with my hands – Dream

sewing, knitting, creating… always learning, always dreaming

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    • Käsitöitä 1894-1915
  • Home
  • Shop
  • My projects
  • Sewing
    • The pleated skirt calculator
    • The Big List of Sewing Pattern Companies
    • Ompelun suomi-englanti sanakirja
  • Tutorials
  • Reviews
    • Sewing patterns
    • Sewing books
  • Other crafts
    • Pirtanauha-generaattori
    • Crochet
    • Knitting
    • Paper crafts
    • Food
  • Events
  • About me
  • Resources
    • Suomalaisia käsityökirjoja – Finnish sewing books (for free)
    • Käsitöitä 1894-1915
  • Home
  • Shop
  • My projects
  • Sewing
    • The pleated skirt calculator
    • The Big List of Sewing Pattern Companies
    • Ompelun suomi-englanti sanakirja
  • Tutorials
  • Reviews
    • Sewing patterns
    • Sewing books
  • Other crafts
    • Pirtanauha-generaattori
    • Crochet
    • Knitting
    • Paper crafts
    • Food
  • Events
  • About me
  • Resources
    • Suomalaisia käsityökirjoja – Finnish sewing books (for free)
    • Käsitöitä 1894-1915

No Widgets found in the Sidebar Alt!

  • Red tailored jacket, Marfy #1989
    Affiliates,  My projects,  Sewing,  Tailoring

    A made a Victorian-inspired tailored jacket

    March 28, 2021 / 1 Comment

    I made a Victorian-inspired wool tweed jacket based on Marfy #1989 pattern and using real tailoring methods.

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    kk
  • Karelian rätsinä shirt.
    Affiliates,  Embroidery,  My projects,  Sewing

    Making an early 19th-century Karelian dress, part 1: Shirt “rätsinä”

    October 9, 2020 / 3 Comments

    I am learning about the dress of my ancestors and making a traditional Karelian outfit. The first layer is called a "rätsinä" shirt.

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    kk
  • Symington corset
    Affiliates,  My projects,  Sewing

    How I made a Victorian Symington corset and greetings from Turku castle

    August 14, 2020 / 5 Comments

    I made a Victorian corset using a pattern from the Symington collection. This is one of my most complicated makes but a successfull one! We also visited Turku castle and got to see some extant garments from the 19th century and earlier.

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    kk
  • My blue Edwardian outfit.
    Affiliates,  My projects,  Sewing

    Blue Edwardian outfit

    June 11, 2020 / 3 Comments

    I made an Edwardian outfit with a skirt and a matching bolero jackeet out of blue linen for the summer.

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    kk
  • 1901 summer jacket
    Affiliates,  My projects,  Sewing,  Shop products,  Tailoring

    The making of a tailored 1901 jacket

    June 4, 2020 / 1 Comment

    I made this jacket using an original 1901 summer jacket pattern from the June issue of the Finnish Käsitöitä magazine that I found at the National Library.

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    kk
  • Affiliates,  Knitting,  My projects

    10-year socks

    April 29, 2020 / 9 Comments

    When I started knitting this pair of socks in 2011, I didn’t believe that it’d take almost 10 years for me to finish them! (Yes, I rounded up.) However, my shoulders started acting up and my migraines worsened every time I knit, so I had to put this project away. Now and then, I took it out and knit for a while and then headaches forced me to stuff this project back into my closet. Finally, I decided that enough was enough and thus, I finished the last rows and bound them off! This post contains affiliate links. The pattern came from Wendy D. Johnson’s book Socks from the toe…

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    kk
  • My WW1-era blouse.
    Affiliates,  My projects,  Patternreview,  Reviews,  Sewing

    WW1-era blouse

    April 19, 2020 / 6 Comments

    Inspired by the old fortifications scattered out the area where I live, I created a WW1-era blouse using the Elsie pattern by Wearing History.

