MIA

There is some (indian?) story where they tell the hero, that sometimes s/he must sit down and wait for his/her sould to catch up. 

So much happened the last few weeks, with the London trip and the week of March 15th (which is a big national holiday for Hungarians, as it is the annyversary of the big 1848 recolution and freedom fight, and as a reenactors we are ever so busy at this time of the year). Don't get me wrong, I love life when it is busy but yes, sometimes even I do have to slow down and wait for my sould to catch up (all the while I am catching up with the work that I do for money :-) ).

The Tuesday Travel will -hopefully- return next week with another London Episode, now, let me show you what I did for the week.

I spent three morning in the Buda Castle with kids, 12-18 years, with a teammate and we were talking about the "age of reforms" (which is the period leading up to that 1848 revolution), me from the women's perspective, especially fashion, as in what and why women wore what they did, and my teammate talked about the same, as in what and why wore a man from the national guard from the period. 

(Pictures were made on the last day :-) )

And fashion was the theme of the week. On Saturday, we went to the Gödöllő Castle, and did the little show, on fashion history from the mid-18th century to the early 20th century, and talked about the changes. 

Norbert could not come, so no photos, but a short videoclip, just to show you, that we really have anything for every decade of the 19th century :-)

(the video was shot by my son, Chris, who stepped in as my chaffeur and support for the day)

And then, on Sunday, back to the Buda Castle, though to a different organisation/museum, where we sent the day presenting the "touchable", living history. 

Yes, seeing the pictures, it is obvious, that I already knew, that as much as I love this dress, and think of it as one of my masterpieces, I lost way to much weight for it to fit me, in other words, it is hanging on me (like, as we say a pair of bloomers on a cow).  Now, I had fully planned to make a new dress, I literarly spent months thinking about what kind of dress I should make, looked at hundreds of fashion plates, existing dresses, even movies, television films to get some ideas (see tomorrow's strong opinion about that), when I finally decided what to make I prewashed my fabric, made my mock up... Only to have it put away because some urgent work came in, so I had to cancel my plans and spend some days and nights with my computer (like my week way not busy enough in itself...)

Weekly patternmuster (for sewing)

 Sorry for being MIA (more about that in a later post), but here is another monday, and another pattern-suggestion. 

This Monday I am bringing you the Finch blouse from Charlie Darwin Textiles. 

I've been following Leah's you-tube channel for a while, and the magic word for me was linen, as I am an avid lover of linen as fabric (and also as a fiber in yarn/thread as well). 

This blouse is on the list because it has some historic wibes, made from linen, and there are a ton of variation included in the pattern. 

There are some videos on youtube, which can help you make this, like THIS introductory one, that tells you everything about the pattern itself, or THIS other one that helps you make tose cute little ruffles.

I also like the idea of different packages for the different skill levels, like the basic one, with only the pattern, and the instructions, the next one where you get a ton of extra help, and the full extra that gives you everything to make this blouse. 

If (when?) I will make this blouse, I will get the basic one, as I am rather confident of my skills, but the extra elements can help those that are more beginners.

(Ps: This is NOT a paid ad, I am not affiliated with the pattern maker at any way, never had any contact, except for watching some of her you-tube videos. Also, I have NOT made this pattern -yet- so I cannot wouch for what is actually inside, but from what I see, I would gladly give it a chance). 

Weekly Patternmuster (knitting)

 You might have notice, that I am trying to bring patterns, that are different than the boring, bland, somewhat loose fitting... meh. 

So here is something that has everything.

Zinaida from Berocco /Alison Green

It has cables, it has lace, it has somewhat different shaping... shall I say more? 

Weekly SO

Oh well... once again, one that will not be popular...

Timothee Chalamet and his opera/ballet comment. 

Once again the world is down, like vultures on a dead animal, on him, because he dared to say out loud what he thinks. (What actually so many things though they would not dare to say it out loud, especially not publicly). That he does not care about opera and ballet, and thinks that most of the people do not care either. And everybody and their mother posting how much they DO LOVE them (opera and ballet).

