there, but my boy stepped up, drove me there, took the pictures, and helped me. I keep wondering how, and when did he became such a lovely, responsible and helpful adult. 

This year of 2025 is not my best one, and I am glad for moments like this.

Weekend program

 I promised a post about our weekend programs, and here we go, though this is more for those who are in or near to Budapest:

There was a great glass artist, Miksa Róth (1865-1944), and there is a museum in the house where he lived and his workshop was. 

We are regular ghosts there, we already did two different programs, both of them on three dates (and two or three performance on each of those), and we are working on the third, which will be a city walk around that area, on Saturday at 11 AM and 2 PM. 

The event is HERE

A breath of air

 That is what I am coming up for...

September was crazy-busy, and it is not over yet. 

Yes, I know, most of it I did it to myself (to ourselves), things we did not really thought through, and some of it could have been expected, though not to the amount it finally ended up hounting me.

So lets just recount.

We had been at international events. One was Italy, Palmanova, one of our favorite, the other one was Pozsony (Bratislava), which is new for us, but since it was only for one day, and it is also rather close, we said what the heck. But then came Prague, which we originally declined, partly because there was supposed to be another one here in Budapest, which got cancelled, so we said okay, Prague is not the end of the world, we love Prague, and besides, it is always good to make contacts... (There will be separate posts with pictures about all these events, a bit later).

However, all that resulted us not being home 15 days of the month, and adding to that a family thing I am dealing with (which I am not ready to talk about here just yet, though if we are friends in real life, you probably know), and which takes me out of the city one day a week. 

Now, add to this that my work is always busy in August and September, as DROPS comes out of their fall/winter catalogues this time, but the rate they are uploading the patterns is much (MUCH) faster than usual, I already worked more than twice as much, as usual, and gotten done more work in this month, than I ever did for a month (and I did have some months I worked a lot in the years). 

And I had to also prepare for a new program we are developing, and write offers for two museums, which all took reserach, thoughts, and work... (I am coming with some program suggestion on Thursday). 

So all of that meant that whenever I was home (and not sleeping), I was sitting at my computer, working, thus all my best plans and intentions to start blogging again when out of the window. 

(The butterfly aircraft is on the wall of a mall in Prague)

Even though I have several topic, posts, even series/column I want to do, but those plans are not cancelled, only postponed.

And no, I am not complaining, I love life, when it things are happening. Just saying. 

Weekly SO

I decided to keep this Weekly Strong Opinion "column".

Since opinions, I have. Often strong ones.

Like, when a couple of days ago, I was sitting at my laptop, working and looked up, thinking...

F..ck, it hardly passed 7 PM, and already DARK outside. 

Which reminded me, I am definetly not one of those, who wait for fall all summer... and just how much I hate winter, and I am not okay with fall either. 

All right, it has its beauty sometimes, the fall fruits, the colors, but I do not like the cold or the dark. 

But then again, I am so glad, that september 1st is just a date for me, does not means the end or the start of anything, not really even the end of summer, or start of shcool, especially since they are over for Chris too, start of schoolyear only means one thing: I need to avoid stores that sells shcool-supplies for a few days. 

Confession

 First of all, I have a confession to make. 

Actually I did mention this, in march, when I made my blue cloak, hoping that things will change, but they did not. And this was one of the reasons, I didn't feel much like blogging, because this is a craft blog, and what is a craft blog, without crafts?

So what was it?

I just could not sew. Yes, I had ideas, I had plans, in fact I had needs for new clothes, I had patterns, I had fabrics, but I just could not. I tried to find the reason for it, and though I did had some ideas, some excuses, I could not get to the root of the problem. Then I tried to bridge the problem, but I could not. 

I was sitting here, staring to my screen, thinking oh, I should make this, I could make that, but I could not even start. Well, that is not entirely true, as I did get sometimes as far as buying a pattern, a few times I even printed and taped/cut them, but only once I got further, when I cut out and sew an edwardian skirt and coat, only to abandon them, before the last few steps (sewing the hem, and putting in the sleeves). 

It went on for at least six months, and only really managed to drag myself out of it in late July and early August.

I have sewn a few things since, but I am still not sure, if I am really over the mojo-crisis or not.  

Did you ever encountered a loss of mojo, like that? How did you react? Did you managed to get over it? how? 

Coming back

Winter is coming, and things supposed to quiet down, and I am thinking about coming back. Yes, I always think about whether I should or not, but I have things to talk about, stuff to show you... and I never used any of my media platforms way to seriously, never counted (much less compared) likes (though I was surprised to see an extremely high number of my previous "Sign of life" post. 

I rather liked doing the (almost) everyday posts, though they were sometimes overwhelming (thinking up to say things, even when I felt rather lost).

I will have "filler" colums, and I will try to put some order into the posts, and I am not promising a post each day, but I hope to do a few each week, however, we will see. 

What do you think? Any suggestion? Topics you want to hear about from me? 

Signs of life

Hello everyone, I am still alive. Unfortunately, more things came up over the summer, and not all of it good, I kinda fell of the horse and not easy to get back. 

I will be back with (more) regular postings, and I will show you finished projects, tell you stories, opinions and whatnot, I just need to wait until my soul catches up with me.

Until then, programs:

Until the end of August, you can find me at:

on the 9th, in rococo from head to toe, at the Baroque wedding in Győr,

On the 20th in Edwardian sports-gear with edwardian sports and fashion, in teh Tisza Castle at Geszt,

and between 21-24th in Szombathely, at the Savaria Historical Carnival, on Friday with Napoleonic scenes, on Sunday with Edwardian circus, and all around in between.

