From Night to Day

With the wonderful soirée over and done. It became time to direct my attention to turning my Belle Epoque evening outfit into suitable daywear for the next event.

I started of by making the top of Angela Clayton's McCalls #7732 pattern.

I would have like to make the jacket as well. As I am not really happy with the fit and look of my green velvet bodice. For now I'll try some quick (and modern) fixes and hope that it will these will do the trick.

The top; the base or lining fabric is cotton organdy, the top fabric swiss dot netting and the waistband silk.

As this was not dressed it enough, I added sleeves turning the top into an underbodice or underblouse. I cut of the ties at the bottom and added an extra set of hooks and eyes.

Then I turned my attention to my headwear, however lovely my tiara might be. It doesn't seem to be regarded a proper headwear for daytime. I think that should be because I think their absolutely fabulous! With no time to make a completly new hat I decided to redecorate on of my old hats. Which is coincidentally also a very "period" solution. I am quite pleased with the result.

With the deadline in only two weeks I've decided to also wear one of my old coats and start working on the jacket next January. This in an effort to keep my stress levels beareble not only for myself but also for those around me! 

Sewing roll, sewing rollup or hussif/huswif/housewif

I often spend January and February working on small projects, finishing ufo's or doing some crochet. After all the stress in December trying to finish my costume in time. I feel entitled to some time off but I am to restless to do nothing, this year is no different. First off I finished the lace cap I had started working on at an event in December. My second project was a making myself another sewing roll. I had made several sewing rolls last year to give as gifts to friends for Christmas.

They where made with pretty fabric and a pattern by Merchant and Mills. Running out of time, as always, I made myself a simple version of natural colored linnen and cotton. Functional but not spectacular.

One of my friends had also made a sewing roll and when I saw hers I absolutely loved it. It was made with a whole lot a small quilting fabrics and the construction she had just made up herself. Being the sweatheart she is for christmas she gave me a package with some small squares of quilting fabric, some embriodery designs and her sewing roll to copy! I hadn't done cross stitch embriodery in twenty years so it was quite a challenge. With her help and inspiration I made this and I am really happy with the end result.

Please remember it is not intended to be a reproduction.

However I do think she got the look quite right!

Needlework Case 

Place of Origin: United States, North America

 Date: 1795-1820

Materials: Cotton; Wool; Silk

Winterthur Museum Collections

1816 sewing rollup of housewif

https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/98657048059189308/

Roll up Huswif Sewing Case, ca 1830, New England

was sold at http://www.stellarubinantiques.com/

Image no longer available at the website 

but definitely worth a visit.

1850's housewife

https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/264305071854320240/

I just love the fabrics !

Huswif from 1856

https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/384917099393649313/

Silk Roll-up with seam covering embroidery

from about 1880.

http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.nl/2011/07/civil-war-housewives.html

(unfortunately the images no longer seem to load)

Up untill now I have only shown you sewing rolls on which our versions are based upon. Here are some other variaties!

An early 19th century  American Canvaswork Sewing Case Pocketbook

https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/2558M/lots/240A

Pocketbook pattern from Godey's Lady's book 1862

http://worldturndupsidedown.blogspot.nl/2012/05/pocketbook-pattern-from-godeys-ladys.html

1864 Housewife for a Gentleman

from Godey's Lady's Book.

Sewing case closed

Sewing case open

http://www.victorian-embroidery-and-crafts.com/sewing-case.html

This one I would like to make some day.

Source: Groot Handwerkboek uit Grootmoeders Jeugd,

Ilonka & Leonard de Vries & Margrit Reij.

On the subjects of UFO's I today I finally finished my crochet christmas blanket after working on it on and off for over two years!

A Victorian Lace Day or Dinner Cap

Although I love this picture made bij Danielle Silleman/Groetjes uit IJmuiden, 

As it shows off my dress beautifully

I also remember feeling not completely dressed when she took it.

I have always really disliked the frilly lace caps worn by women in the 19th  century

 but now as I am getting older they seem to be growing on me. 

Normally I research everything before I start to work on it. This dinner cap was a last minute project because I needed something to keep my hands busy during the event. I had been working on several costumes up untill the last day and hadn't really prepared anything.

So I turned to my pattern stash and looked for a small accessory I could make.

I ended up chosing Butterick B5663 Historical Head Pieces, version C.

Butterick patterns, like most those of most large pattern companies, are not meant to be historically accurate. So I usually do a reasonably amount of research and incorporate my findings into my project by making approriate changes to the pattern.

With no time left untill the event, I skipped this part and just followed the pattern and the directions and used whatever scraps of fabric and lace I had lying around. Most of the lace that I have used is at least vintage or even antique.