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    kk
  • Fan skirt by Black Snail Patterns.
    Affiliates,  My projects,  Patternreview,  Reviews,  Sewing

    A fan skirt by Black Snail Patterns

    April 7, 2020 / 5 Comments

    A fan skirt or an umbrella skirt was fashionable during the 1890s. It was pretty simple in shape: the front was a simple A-line skirt and the back had this half-a-circle shape and pleats that gave it volume. I wanted a long skirt to go with my shirtwaists that would not be too hot during the warmer months and I chose this fan skirt pattern by Black Snail Patterns. This post contains affiliate links. Fabric considerations I wanted my skirt to be cotton and had some problems in choosing the right kind. Cotton lawn would probably have been too lightweight and the cotton sateen sold in the closest fabric shop…

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    kk
  • Affiliates

    Foundations revealed registration is open plus a free sleeves workshop

    April 4, 2020 / No Comments

    The Foundations Revealed opened its enrolment again for a few days and I joined immediately after first watching the free sleeves workshop they provided.

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    kk
  • Wearing History: 1900-1910s blouse.
    Affiliates,  My projects,  Patternreview,  Reviews,  Sewing

    Wearing History: 1900-1910s blouse

    April 3, 2020 / 1 Comment

    I tested the 1900-1910s blouse and guimpe pattern by Wearing History. I must say that of all the similar patterns I have tried out, this one is the best.

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    kk
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Luo oma pirtanauha!

Katja's sewing tip:

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Foundations Revealed - Your wardrobe unlock'd. The costume makers companion.

From my YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsUWz_jCoP4

Top Posts & Pages

  • 10 different types of fabric that you should recognize with your fingertips!
    10 different types of fabric that you should recognize with your fingertips!
  • The Big List of Sewing Pattern Companies
    The Big List of Sewing Pattern Companies
  • The quest for the well-fitting trousers - what I have learned
    The quest for the well-fitting trousers - what I have learned
  • What a sewist should know about interfacing?
    What a sewist should know about interfacing?
  • Ironing board cart for your sewing room
    Ironing board cart for your sewing room
  • A grey teeshirt bra and panties
    A grey teeshirt bra and panties
  • Restoring an antique Singer 12 from 1888
    Restoring an antique Singer 12 from 1888
  • A Victorian bashlik hood at Espoo City Museum
    A Victorian bashlik hood at Espoo City Museum
  • A wool walking skirt
    A wool walking skirt
  • Free Finnish sewing and crafting books
    Free Finnish sewing and crafting books
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withmyhandsdream

