Dancepants

 Loosing weight, even if it is intentional and you are working hard for it,  is not only sunshine and happyness... Like, as happy I am about being able to wear smaller clothes, and dress according to what I like (instead of what I am fitting into), things also have shadowy sides. 

Like having to remake most of my historical clothes--- though I do not mind that so much, because now I can make stuff better, more thought trough than back, when I did not had the knowledge and/or the time for that.

On the other hand, having everything hanging on me, not only the clothes, but my thighs, my arms, my skin is much worst and I decided to do something about that. I started going to a dance-cardio class, but I needed clothes for that too. Yes, sports bras, and thank tops are fine, I was not about start sewing those, but I also needed pants/trousers. 

I wanted wide legged, bubble/barrel shaped pants. So I decided to sew them. 

I looked through some patterns on Etsy, I decided on one, made a useable mock up from a really old piece of leftover futter (I bought that fabric when my nephew was born 34 years ago, I made the some onesies to the newborn boy, who is an adult since), and then thought hard about what I want to change.

To emphasize the barrel shape, I took off some of the width at the waist, and added a couple of cm-s to the leg, also took off a few cm at the bottom. Furthermore, I changed the shape of the front pocket. 

The first one I made from some white cotton futter (compared to the other one, this piece of fabric was relatively new, only a few years old). 

Unfortunately, my double needle industrial machine is not working, and the household one, that can be fitted with a twin needle could not take the 3-4layer of futter fabric, so I used a single needle for the double overstitch. It did not needed to be strechy, so it was fine. 

Then I as I was digging though my knit-fabric (futter) stash, I came across one, that once again was very old. It was bought in I Love Textil, though I cannot remember exactly when. Definetly, before Chris was small kid, but might be even earlier. I loved that fabric, no wonder I hung on to it for so many years. Even though it was for trainers, or hoodies, or something the like, it was not as elastic, and it had a gorgeous faded denim blue color. I remember, I did sew a pair of training trousers back then from it.

I thought it is high time I use it now. 

I did apply the same changes I used on the white one, and als used the single needle for the decorative stitching. This time I added the back pockets too.

Since I can categorize both pants as a succes, I will make other ones, probably trying other patterns as well. 

Pattern: Kaashi Patterns

Fabric: I Love Textil

Phhotos: Bodeszphoto

Weekly patternmuster

 Its pride month, and I am showing you a "pride" sweater.

Pride sweater.

Now, I have two thoughts, what maybe should go into my weekly opinion post, but what the heck. 

So, while I wholeheartedly support the LMBTQ community, and their members, I really dislike the fact that rainbow colors are nowadays only assosiated with being gay.

Rainbow colors are not only a beautiful sequence of colors, but also have many meaning, including hope, tranformation and harmony, and we all can wish for all that and many more, without being part of the community. 

I always loved rainbow colors, dyed many wool and yarn to that color, knitted a few pieces with those color myself, and have plans for more. 

The skirt of the widowed Mrs. Ráth

Mrs Ráth (born Gizella Melcsicky) was the wife of György Ráth, the first director of the Museum of Applied Arts in Hungary. She lived at the turn of the 19th/20 century. 

As a reenactor I already played her caracter, when we did out "Spirits in the house" game in the willa, that is a museum today and houses part of her husband's collecton. Then I portrayed her in a bustle dress, citing that it was the fashion of her youth, and she "haunts" the in that because that was her favorite style.

This year we planned to reenact and actual event that happened, when, not long after her husband died, the emperor of the austrian empire and king of Hungary, Franz Joseph Habsburg visited the villa in 1906.

My first reaction was that I don't have, and not planning to make black mourning clothes, we have to figure out how to make work the late Victorian/Edwardian clothes I already have.

However, I already had a bee in my bonnet (or as we say in Hungarian, a bug in my ears). I stated a few times here too, that I do not like black clothes, and I am not wearing them, if I can avoid it. But then the black francaise gown I made a few years ago was a huge success, and I also grew to love the black witch clothes I wore in out little play last Xmas. Besides I felt it is a challenge, and when do I say no to a challenge? 

My first attempt was making the black and white striped set (here/shirt, here/skirt and here/jacket), but that ended up way too steampunk-ish... 