The end result, at least in my eyes is, pleasing to the eye. I especially love the ribbon poinsettia I added. The headdress will be worn at Christmas events, so it seems only fitting. 

If I had done my research I would have know that most Victorian lace caps had a lace base or white fabric covered with. The closest thing I could find to a fabric base was a ribbon base, like this cap from 1850's in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Woman’s cap with piece of light purple ribbon at top trimmed with gathered piece of same ribbon; 

black net base across top front covered with two layers of white net embroidered with circles and floral motifs; purple ribbon bows at front sides; long ribbon ties; single layer of white embroidered net at back over ribbon bow

These two headdresses are from a slightly later date:

Silk and linen cap, ca. 1870's

https://metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/168755

And this very similar silk and linen cap also the 1870's

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/168756

I find it hard to tell how they are constructed as the descriptions don't go in to great details. So I assume they are contructed very much in the same manner as the cap from the 1850's.

After looking at these historical examples, I have decided that although my cap isn't historically accurate, it is good enough to wear at least once. So I can find out if wearing a cap is indeed something I want to do. 

Day at the Park and Pentecost

This winter I was seriously considering quitting early and late medieval re-enactment. I just didn't seem to enjoy it as much as I once did. And I was more than fed up with all the stuff that comes along with it, taking over our house! The last two events, one late medieval the other early, proved me wrong. I love being in the company of the creative, funny, wierd, sweet, passsionate and authentic people that populate our re-enactment world. I love the discussion about authenticity (when both sides respect each others opinion, even when they do not agree). I love learning new things and sharing my knowledge. So I guess I am not going anywhere.

Here are the pictures to prove it! And I guess the good weather did it's part in making it wonderful events.

Dag van het Park. (Day at the Park), Capelle aan de IJssel. 28th of May 2017

Pentecost event at the Archeon. 

Repairing our son his cloak

Sharpening his arrows

I notice I have to work on my posture.

All squared up and still now throw

When I was in the hospital my husband brought me my crochet stuff so I could continue to work on our Granny Square Christmas Throw (or Afghan). He knows that having to sit still drives me nuts, so having my crochet stuff there was really great.

I started working on the throw September 2015, when I knew we where going to move house. I liked the idea of working on something for the new house but couldn't do any big projects because I needed to start sorting and packing stuff. Those little squares are nice little and fast projects you can work on in between other things. Unfortunately I ran out of yarn and the colors I needed weren't being sold anymore.
Fast forward to a year later. I remember the throw and start looking on secondhand websites for the yarn and lo and behold I stumble on the right colors in the right amount of yarn!

Now I have enough to make a throw I start getting annoyed with the small size of my squares. If I have to make a whole blanket with them I will have to make an enormous amount of them to get the right size. So I decided to add another row of stitches.

before

after

Around the 10th of  November I had enough squares, a 170 of them to be exact. Then it was time to block them to get a nicer shape.

a granny square, after blocking, in the proces of being blocked and before blocking.

The difference is subtle but the blocked square does look neater.

I tried two methods of joining the squares together and decided to go with the bottom version.

But after making two pieces like this I decided the end result is too wonky. So I am all squared up but still now throw! (Bad pun I know but I can never resist one)

Yikes!

A Vintage Singer 99k sewing machine

A while ago I bought a Singer 99k, I've always wanted an antique looking sewing machine but never knew what make and model. Until I came across this Singer 99, it is the little sister of the Singer 66. She is only 3/4 the size of her bigger sister and weights less which makes her a little more portable than a full scale sewing machine. A feature my husband is particularly grateful for as I want to use it at 19th century events and he will be most likely the person ending up carring her around. She was born, a term they really use at the Singer website, on the 24th of September of 1952. Something that was clearly visible when I got her.

She came in the 1950's faux crocodile skin carrying case, a motor, footpedal and light and with the "modern" faceplate. The carrying case is very practical it protects my machine during transport.  I absolutely love the motor, foot pedal and the light. This means that I have two machines for the price of one. I can use it at home with all the modern conveniences and at an event as a hand crank machine. We only need to loosen two screws to change it!

So I bought an original  hand crank on Ebay and took the motor, foot pedal and the light off.

1950's faceplate

I also bought the old version of the faceplate to make her look older. Plastic surgery reversed!

1911-early 1950's

The old lacquer of the wooden bases had been badly damaged through the years. We sanded it down and waxed it.

She didn't come with any accessories, so I bought a original 1950's  99k box with a lot of different sewing feet and a seam guide.

 Now she looks exactly like an older version from 1911 and is ready to attend her first event!

For safety reasons in time the motor, foot pedal and light will be fitted with new black electrical cords. Now it is time for me to start practising sewing with a hand crank machine.