Weekly pattern

Before we get into the pattern "review", I have a question about this series. I've started this series with knitting patterns, but what about sewing patterns? There are so many around, online, often from indie designers, would you like me pick a some here and there and show them to you? Since I have not made them yet, these are NOT full reviews, nor do I think, that just because I don't like something they are not good in themselves. With that...

This week's pattern also comes from Ravelry's hot right now list. 

It is the Nordic Bloom West by Caitlin Hunter.

picture is from Ravelry: © Riikka Kantinkoski / Laine Publishing

I just realized, that I already picked on another of her designs, but let me just say...

There are people who adore Caitlin Hunter's designs, and there are those who cannot stand her, and I am somewhere in between, because she does have patterns I would love to knit, and there are some that are an absolute no-no for me. The Halibut sweater was one of those and the Nordic Bloom west is another one that I would not knit. 

For one I feel that this design is just yet another skin of the well deservedly popular alpine bloom series.

The drawing is similar (maybe even the very same diagram), placed on a different base sweater, a waistcoat this time. 

Also, the base piece, the waistcoat does not have anything redeeming, as it is rather shapeless, a stocky square and I am stocky enough myself, without a waistcoat emphasizing the fact, thank you very much, it is short, it has drop shoulder, any of those elements would make me want to avoid this piece, but all together is a definite no. 

It might work for someone... who is at least three decade younger than me, or 30 kilograms lighter, or 15 centimeter taller, or all of the above. 

Look, I did sew something!

 The good thing about being multicraftual, is that when you get stuck with one, you can still occupy your hands with something else. 

At the beginning of this year, I felt stuck with many things in my life, and sewing was one of them. 

I still got fabrics, and I still had plans, I even bought some patterns, but i just could not get myself to sit down and atually sew. 

(That is why I knitted more than in the last few years, because with knitting - I felt- at least I felt more or less confident I cannot mess it up, if it is ugly, it can always be frogged).

So I thought, I might start back again with something simple. 

A cape. 

Capes are wonderful. Capes are timeless. They make you feel almost instantly transported in time, they make you feel magical. I wish, we could wear capes every day. 

Yes, I already have one, an end-of-the-18th century, red cape (though I did wear it with earlier period clothes), but I always wanted something less bright. Whenever I wore my blue medieval dress, or my green renaissance dress, I felt, I need to borrow Norbert's green dress, so the bright red would not clash.

I had this petrol-ish blue wool fabric for years, I did bought it to make a cape, so I thought, it is high time I actually make it. 

Sewing it is actually not difficult, my fabric was 150 cm wide, I folded it, so I could cut a half circle out of it.

And then cut a (much) smaller half circle for the neck.

Have not photographed, but made two darts for the shoulder, cut the hood from the leftover, made a kind of collar, and added it.

I decorated the edges with a jacquard/brocade ribbon, and the bottom hem was finished with a bias tape.

Now, I love to finish arched hems with bias tapes, and I usually cut more than I use, but I always keep the leftovers.

One of these leftovers were used when I made the musical instrument-holder, and now I planned to use some black one I cut, when I made Norbert's cape...

Only I could not find it, among the others...

However, I found a piece of blue polca dot fabric (I used it to line the blue polka dot bustle dress), which I cut up, and finished the cape. 

Both the brocade ribbon and the bias tape was sewn on my hand, because machine sewing would have... I don't know the right expression, but machine sewing would make a continious line that is pressed into the ribbon and the fabric, while handstitches practically hide. 

I intentionally made this cape with its pointy hood more fairy-tale like, as I am planning to use it with medeival and renaissance clothes too.

Let me tell, you, I just LOVE it. It is so simple, and so magical. 

I feel I should start a movement, "lets make capes everyday outerwear again!"

Fabric: I Love Textile

Photos: Norbert Varga @Bodeszphoto

What the Friday?

 In which I am musing about things I find about stuff I find for sale on the net.

Look at this pair of two toned Victorian boots. 

Aren't they absolutely gorgeous? 

I would certainly wear it even today, and not only for historical clothes. 

It is amazing that they were kept in such a good condition.

Picture is from e-bay.

Ode to Soft Tweed

 It is not a secret that I love rustic, heathery, tweedy yarns. 

I was ever so happy, when DROPS came out with their Soft Tweed yarn. So much so, that, in time, I collected a boxful of it (most of them bought at their sales, but some did came full price). 

That is why it is a surprise, that it took me years to actually knit something from it. 

Interestingly enough, when the 228-17 pattern came out, I knew I wanted to knit it. I know, generally I am not prone to knit such simple stuff, its simplicity draw me. 

I also knew, that, though, back, when I had red hair, I would have killed for the rusty orange color, the original was knitted in, for my silver hair the dusty pink would be better. 

There is not much to be written about the pattern itself, as it is straighforward, just follow, how it is written.

Actually, I started knitting this last year, right after I finished the New Year's Good Luck sweater, but then spring and summer came, along with a lot of sewing, travelling, and I only took it up this year, yes, after finishing this year's New Years Good Luck sweater,

Though, you probably would not be surprised to know, that I added waist-shaping and longer ribbing to the cuffs.

You see, though I do have a thing against pockets on knitted stuff, I even knitted the pockets, according to the pattern. They do have a video tutorial, which helped me a great deal. (now, having worn the cardigan a couple of times, I am still not convinced about pockets and knitted sweaters).

But the yarn, the yarn! Oh, how much I love it! Unlike many tweed / tweedy yarns, it is SOFT. Like butter. It has delicate, soft bits of colors spun into it, its fiber content has alpaca, ool, viscose, what not to love? 

Unfortunately, this soft pink color is discontinued (among other, beautuful colors), which makes me bang my head into the doorframe, for not buying even more of those colors.

