Making an early 19th-century Karelian dress, part 1: Shirt “rätsinä”
I am learning about the dress of my ancestors and making a traditional Karelian outfit. The first layer is called a "rätsinä" shirt.
How I made a Victorian Symington corset and greetings from Turku castle
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.
Blue Edwardian outfit
I made an Edwardian outfit with a skirt and a matching bolero jackeet out of blue linen for the summer.View post to subscribe to site newsletter.
The making of a tailored 1901 jacket
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.
10-year socks
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…
WW1-era blouse
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.
A fan skirt by Black Snail Patterns
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…
Wearing History: 1900-1910s blouse
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.
Chatelaine – a Victorian Swiss army knife
Chatelines were a huge fashion accessory during Victorian and Edwardian times. Often they included various sewing tools that were both pretty and practical.
Silk under a microscope
I put my silk fabrics under a microscope.
