with my hands – Dream

sewing, knitting, creating… always learning, always dreaming

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    • Suomalaisia käsityökirjoja – Finnish sewing books (for free)
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  • 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

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  • Pirtanauhat
    My projects,  Other crafts,  Weaving

    Making an early 19th-century Karelian dress, part 2: Weaving the belt

    October 16, 2020 / 1 Comment

    I learned how to weave with a backstrap rigid heddle to make traditional belts for my Karelian folk costume.

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    kk
  • My Edwardian parasol
    Millinery,  My projects,  Sewing

    Edwardian accessories: a parasol and a hat

    July 27, 2020 / 2 Comments

    I took an old umbrella and turned it into an Edwardian style silk parasol. I also transformed a modern paper straw hat into an Edwardian style hat.

    Read More
    kk
  • My boater hat
    Millinery,  My projects

    A boater hat and hatpins

    May 7, 2020 / 3 Comments

    I made a cute turn-of-the-20th-century style boater hat in Anne of the Green Gables style. I also made matching hatpins out of old knitting needles.

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    kk
  • Home-made buckram
    Millinery,  My projects,  Tutorials

    Making buckram at home

    May 5, 2020 / No Comments

    I made buckram at home or my millinery projects! You only need linen, water and little something from a grocery store! The whole process was super simple!

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    kk
  • Edwardian hatmaking
    Millinery,  My projects,  Other crafts

    Trying out hatmaking in Edwardian style

    May 2, 2020 / 3 Comments

    Inspired by a hatmaking video by Angela Clayton, I decided to try on hatmaking! With no experience and no proper materials, I made my first hat.

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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
  • Monty marmot
    Crochet,  My projects,  Patternreview

    A little crocheted marmot

    December 27, 2019 / No Comments

    I found the pattern for this wonderful little marmot from Ravelry. My son loves marmots and this was a perfect gift for him. I had some scraps of yarn already in my possession, so I started crocheting this on Christmas day when I was visiting my parents. This was a great little holiday project!

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    kk
  • My projects,  Other crafts,  Shop products

    Your Unique Dressform and why you should make your own

    December 3, 2019 / No Comments

    The dressforms that you can never replicate our unique bodies, so why not make your own at home? My little ebook "Your Unique Dressform" shows you how,

    Read More
    kk
  • Winter in Victorian-inspired costume.
    Affiliates,  Chatting,  Knitting,  My projects

    Winter is here

    November 7, 2019 / 1 Comment

    This morning we woke up and the ground was white. I can hardly believe that we have snow at the beginning of November! Anyway, it was a perfect photo opportunity so I dressed up in my Victorian-inspired costume and headed outside. I threw on my Girasole shawl I knitted 10 years ago and it kept me warm. I have been wearing this Truly Victorian 1898 walking skirt a lot this autumn. It is super warm and comfortable and I love the long skirt swishing behind me. A few weeks ago I added a dark grey braid to protect the edge of the hem from wear. I realised that the Gertie…

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    kk
  • Ironing board hack
    Interior decoration,  My projects,  Other crafts,  Tutorials

    Ironing board cart for your sewing room

    September 4, 2019 / 50 Comments

    This easy Ikea hack of mine combines the Ikea Råskog cart with the Ikea Jäll ironing board to make a movable small ironing cart with storage space.

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    kk
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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
  • Free Finnish sewing and crafting books
    Free Finnish sewing and crafting books
  • The pleated skirt calculator
    The pleated skirt calculator
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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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