And now for something completely different; Christmas Granny Squares

I had been working on a better set of sleeves for three days straight. Redrafting the pattern, cutting and sewing. When they were finished they turned out to be worse than the original sleeves and I had run out of fabric. I got so frustrated that I decided to put the coat aside for a couple of months, it doesn't have to be finished until next spring/early summer, and to do something simple. Something that I could almost do with my eyes closed. Doing crochet always calms my mind and I had some left over yarn. I have never been to fond of granny squares. Being from the 70's when they where very much in fashion. I always have the feeling that they are old fashioned and I really connect them to grannies doing crochet. On the other had I've being playing around with making something for christmas for a couple of years and our christmas decorations are always old fashioned, kitschy and corny. ;-)

You can find the pattern for the squares here: Granny Square Christmas Stocking by Maggie Weldon on Ravelry.

Twenty squares later I am out of yarn and the frustration has subsided. The store only has these particular colors of this yarn (Zeeman Sparkle) in stock during the winter so I can't continue. It doesn't really matter, it did the trick. If they become available again maybe I'll make more and make a plaid out of it. If not it will become the front of a pillow case. Either way I am feeling better and refreshed.

For now I'll stick to repairing or slightly altering the Victorian costumes I have. So that I (and two of my friends) at least have something to wear at the Dickensfestijn in Deventer. This year I have decided to wear a combination of two 1885's bustle costumes. I really love the black tail bodice I made last year but I don't want to wear all black. So I'll wear it with my red velvet bustle skirt and my new hat. It will almost be like wearing a new costume. Even better is the fact that my son thinks the color combination black-red is badass and that I look fierce in it!  If there is any time left I'll make a new costume piece for one of us. First I'll have to make sure we can wear anything at all!

Belle Epoque Jacket

When the Antwerpen Zoo held their Belle Epoque picnic I really wanted to go but I didn't have the time. Other members of our 19th century living history group "De Gracieuse" did attend.

Photo by Robert Biesemans

Their wonderful photographs and stories inspired me to start working on a Belle Epoque jacket. 

This is the pattern I am working with; Past Patterns #113, 1899-1910 Spectator Jacket.

I think the pattern also can be used for slightly earlier costumes.

The heads of the leg-o-mutton sleeves ended up being quite large 

and look a lot like the jacket in this picture.

A traveling suit, coat, and skirt, 

designed by Jacques Doucet c. 1892-97.

Victorian & Albert Museum

And it has a pleat in the back like this woollen Cycling Suit

 made by Trouville in 1896

American Cycling Suit. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 I have been working on it during our summer vacation and had hoped to be finished by now

 but the sleeves turned out to wide and to long. 

So I will take them out, make changes to the pattern pieces and make new sleeves.