Katja Kuitunen
I was invited to see and study the genuine Victori I was invited to see and study the genuine Victorian Bashlik at Espoo City Museum. Check out my YouTube video to see it! My warm thanks to the intendent Suvi Kettula ja Espoo City Museum! #bashlik #espoocitymuseum #kamuespoonkaupunginmuseo #Victorianfashion #hood #historicalfashion #Espoo #antiquegarments #history
I made a hair stick out of a chop stick. I never t I made a hair stick out of a chop stick. I never thought I could keep my slippery hair in control with a simple stick but I tried with a chop stick and it worked. Only the chop stick was wat too big. I shortened the stick and made a decorative spiral end. To be honest, that was an accident! I didn’t cut the wood straight with my Dremel and I saw the spiral forming. I then just continued cutting in an angle. #hairstick #woodcarving #diy #hairideas #dremelproject
It's been exactly 15 years since I married my husb It's been exactly 15 years since I married my husband but the time has gone so fast. And yes, we married on April Fool's day! Made it much easier to find the venue! However, we look so young in the picture! Five years ago we took a trip to Edinburgh together, just the two of us. We might have done something special this year, too, if not for covid, but now it's just a regular evening at home. #anniversary #15yearstogether
I managed to find real silk ribbon in my hometown! I managed to find real silk ribbon in my hometown! My Edwardian silk underwear deserves real silk and not polyester. However, this quick lets-just-use-the-silk-scraps-for-a-quick-corset-cover project has turned in a long one with days spend carefully hemming ruffles by hand and sewing lace on with silk thread. #Edwardianunderwear #trulyvictorianpatterns #sewing #costuming #historicalcostuming #corsetcover #silk #lace #ribbons #ruffles #sewfun #sew #ompelu #ompeluelämää #historiallinenompelu
My newest blog post and the YouTube video are now My newest blog post and the YouTube video are now live! I can finally show how I made this Victorian-inspired tailored jacket. The pattern was (a bit modified) Marfy #1989 and the gorgeous wool tweed was from @materialshelsinki. I finished the jacket already in December but it took me a while to edit all the footage I recorded during the process. In the meantime I have been wearing this jacket a lot. It is very warm and comfortable and a perfect jacket for #historybounding  shenanigans. #sewing #sewingblog #tailoring #jacket #tweed #tailoredjacket #räätälinhommia #ompelu #ompeluelämää #sewcialist #sewistsofinstagram #victorianinspired #sewfun #sew #sy #nähen #marfypatterns #marfy1989
Just uploaded three old Finnish sewing and pattern Just uploaded three old Finnish sewing and patternmaking books from the years 1892, 1902 and 1915 to my blog. After all these years they are in public domain but as far as I know they haven't been available digitally. Go and have a look! Link in bio! #sewingbooks #historicalsewing #oldbooks #digitizedbooks #sewingpatterns #sewing #patternmaking #historybounding #ompelu #ompeluelämää #ompelukaavoja #historiallinenompelu
Onion peels and tea for the dye and potato starch Onion peels and tea for the dye and potato starch to stiffen! Today, I started the work for my petticoat project in the kitchen! Now I must get silk ribbon to match - or then more onions! #sewing #historybounding #naturaldyeing #dyeingwithfood #lace #cottonlace #historicalsewing #petticoat #laceinsertion #sewcialist #sewistsofinstagram #ompelu #luonnonvärit #ompeluelämää #historiallinenompelu #pitsi
This wide lace was bright white similar to the nar This wide lace was bright white similar to the narrow lace in the picture. However, my silk fabric was cream-coloured. I first dipped my lace in hot tea (a good use for those bags in a selection that no one wants to drink) and it turned into light reddish beige. The colour was much better but I would have wished a colour closer to yellow. So, I took some leftover onion peels and dyed over. Now the colour matches exactly! Note that to do this your lace has to be made out of natural materials. I also put some salt in and removed the onion peels before adding the lace. I then used vinegar to set the dye. #fabricdyeing #lace #historybounding #dyeing #matchymatchy #sewing #sewcialist #historicalsewing #ompelu #värjäys #luonnonvärit #ompeluelämää #pitsi #puuvillapitsi #cottonlace #onionpeels #sipulinkuorivärjäys
I made an 18th-century style Finnish shirt for my I made an 18th-century style Finnish shirt for my Kokkola national costume. In a true 18th century fashion, the shirt is long but the lower part of the shirt is made out of cheaper fabric, I used an old tablecloth from the Recycling centre. Check out my YouTube video on sewing it! #sewing #sewcialist #sewistsofinstagram #ompelu #ompeluelämää #kansallispuku #kansallispuvunkorjausprojekti #sewfun #paita #aliset #historicalsewing #folkcostume
Should I line the hem ruffle? How much pf the cott Should I line the hem ruffle? How much pf the cotton netting should go beyond the lining? What lace trim to use? Can I match the colour of the silk if I dip my lace into some tea? Decisions, decisions? Opinions, please! #sewing #silk #victorianpetticoat #blacksnailpatterns #historybounding #lace #ruffle #historicalsewing #victorianfashion #labelleepoque #sew #sewfun #sewcialist #sewistsofinstagram #ompelu #pitsi #alushame #ompeluelämää
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