And, of course, the wheels in my head kelt turning at an alarming pace. The case was not helped by the fact that in the fabric store (I Love Textil, what else), I bumped into a roll of gorgeous, somewhat shiny black linen/viscose fabric.

I walked over to the haberdashery wholesaler -kind of- close to us, and got a few rolls of cotton lace, and set out trying the machine sewn lace insertion technique I found on youtube. I wanted a bit more than just vertical inserts at the seamlines, so I added 3 lines in V shape at the front of the skirt.

This time I used my "bigger" late victorian/edwardian skirt pattern, designed by Angela Clayton. I used it before (here, and here), and while I love it, especially, the big, almost semi-circle back, the problems I had with it the first time, still exist... Namely it is waay too long, and it has a train, and no sign where to cut off, if I want to use it without a train. It caused me a problem, as in trying to find the correct length, I incidentally cut it a bit too short, and had to add a piece to the back (but then, piecing is period).

I was considering adding pockets to the skirt, but because of the lace inserts, it would have been more complicated than I was about to do. But, though you cannot see it on the pictures, I added a small watch pocket, just below the waist, and I also inserted a small loop under the waistband. Since I do not have a chatelaine, I use that little loop to clip my watch too, while I put a kerchief and/or my regular digital wrist-watch in the small pocket. 

Stay tuned: next, I am going to show you the shirtwaist.

Fabric: I Love Textil

Pattern: McCalls 8231

Photo: Bodeszphoto

A bee in my bonnet

I just had an idea for -yet another- more or less regular post.

I often say to people, that no, they really would NOT like to know what goes on in my head. 

There are just rapid fire of thoughts, and plans, and combinations of plans, and distractions. 

(Yes, most probably I have a bad case of adult, and female adhd - not diagnosed though, because its either a few hundred thousand HUF, or about 3-5 years worth of waiting list).

Anyhow, sometimes, these thoughts are strong, so strong that they do occupy my mind, especially at times, when I... walk, sew, knit, have a bath, cook, clean, whatnot. And I am speding time to research these ideas, because they just would not let me alone. 

So,I thought, once in a while, I am telling you one or another of these persistent ideas. 

Like that about the sweater my mom knitted and got lost in Miami.

Or it can be just a thought process, like how seeing a toe of a red shoe peeking out of along black skirt made me built an entire outfit, complete with a handknit sweater. 

It can explain some of the things I do, might even make some order  no, not make order, but show a tiny walkway in a thick forest.

What do you think? Could that be interesting? 

Weekly SO

 One: yes, your telephone, internet, facebook, and such watches (and listens to) what you do. For weeks, my ads were full of gall-stone remedies, now they are full of hair-restoring things, things you put on your head - instead of minoxidil or rosemary oil, and such. 

Two: Now, one thing is that I had really good experience with rosemary oil, but aside from that, even if I believe that in two weeks to one month your hair will get stronger, thicker, and whatnot... what I cannot believe that instead of having baby-hairs that grow (which in itself would be a miracle), the hair would grow a year worth in a month (as their pictures would suggest)... 

Program-suggestion for the Nights of the Museums

The Nights of the Museums is a contry-wide series of events, when all the museums of the country opens its gates into the night, and organize special programs.

for Mere Temporis there are two dates in the year, when, if someone would like to have us at their event should reserve us in at least one (but better two) year(s) in advance. 

One is March 15th and the other is the Nights of teh Museums.

The Nights of The Museums is a day, when our Foundation reproduces by division, and we are everywhere. 

This year you can find our people in Aquincum, the Ráth Villa, The Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

As for me, we can meet in the Róth Miksa House, where in our program about the Budapest Chicago will be a color in their program-palette. 

We will tell tales about the Veterinary University..

The shcools of the area...

The lives in the area...

and all the gossips.

The link of the event is here.

Come, listen/warch / meet with us.

Weekly patternmuster (sewing)

 As I said, I really like the fun shaped trousers that are fashionable these days. Be it horseshoe, barrel shaped or extremely wide legged. 

This time I am bringing you a cross between a jeans, a cargo pants and a barrel shaped trainer. 

The Lemon trousers.

The site (and so I suppose the pattern as well) is in french, but I think one can figure out the sewing with some experience.

I will definetly put this on my "to sew" list.