Six Scarves

Instead of five, I made six scarves for my grandma to give as Christmas gifts. They turned out pretty good. (If I say so myself).

On the 5th day of Christmas...

My true love gave to me, 5 Hand Crocheted Scarves!!!

I was asked to make five scarves for my grandma to give to as Christmas gifts. These are the yarn skeins she chose. I'll post pictures of the finished scarves soon.

Buttons for the Bluse

I use a quilters pencil to mark for button holes after I've sewn on buttons

Each stitch by hand; small, even custom button holes.

I use a seam ripper or a small pair of pointy scissors to cut the hole out.

Perfect fit!

I think these red daisy buttons are so cute!

Klied Construction

I started working on the dress for the German costume. Here's how it went.

Bodice front and lining front.

Buttons down the front with hand sewn button holes.

Button detail.

Completed dress and blouse.

Bluse Construction

Having finished the apron/schurze yesterday for the German costume I'm working on, I started on the blouse/bluse today.

I got going on it and realized that I would need some lace. I choose an off-white eyelet that went well with the tan fabric of the blouse. I hope my costumer likes it!

I didn't have time to finished it this morning, but I think I will work on it again tonight.

Bodice with completed with eyelet collar.

Creating gathers in the sleeve, preparing it to be attached to the bodice.

Easing the gathers.

One sleeve attached to bodice!

Sewing in German...

I've recently been asked to make a German costume. Blouse, Dress, Apron. The catch? The pattern is written completely in German! I started with the apron today. I've decided that sewing with a pattern in a different language is like putting together a puzzle without looking at the picture. :^) I am actually having fun with it.

Say what?!?

Making sure the pin tucks are even. It's never good to have uneven pin tucks!

Ah! The completed apron. Or, schurze...

Pin tucks. (Though they are time consuming and can sometimes be frustrating, I really like pin tucks).

Tied in a bow in the front. Just like the picture. (Cause I didn't read that it's supposed to look like that!).

~

I'm sure if someone - a German, perhaps - were to read the instructions they would find faults with the way I did it. I hope it's not too far off, but, I did the best I knew how. :^) And had fun doing it!

One and a half year old project...

Today my mom was going through a few baskets, and found a knitting project that I had started about a year and a half ago.

 It was a shawl in white cotton, in a sort of lace pattern.

I finished it today! :^) About time, ay?

Red and Gray Shawl

I recently completed a shawl on our Triangle Frame Loom. Here's how it turned out, let me know what you think.

I took pictures before I was totally finished. I also added fring on the to side edges.

It is all hand spun wool. The red was hand dyed, the gray is natural, and the pink Leno lace sections in the gray were hand dyed.

Will post pictures on a model after it is washed and blocked.

Removing from the loom.

18th Century Embroidery

After purchasing a beautiful book from Michael's showing how to embroider like women did in the 18th century, I was awed and.... overwhelmed. I put it on a shelf only to be pulled down now and again to leaf through and admire the tight small stitches in an innumerable amount. Full men's dress coats, long women's bed gowns; covered from seam to seam in ornate stitches.

Well, I finally decided to try some out, and just to be sure I wouldn't freak out too much, I started only with the corner of a handkerchief. It wasn't so hard, only time consuming.

1900-05 Blouse

I recently watched a delightful film, Miss Potter, which inspired me to create a blouse similar to the one Beatrix Potter wears at her families Christmas party. Here are my results.

The sleeves on my blouse go to the wrist, the one on Miss Potter only go to the elbows.

Cuff Detail. I loved making these cuffs! Hand-sewn button holes, of course.

Back Detail. High collar with buttons down the back. The blouse Miss Potter wears had a more delicate lace yolk and was made of a silky fabric both in an off-white color. I just used white cotton since that's what I had.

Miss Potter's also had more gathers in front at the bust line and had vertical pin tucks under the yolk seam.



I hope to make a skirt and belt to go with this someday, so be looking for a post on that in the coming months... or years... lol...