A short wool Finnish folk jacket from the early 19th century < with my hands

I have worn my national costume a lot but for the colder months, it needed some warmth. Askola’s costume doesn’t have a jacket from the same source where the rest of the pieces came from. However, there is one jacket that is from the nearby town of Porvoo. This jacket greatly resembles Spencer jackets that were fashionable during that era. It is much shorter than the vest/bodice worn underneath and shows that the commoners did pay some attention to the trends.

The original jacket or “röijy”

Here is the original jacket that is called “röijy” in Finnish. It is from Porvoo which is about 20 km south of Askola, However, the national costume from Porvoo is very similar to the Askola one. There is also a third costume from Pornainen, that has many similar elements. This trio of costumes share a jacket, a vest, and an apron but they differ in stripes on the skirts and the cap.

The original piece is in the collection of the National Museum of Finland. Photo in the courtesy of the National Museum of Finland.

I bought the pattern and the instructions from Taito Etelä-Suomi. Unfortunately, I somehow went and ordered a size that was way too small for me. So I had to start with enlarging the pattern before I could start the actual sewing.

Here is the video of the sewing process:

The finished jacket

I’m really happy with how the jacket turned out. I went with my friend Johanna Hoppu (@sapphicstithing) to see Glims farmstead museum. The main house and barn are from the 18th century, so approximately from the same period as my dress.

I had to leave my buckled leather shoes at home as it had just snowed for 4 inches. My sturdy leather boots worked much better, especially after I stuffed them with two pairs of handknit socks!

Of course, I had to take a twirly photo!

Here is me pretending to cook in my finest clothes!

Johanna was also wearing an outfit from the same period. However, she wore a fashionable empire dress and a velvet pelisse coat, trimmed with (faux) fur. Check out the dresses she has made on her Instagram!