A folk vest and an apron from Askola, Finland

Now it was time to make my costume a vest and an apron. This folk vest is a fitted bodice that has a hidden cord closure and characteristic pleats at the back. The apron is made out of very lightweight embroidered cotton. Nowadays a hand-woven fabric for the vest is more expensive and valuable than the commercially-made cotton for the apron. However, in the early 19th century, commercial fabrics were expensive and hard to come by.

The patterns for the Askola folk costume can be obtained from Taito Etelä-Suomi.

Check out my video to learn how I made these two garments and to hear something about the history and beliefs associated with folk vests and aprons:

Now I finally have some kind of outfit I can wear for folk-themed events! However, this costume is far from finished! I still want to make the black wool jacket. Right now I have a mock-up done but other projects have postponed sewing the actual jacket.

A bigger undertaking is coming in the autumn. I want to enroll in a course to learn to make bobbin lace. Then I want to make the bobbin lace for the collar and the lace cap.

Thank you for visiting my blog and see you soon! Bye!

Katja