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

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.

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.)

Blue and silver

 Its all done, finished. It was a very intensive few weeks, and now that is over, and I also done catch up with work stuff that has been hanging over me, Maybe I can catch my breath and talk about it too. 

Its not just the sewing, though that is also very intense at times like these but developing a program, like we just did, also take time, energie, lots of reseach, studying and memorizing.

But for now, let's just stay with the dress. Once again, muse attacked from more than one different direction. One was obviously, that as women, and women who reenact 19th century we had our eyes on bustle dresses for many years... we thought that the 150th anniversary of uniting Pest and Buda to our beautiful capital ity will bring the opportunity to actually make them, but last year that opportunity didn't seem to come to us. 

On the other hand I had quite a few meters of blue taffeta with silver dots, which I got at the usual place, in that chain of stores, I Love Textile, that sells factory leftovers, rejects and whatnot. I got it because it was blue, and silver, and it was taffeta, but I did not know what I want to do with it for a long time...

Until about two years ago, I came across with this. Yeah, It was not blue, but a very blueish purple, also only looked like polka dots from afar, but it was love at first sight, and it was an inspiration. I saved those pictures, and kept returning to them from time to time, even though I had it in my head, that if I am going to make a firts bustle period dress, it is gonna be a summery-stripy one... 

But then, toward the end of last november the question was put up, would we be willing to do a program about the unification of Budapest in the second half of January, but if yes, that would mean, we should do those dresses we were talking about for years. The answer was a resounding yes, from all involved. But it was a winter-program, I couldn't make a summer-dress now, could I? So I was left to do the more difficult choice. 

Now, you've heard me whine about a creative block, and my masterful avoidance programe, but there came a point, I could not procrastinate any longer, 

I had underwear, I had bustle, I had a petticoat, all I needed the dress itself. Originally I planned to use a Black Snail pattern, as I thought, I could use that with minimal modification to do something similar than my inspiration dress. I printed it, taped it together, even made a mock up... 

And though it fitted as well as I thought it would (I made their west without needing any change in the pattern), but I didn't like it. I am not sure why, maybe the separately cut and sewn on peplum was not what I imagined. Also I really disliked the sleeves, as each was made from two identical piece, and a seam on the shoulder, at the top of the sleeve is just not the aestethic I was after. I asked the black snail group to show me pieces that were made from the pattern, and I did receive some pictures, and the dresses were pretty, but I was not convinced that I wanted that. So then I decided to look for some other solution. I looked the patterns Truly Victorian had, but did not want to spend more money on patterns just then. Then looked through Prior Attire's book on Victorian Dressmaker, and studied her diagrams. Also looked at some videos (yeah, I did stare at the stopped picture of one of Lady Rebecca's video, trying to figure out the hemline of her baby blue bodice), and Nora Vaughn's book. Then I used the part of the BS pattern, just between the waist and the shoulders as a basic body block, and drew around it. Made a mock up, and I liked it much better, then cut it apart, changed some stuff, made another one, and then another, and by then I said, okay, I do not hate this anymore. 

I was trying to take photos of the sewing process, but I got caught up with the flow, and pictures are rather sporadic, but here they are, maybe they do say something after all. 

I used the pieces of the mock up as pattern-pieces.

The bodice is flatlined, that means that the outer and the lining fabric is handled as one. To to so easily, I had to baste them together.

The inner seams are turned under and stitched down, the open seam at the back folds is covered with a piece of ribbon. If you follow my sewing, by now you probably know that for me it is important that the inside of a piece should look good just as good, and should be just as nicely finished, as its outside. 

I used cotton twill tape for boning channels, and they are sewn in by hand. 

Then I was in for a surprise...

I've tried it on, and it was....SMALL. 

I am not sure how that happened, but it did. Most probably the fact that the mock up was made a single layer fabric, and now this had not only the taffeta, but the lining of a cotton calico just as well. 

I thought of starting the whole thing again, but then I remembered that I wanted to do a decoration on the front anyway, and had the idea, what if I make a separate button band... and the seam would be covered with the trimming anyway. So that was what I did at the end. 

Made covered buttons too. The ruffled edge has a tini, machine sewn hem, but sewn on by hand. On both sides. I could have sewn it on by machine, but it would just not sit the same way.

For the skirt, I took the pattern for my petticoat (which was waaay to long, I had to put in a couple of extra tucks to make it shorter), and using that as a base, and looking at the schematics in the Victorian dressmaker books, and the schematics of the Black Snail pattern skirt, and drew up a mixture of the three. I flatlined lined the whole skirt (yes, that involved a TON of basting) with a curtain fabric. It was fairly thin, light enough, but still had a bit "hold", and I grew to love its pattern. Nobody ever will see it (unless I directly show), but I love secrets like this.

Added pockets and used a 12 cm wide strip cut on the bias to hem it. added a few rings (actually they are washers from grommets... I buy grommets in small packages, and somehow always end up with a few extra washer.). Since I left the back of the skirt longer to have a bit of train, with the help of those rings I can bustle the skirt up. 

As for the overskirt.. First I was thinking whether to use the same dotted fabric, or would it be too much... maybe a velvet overskirt would tone down all that polka dots a bit, and give the dress some extra elegance... I had a piece of blue velvet (yeah, what a chance... it was one of those off bits I tend to pick up at I love Textile... have no idea, what would I use iit for, but it is VELVET, and it is BLUE!

I did looked through a bunch of overskirt pattern, but have not found anything that looked remotely like the original, so I literally draped and folded the velvet on the mannequin. 

As to finish the whole set, (and as seen on the original) I added fringes and a ribbon borderie for trimming, on the bodice as well as on the overskirt. And a bunch of ribbon bows at the places the original also had them.

So here we go, the full set.

Here is a side-to-side comparison, where you can see my dress is not a direct copy, but more of an "inspired by" version.

Here is a close up of the back.

And here is a few picture in use, at the event, while I am telling stories...

"Come with me, I will tell you about...."

"You see, that's how it was..."

"Now, tell me, isn't that how it should have been???"

"If you looked out the window, back then, you would have seen..."

"And then, the papers wrote...."

(And this is my face thinking, I am almost done, what have I forgot to talk about?)

The ladies of the team, three of us in self made dresses...

I've learned a lot, and not only about the history of Budapest, but about sewing and myself as well. 

Like I should trust me more. I always say I don't like to draft patterns, but if something is not quite okay, it is possible to change things. Mock ups are important. They do lie, but still, they are important. 

All the while I am not saying the the Black Snail pattern is not good. It fitted me well enough, and probably, if I liked its style it would have made a great piece. The thing that I had something else in my head. And once again, happened, what happened so many times especially with historical clothes.I am sewing for about 40 years now. I know what I am doing and still, every time I finish something I am ever so surprised.... "Gosh, this is REALLY  LOOKING like it SHOULD. And that can bring such a joy.

And everyone in this event.

Work photos my phone, 

Modell and event photos by Norbert Varga @Bodeszphoto

P.s.: in the next post I will show you the accessories, and what is underneath.