Of course, I am a philologist, and kind of an "artist" (okay, a craftsman), and these opinions fill my social media, however Norbert, who is a male, an IT guy, his family is coming from a small village, and he sees totally different things on his FB. 

On the other hand, I am seeing newsflashes like "T.CH.'s chances to win the Oscar just dropped".

So, what is my opinion? I know it might be not elegant to admit, but I am NOT an opera fan, nor a ballet fan. I see and value the effort, the performance, but I did not grow up with either of them, and I would probably choose some other form of theatre, if I could. I also think there are a lot more people who do not care for those (opera and ballet) than who love them, and I think neither type is better or worst. 

Does Timothee Chalamet has the right to his opinion? Yes. 

Was Timothee right? Yes. Okay, maybe not about "nobody" cares, because appareantly, seeing the internet reactions there are still people out there, but let's admit it: opera and ballet are not the part of the mainstream culture anymore. With all do respect to the singers, musicians, dancers, tickets to their performance is less and less affordable to the average people and there are increasingly more and more alternatives for entertaiment.

Was it a smart way to voice/phrase it? No. Of course, there would be a ton of ways to phrase it differently, better, less rude, less dissmissive way. 

Should he loose "his chances" for the Oscar because of it? NO. Oscar should be given because his acting, and not because he likes opera and ballet or not. 

I understand that opera and ballet loosing its popularity is a bitter pill to swallow for its artists and fans, but its not Timothee Chalamet sho should be punished for that.

Oh, BTW, I am not alone with my opinion: there is the  Vanity Fair article, The Week article, and the msnow article, and these are just the first three find when doing a google search with "was Timothee Chalamet right about opera", while there is a lot more. 

P.S.: Who knows.... maybe he did it on purpouse, to draw attention to these arts? 

Tuesday Travel - The Natural History Museum of London

Since some of you did say, it is not such a bad idea... This column might not come at every week, but I will do my best to bring you pictures of travels... And since we just came back from London a week ago, I will start with that trip. 

When we arrived, we dashed to the Victoria and Albert Museum to pick up my membershi card, because I could not breath easy until I checked that I CAN get in the Marie Antoinette exhibition (more on that next tuesday). But then I did not wanted to go into that exhibition just yet. We started at very early morning, with very little sleep, I was sleepy, I was tired, I wanted to go there fully alert, so I can soak up everything. 

Also, I wanted to let Norbert to have fun and see museums that interest HIM (yes, he would look at me at all the clothes I want, but he is a man). I suggested the two museums that are literally "just across the street" (the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum is there), and he choose the closer one :-) So we went into the Natural History Museum. 

Well, I admit, I have been into the Science Museum and the British Museum before, and was less enthusiastic, but boy, was I pleasantly surpised. 

First of all, the museum is free to visit. Yes, they accept donations, but they do not big you to give them money (unlike the Science Museum did, but then, that is yet another story).

There is an Earthquakes and Volcanos echibition going on, into wich you go into through this elevator: 

Take a look from closer:

Then, you can try a lot of things, like just how does a seizmograph work, how the elements move, how sands and stones mix, how water flows, and most of those things are really interestingly interactive. 

Long gone the museums, where one just looks. 

There is even a room, set up like a japanese store, and when you are in it, it stimulates, how things move around, when an earthquake hits.

Aside from the Volcanos and eathquakes exhibitions, there are a ton of interesting things around the museum, which is huge. I mean HUGE. We walked almost 20 thousand steps in there. 

There is of course how humans developed.

There are dinos:

There is the big blue whale:

And a ton of other interesting things.

Even Dodos (if you ever read Jasper Fforde novels... :-), they look like this. )

If you ever have a few hours in London, go. 

I've never was particularly interested either in biology or geography, but even I enjoyed it tremendously, so I can imagine, what joy it can cause to those who actually are. 

Weekly patternmuster (sewing)

 Lately I have a hankering for a red leather biker jacket... Yes, I know. I do not have the space or the money for it, nor would I be able to use it enough to justify the cost. But I was thinking, what if I sew myself a red jacket, maybe from velvet or courdory, whould that staisfy the hankering? 