(It also dyes beautifully, but you will have to wait to see that)

Please, DROPS gives us more, more more of this yarn (especially more colors!)

(yes, we photographed this twice, with me wearing two different outfits. Both times were extremely cold though, and I still cannot decide which set is better, but I did not want to a) drag Norbert to do yet another photoshoot, b) wait even more to post this).

Photos: Norbert Varga @Bodeszphoto

I ordered the yarn from Nordfonal.

Weekly SO

 This time it is sewing take...

For me it is just as important how a piece I am making looks from the inside, than how it looks from the outside. 

I know, I know. 

I know, that even historically (or especially historically) thinks didn't aalways looked "professional" from the inside, I have seen so many unmatched seams, unfinished edges, chaotic stitching, and whatnot inside  of clothes. 

Also, I know, that most of the time, noone should get close enough to see the insides of one's clothes,

Still it gives my soul some extra satisfaction, when I have a special lining, an extra bias edging. the perfect thread or button, etc. 

For a while I thought it is the "industrial" training; when I was going to that shcool to learn to sew, the first year I was sent to a big clothes factory for the practice. 

However, I feel it is deeper than that, though I don't know where it comes from. 

Sirok

 Today's post is late, as I had a bit of hard time, to figure out what to post abut. However, since some of you said, you would be interested in travel-pictures as well...

So I brought you some pictures from Sirok, in the north of the country, where here is a ruin of a fort / castle. The building originates from the time of the Hungarian's conquest of the Charpatian basin, though it is first mentioned in documents in the 14th century. It was rebuilt and reinforced several times in its history, the last time at the end of the 17th century, but after the failure of the freedom fight led by Ferenc Rákóczi the 2nd, the Habsburgs tore it down, to prevent further opposition. 

For a few years, they invite our foundation to celebrate the memory of the 1848 revolution and freedom-fight. The place is beautiful, though the middle of March is cold and the vegetation around is not yet green. 

Photos: Norbert Varga @ Bodeszphoto soon, I will bring pictures, where you can see not only the surroundings, but us too.

Weekly Pattern

This weeks pattern is something, that I ALWAYS take a second look on Pinterest, and I have it saved on more than one Pinterest Table. 

Picture from Ravelry, by the designer, Veronika Lindberg

The Ariel Carigan.

The Designer, who goes by the name of Kutovakika seems to be popular, meaning that I hear her name/page mentioned quite often, when watching youtube videos. 

This sweater is has traditional fair-isle /stranded motives, and looks very versatile, as can be knitted as a pullover, or can be steeked to become a cardigan, and I also think that of someone would not like to cut into her/his knitting, but would still love to knit it as a cardigan, while has no qualms knitting stranded from its wrong side, the motifs are simple and geometric enough NOT to cause too much problem.

I'd officially taken this on my to-knit list, and if/when I do knit this, I would do in the same, or very similar colors to what we can see on this picture.

No comment

 The road so far...

What the Friday?

 As I wrote last week, since I am -mostly- run out of UnFinished Objects, the What the Friday posts will be about stuff I find on sites like E-bay, Etsy, (and their Hungarian parts, Vatera), or even Facebook-marketplace and such...

Like THIS dress:

Picture from the E-bay selling site.

Copied and pasted here so it would not dissapear,

when the listing ends and/or they do sell this gorgeous dress.

Why do I find it interesting? 

Remember, my 1920-ies Robe de Styl dress? 

This dress is the same style, proving two things: that this style was not only a one-off-but-not-typical style, but a thing, that was somewhat popular, and that ribbon embroidery was also a thing. 

It is also interesting that a dress like this can be bought for about 350 USD, that is really NOt an exorbitant amount, and would my circumstances a bit better, even I would consider getting it.

Weekend Program

Because some of you ask me sometimes, where can one meet our reenacting group, Mare Temporis, so I thought, I will tell you about our programs ahead, from time to time, where can you learn more about a given time period, the people of that time, their live, the way they dressed, etc. 

Bevause reenacting and historical interpretation is not only about dressing up in pretty clothes. 

This weekend, on Saturday, the 22nd of March, we will be in Vác, from head to toe in 18th century. 

We will be talking about the city, the beauty tricks, gastronomy, fashion, of teh age, and of course, Maria Theresa. 

Vác is rather close to Budapest, a train can get there as little as 25 minutes, and the museum is only about 10-15 minutes of walk from the trainstation. 

More about the program here (sorry, only in Hungarian).

Weekly SO

 Row/stitchnumbers not centimeters.

I was listening to a knitting video-podcast, maybe even it was a knitting "hot takes" type, when I stopped for a moment, and my eyebrows shot up to my hairline. 

The youtuber stated, that whenever she needs to knit something in pairs she never counts rows, only measure the thing in cm-s (or inches, whatever, you understand I hope). 

I don't know, why this hit me, but I was like NO way. I would ALWAYS count stitches and rows and not measure. 

Partly, I think, that, by now, I have knitted so much, that my gauge is pretty consistent, I do not knit thighter or looser when I am angry, stressed, or sad. 

Partly... I don't even know, I just feel better, to go by rownumbers.

Of course, I do measure things like the length of a sweater or a sleeves, but once I knitted one sock (or sleeve, or a mitten, etc), I knit the second one with the same row/stitchnumber, not to the same measurements. 

The same way, when I increase/decrease at a side of a sweater, or under a sleeve, I always do it at XX rows, and not YY centimeters. 

How do you work? by row/stitchnumbers or centimeters... and why?

OOps

 (A short comment, that is)

In other words, what happens, when you skate wearing a corset, and fall...

I am not sure, how, or if at all should I repair this, maybe it would be better to sew a new one...

Thank god, that as I was gaining and loosing weight in the last several years, I have other corsets I can use in a pinch.