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. 

International Vikingmarket at the Archeon

With the leaves on the trees slowly changing color. The international vikingmarket at the Archeon for us always marks the end of summer and the end of our re-enactment season.

Picture taken in the morning. I tried wearing my woollen apron dress for as long as possible during the day. Just to be able to show of my nice viking jewellery!

Warning my husband collects the shrunken heads of his enemies. His wood carved heads always attrack a lot of attention.

Our son his recurve bow isn't correct for the viking age. It was a gift from a friend and he really loves it. So we let him use it after closing time. Doesn't he look cool?!

Unfortunately we couldn't stand in the same spot as the group of friends we usually stand with but we got a really good spot in the shade. Near a path so we had a lot of contact with the public and with wonderful neighbours. So we weren't complaining.

Some of our friendly neighbours.

This is one of my favorite spots in the Archeon.

A friendly game of throwing dice.

I think one of the best things of our hobby is meeting al those really talented people.

This lady was working on Birka posaments. Why do the Swedes always get the nice bling!

Photo by Korsjan Punt

Photo made by Korsjan Punt  

On of my rounds with a good friend. I didn't have time to speak with all my friends. A weekend just isn't long enough to talk with everyone I'd like to talk to!

Vikingmarket Schothorst Amersfoort

The early medieval has been really growing the last couple of years. This year it had almost doubled in size compared to last year. Still it manages to keep the relaxed and friendly atmosphere it is famous for.

It was really warm about 26C, which is warm for Dutch standards. So most of us, including me, choose to wear only our linens during the warm hours of the days. While others frowned upon it and wore a woollen layer as well.

I am not from the early middle ages so I can't tell which option is the most authentic. For me it was common sense to wear only a (sleeveless) linen tunic during the warmest hours of the day. I have been sick from the heat before and I was trying to avoid getting sick again. In my humble opinion our ancestors would have been just as practical.

I did however miss my apron dress because al my nice vikingbling is attached to it and without it I did feel kind of boring and plain looking. I am a peacock, I can't help it.

Usually I forget my straw sunhat. We have many more wet events during a year than warm and sunny ones but I was really happy that I did bring it. It really helps keeping a cool head.

We had such a good time that we didn't get around to making a lot of pictures.

1880's Mourning Hat

When I wore my black Victorian bustle costume last December. I was asked a lot by the public if it was mourning costume, others just assumed it was. Although it is completly black it was not intended to be a mourning costume. If it had been I would have done more research into the etiquette of mourning dress. Also I wasn't in mourning at that moment.

This hat however is exactly what it looks like, a mourning hat. When I started working on it the only idea behind it was to make a hat for my black bustle costume. I stopped working on it when I found out that my mother was terminally ill and dying of cancer. This was also the reason why I stopped working on most, if not all, of my projects. My mother has passed away on the 11th of June and for me the best way to express and deal with my emotions always has been though my creativity. So making this mourning hat in her honor was kinda like therapy for me.

Day at the Park, Capelle aan de IJssel

The weather wasn't great but the public was very nice and it was wonderful to see some of our late medieval friends again. We do late medieval events way too little I am sad to say.

Audrey is handsewing. 

It's just one of the chores you "forget"

about during the winter.

Our son casting pewter while his

father was working on the soapstone molds

Me giving knitting in the round another try.

Peter doing some leatherworking

Viking market and the Rangers Apprentice Days at the Archeon.

Due to circumstances my husband and I weren't looking forward to our first event of the year. We even thought of not going but our son really wanted to go. So ofcourse we went!
Not much kids his age still voluntarily join their parents in the weird hobby living history basically is. So if the brat wants to go and it is humanily possible, you go. End of discussion (for us that is).

Our decision to go was blessed with great weather and the company of our wonderful friends. I ended up being really happy we went.

Our kids playing with the wooden canoes after closing,

one of the reasons our son loves to go so much!

Keeping an eye on the kids.

Even doing chores is fun here.

And yes even I agree with that..

Here I am nalebinding yet another pair of socks

because my son has outgrown all of his.

But the very best thing of this event was...

Meeting the author of the Ranger's Apprentice

and Brotherband and getting an autograph 

in a his lastest book.

Mr. Flanagan turned out to be not only a wonderful writer

but also a very nice person. 

Projects on hold

I am still working on various project, here is an update on some of them.

The 1840's - 1860's coat project is on hold. The sceond mock-up model I made showed that I still needed a lot of changes to the pattern to make it work. I am putting aside for now.

The 1880's hat has been finished and I have found some really nice hat decorations, some antique, some new. 

Hat decoration front idea

Hat decoration back idea

Nevertheless the hat still hasn't been decorated ! I still have to make a decorative band before I can sew on the rest of the decorations. The problem is that I am not fully satisfied with the hat. It sit on top of my head, which is the way they where worn in the 1880's, but I really really dislike the feeling. So the my internal debate is now: authenticity vs comfort. Also I would like the crown a little higher and the brim a little wider. Maybe it would be best to make a new hat and consider this a mock-up version but with no money for supplies this means this project is also on hold for now.

For now I have decided to concentrate on making things I need on a short notice. My son needs a new pair of nalebound viking socks as he has outgrown his old pairs. We already made him a new linen undertunic. The rest of his viking costume just needs to be let out.

And I want to make myself a new summerdress Burda #7179

I have traced the pattern on to paper weeks ago but only got around to shortening it today. Due to lack of time and energy progress is slow but it's still better than doing nothing at all I guess.

A while ago we went to the international collectors fair in Utrecht. We have been going there for the last 15 years and to our great sadness it keeps getting smaller every year. It has become so bad that we have decided not to go anymore, it's simply not worth the high entrance fee. Still there where some nice items, so I made some pictures for you to enjoy.

I've been kinda down lately so one of my sisters gave me a very early birthday present to cheer me up. It's the blue version of the Sheila apple daisy print dress by Hell Bunny. I wore it to the wedding of one of my husbands cousins last friday. Thanks Sis!

As you can see I messed up the settings of the photo camera but it gives the photo a vintage feel, don't you agree?