For the moment I am working hard to resist the urge to 1) buy the red leather jacket, 2) order all the red velvet online, but admittedly, I was searching for and looking for the best sewing pattern for a biker jacket. 

And while I was doing that, I came across this jacket, that I thought, would be a good candidate for this monday's pattern-column. 

It is the Shimla jacket. 

I absolutely love the standing collar and all the small ruffles.

If I would be someone, who goes off to work every day, I would certainly make this, but since I work from home... I am not sure if I would get around to it. 

Still I love it. 

Very yellow (15th century man's doublet)

My friend and teammate, Ádám gave me a challenge. Can I make him a 15th century doublet that he can use for his gleeman character. His character does magic tricks, acrobatics among other things, therefore aside from keeping the period silhuette it was important to give him proper and full movement.

It was a challenge, because my experience with historical male clothing is very limited, I only made a few pieces for Norbert (who presetns totally different challenges, because of his bodyshape), however, one of the main reasons to accept the task was to change that. We talked about it, and agreed to work on it together. Adam gives his theoretical knowledge and research, and I, my experience as a sewer. 

My main starting point was this drawing, and a pattern draft.

I could have started with drafting the pattern, but I decided to go for the simpler solution, checked the internet for existing patterns from a company most deemed not to reliable, however, I had succes sewing with their patterns, and the final item would have to be fitted to the hell and back anyway. After two mock ups, the body was okay, but I was still hung up how to make the sleeves keep their appropiate shape, while add the necesssary movement. Then a side note in Opus Eleni's video (in which she made a 17th century rapier's doublet) gave me the solution. Adding a gusset, but not to the lengthwise seam of the sleeve, but o the armschye, like this:

From then the sewing was almost straighforward, though the very limited amount of fabric gave me a bit of a headache and prompted me to do some creative layout...

(umm, yes, piecing is period).

Since the body, the collar and the "skirt" needed reinforcement, in the form of interling with a piece of stiff canwas, as usual, lots of basting ensued.

One of the most interesting bit of this doublet is the standing collar that goes into a deep V shape down at the back.

After it was almost finished, and Ádám tried it on, we've seen that we was over-careful in leaving enough space for movement at the waist, so I took it apart, and took in a few cm-s from the waistline all around.

And the finished doublet. The uneven placement of the buttons were copied from a period painting, the sleeves have textile buttons. 

For the buttonholes I used the trick I figured out, when I made Norbert's 18th century waistcoat: I sewed them with the machine, because that way the machine stitching holds together all the layers and provide a guide for the handstitching, that I've done after cutting out the buttonholes.

Work photos: my phone

Modelled photos: Norbert Varga @Bodeszphoto

Knitting content

Even if it is ever so small.

Not that I have not knitted, since last spring, when I last posted actual knitting here, because I did, but most of that knitting was done in the car, and most of it was utterly boring, around and around stocking knitting, as in the fall of 2024 I sold all but one pair of my historical stockings and I wanted to replenish the stocking stocks (pun intented). 

This year I wholeheartedly wanted to do my New Year's sweater, but I spectacularly failed that one, I did not like it and I frogged it, so to get back my mojo, I wanted someting small and colorful... and it was... yes a pair of socks, but unlike the historical knee high ones, these were short, colorful, and would have been quick, if I wouldn't kept putting them off for other, more urgent stuff.

When we left for London, it only needed a few rows from its ribbing, and a couple of nights ago, when we were watching TV and I was between bigger projects, I finished them. 

Simple, toe up, short row toes and heels, stockinett socks, with "contrasting" toes, heels and cuffs, which I knit wider, because I often turn them down. 

You might remember las spring I got some orange shoes, and knitted some socks to wear with them, and this pair makes another addition to the circulation. 

Who-knows-what-brand leftover bits of sockyarn, my own pattern/recepie, and 2,25 mm Knit Pro Zing needles.