Thank you all for your patiente. 

Virus-status, programs, and other stuff

 I am sorry everyone, I did not mean to fall off the face of the Earth, but things came up, and my even my resources are finite, and something had to go for a while... I am not about to stop blogging forever (at least not for now), but there are times, when I need... time, I think. 

A few thing came up, just about the same time, like the start of the "season", which is actually the start of the season for more things, not only concerts, but also festivals, and also reenactment event. Yes, we do pride ourselves on, that though most reenacting groups are our on events from end of May until mid-September, we are working through all year(last december was crazy), still the most event is in summer.

There are always concerts and festivals to go, and the midst of it, in 40 C° I managed to get a heatstroke, a sunstroke AND the nastiest throat virus ever, that of course came with a throat pain (the type where you feel there are blades in the place of your tonsils), then went for my sinuses, and then for coughing fits... 

It took me a week to be able to get out of the bed, even more to function somewhat. I will survive, but it seems it is taking longer than usual.

The thing is, when you fall off the vagon, it is really hard to get back. I was planning this post for a few days at least, trying to figure out what to say and how to say it.

As for programs, the Visegrad Palace games are on this weekend, and we will be up in the castle, as the ladies in waiting for Beatrix, the wife of Matthias Rex, all decked out in our renaissance fineries. Come see us, talk to us. 

What the Friday?

 This week's find is interesting, because lately I got the hankering after (and thus started to research) some 1830-ies fashion, which is so silly, so outlandish... And as I opened E-bay to search for something intersting, there pops up a beautiful, 1830-ies specimen... 

Though, looking at its details, I would think it is more from the late 1830-is, but I do love those details, like those pintucks on the sleeves, the bubble-sleeve, the small ruffle above the sleeve.

Back, when I had red hair, I would also loved the color, nowadays, I am not so sure but look at the print, it could be modern.

I like looking at e-bay listings, because they often show the insides, and here, for example, you can see, how those pleats on the bodice were tacked down... not unlike on my 1845 dress.

Weekend programs

 Well, these suggestions are mostly for those, who are fairly close, but even for those of you, who have no chance of dropping by at one of these might be interesting, what are we up to... And I am often asked, where can our little reenactment, interpreter group seen.

There are two days of a year, for which we have a saying, if you want Mare Temporis (or group), you have to reserve it at least a year, or even two years before.

One is the early Victorian March event, the anniversary or the 1848 revolution, the other is... even worst...

Each year, the Saturday closest to midsummer's night, there is a county-wide event, called the Night Of The Museums, when museums are open at the evenings, often until midnight or even longer, they organize special events, concerts, guided tours, and such. 

Our group is usually booked up to the top, this year we share five events between us. 

I, personally go to Róth Miksa Ház (The house of Miksa Róth, which is the house and workshop of a well known glass artist, living around the late Victorian, Edwardian era, up to the second world war.

We will be talking about their family, and how the family connects to the story of the city (of Budapest).

There will be the possible customer (talking about his lead-glass art), the workshop-employee, the relation, who left Europe in the 1910's, and me, the wife of an architect, the family worked with, and I will be talking about how the city changed in the 1870-ies, what role the Róth family played in it, how the big boulevard, the big avenue, and the big citypark was formed.

The Facebook event is here: Our program (The city in the glass mirror - Üvegben Tükröződő város) will be on from 6PM and 9 PM.

Come see us. 

Weekly SO

 I absolutely hate as steaming services handle serieses.

Back, even a decade ago, when one watched a series in TV, we got 20-25 episode a season, and a new season each year... 

And stories were finished. Even shorter ones, like the Stargate Atlantis, or longer ones, like Supernatural, all had a more-or less satisfying end, storiylines tied off, etc.

The limited series, based on one particular book were, by design, limited (we usually had those around 12 one hour episode), but a full story and we knew when starting that this is it.

Nowadays, we get 10 (or not even that much, 6-8 episodes in most cases) often many years going by between seasons, and so many of them are not only not finished, but hardly ever get really have their balls rolling. 

See things like Shadow and Bone, however, it is not only fantasy TV, but The Great is an example, my personal pet peeve favorite Forever, or the latest victim The Wheel of Time. 

Yes, I have seen and read a few essays on the topic, but so many see the problem, so many complaine about the problem, and nothing happens, 

Stories are not given space and time to grow into their own, they are not finished, just cut off. 

HATE it.

Woodwind instrument holders, again

Remember, when I made a musical instrument-holder, for woodwind instruments for my friend? 

Now, Marci, my friend asked me again, to make some holders for flutes.

As they were made as test pieces, I thought it is high time for stash-busting again, and before I would've gone out and buy something, I dug around in the bag(s) full of leftovers to see if there is something I can use. 

Loo and behold, there was some cotton velveteen (duffel??) I had left over from my bordeaux turn of the century set , and another, blue piece from a -yet- unfinished project. 

The lining for the bordeaux was a really old piece of plain cotton, for the blue I used the leftovers from the early victorian dress I made for a museum a couple of years ago.

The soft layer I used in between was the leftover from my blue cape. 

They took me a good, long day, to first figure out what and how to make them, then actually making them, but I think, that was a good day.

Weekly pattern

 Which is the Bud/Spot on sweater from Rowan.

Why do I like it? 

It is a cardigan!

It has polka dots! (Polka DOTS!!!)

It is free on Ravelry!

It is designed from bamboo yarn, but can be easily made from cotton, for summer.

It has short sleeves (again, for summer), but can be modified to long(er) sleeves. 

Did O mention, it has POLKA DOTS?