• 18th century stays,  18th century,  Uncategorized

    Green 18th century Kyoto stays

    Green, green days, green green stays!

    A pair of stays I made 2022. We moved after I made them so it has taken me a while to photograph them and some other things I made. More coming up!

    Since i first saw these stays from the Kyoto costume institutes collection i wanted to give it a try to make them. I loved the swirly pattern going across the front of the stays. Since I am 2 feet tall and a bit bigger than the originals I off course had to adapt them a bit and make them wider. I also skipped the front lacing since I have that on my pink stays and I didnt feel like doing it on these.

    Notice that these stays have shoulder straps in one piece! Not super common… As they usually are attatched with a lacing cord in the front to be ablte to adjust. I cant say that Im a superfan.  They where adjustable for a reason! Haha! But you gotta try.. Since I have a lot of shoulder pain I actually prefer to have without shoulderstraps or the tape solution like on my pink stays that are super easy to adjust if you are unconfortable.

    Green kyoto stays
    Lacing stays

    Materials:

    I used 3 layers of linen for these stays. I did not put any extra canvas layers in the front piece as I wanted this pair to be a bit more soft. If you want a more stiff and straight front you need to add several pieces of heavy canvas and you can also use a wooden busk.

    -Green 185g linen .

    -350g linen canvas.

    -280g linen as lining.

    -4mm plastic whalebone

  • Folk costume,  Uncategorized

    Livstycke sorunda

    På dräktsömnaden på sätergläntan skulle vi dokumentera och mäta upp ett livstycke vi skulle sy upp. Jag valde ett livstycke från Sorunda, Södermanland.

    Privat Ägo.

    Datering: 1830-50.

    Yttertyg i halvylle, randigt på blå linvarp.

    Halvblekt linfoder.

    Sydd med blå lintråd, ca 35/2. Foder sytt med halvblekt lintråd, ca 35/2.

    Jag gjorde lite ändringar, dels så förstorade jag livet lite till min storlek, och dels så ville jag förlänga skörtet fram för att få ännu mer rokoko-utseende på den, samt att jag satt snörningen på det klassiska sättet istället för att få den mer ålderdomliga diagonalsnörningen. Till yttertyget valde jag ett handvävt tyg som var tillräckligt lika. Har köpt det på auktion och har tyvärr inte än hittat vilken dräkt det tillhör, men därermot väldigt många snarlika.

    Till påsk drog jag på mig livstycket för att bli en äkta påskkärring! 😀

    I övrigt en tradition som verkar lite utdöende men som jag hoppas får bli kvar. Folk tycker lite olika om traditionen att klä ut sig till häxa, men för mig känns det som ett sätt att minnas och hylla kvinnorna som dog. Liknande scenarion händer världen över och vi bör inte glömma att det inte var så länge sen det hände här. Kvinnokampen fortsätter!

    Glad påsk!

  • Plant dye,  Uncategorized

    Plantdye with akorns

    The ground outside is currently covered in akorns so I couldnt resist trying to plant dye with them. I wasnt sure what color I would get, maybe brown? I collected a bucket of akorns that I thought would last for a week or so but they dont, they mold so I also collected a bucket of new green ones to dye with both and compare.

     

     
    I did not use any mordant since I didnt have any home yet, and I was very eager to try. Im happy it worked anyway!
    Big pot- Green akorns+ white diamond twill and tabby wool
    Small pot- Brown odl akorns + tabby wool
     
    Akorn dyed fabrics

    What a result! 😀 I was soo exited to see the fabric in the big pot turn brownish pink and when dry a nice shade of vintage pink. In the picture above from left: 

    1. Green akorns-Vintage pink on diamond twill

    2. Brown old akorns- Light brown on tabby wool

    3. Green akorns- Vintage pink (slightly more brown) on tabby wool

    Akorn dyed fabric samples
    Plant dye with akorns
    Akorn dye result

     Afterwards I got the idea that I also wanted to test on a medium gray fabric so I throwed a piece in for a while more but it only got a bit darker on the brown gray side. Now im eager to try with mordant and experiment with other ingredients! 😀

  • Folk costume,  Uncategorized

    Kjolsäck stigsjö ångermanland

    Jag upptäckte att Västernorrlands museum hade symönster… Jag som redan hade sytt livstycke efter bilder på digitalmuseum så gott jag kunde, attans! Köpte både, särk, livstycke och kjolmönster. Jag hade redan sytt kjolen med och där hade jag fått över en smal rand av det fina ylletyget som min mormors mamma vävt, vilket var tur för det ingick inte i kjolsäckskittet. Kläde, kantband och tråd ingick i kitet (lite snålt med tråd lägg gärna till mer om ni någon gång ser detta, fick lägga till egen tråd nämligen). Det var skönt att köpa ett kitt och kunna sätta igång lite fortare faktiskt. Annars brukar jag alltid göra egna mönster då jag tkr det är härligt att ha gjort allt själv men det behöver man ju faktiskt inte jämt göra! Nu var det bara att klippa ut bitarna och sätta igång med min kjolsäck till Stigsjödräkten i Ångermanland!

    Lite kjolsäckar från Ångermanland:

    För att slippa strul och besvär så duttade jag på lite lim på bitarna så dom skulle ligga still. Fritt fram o sy fast!

  • Uncategorized

    Vacation! Dala-floda

    I finnaly decided to have my first proper vacation. We wanted to go on a roadtrip up to Jämtland and back so Alex could see the summer lanscape there. Our trip went through Dalarna-Jämtland-Hälsingland. First stop was Dräktboden (the costume shop) in a little village called Dala-floda. They have one of the prettiest folk dress in Sweden I think, with all their embroidered flowers that they started with in the 1800s when chemical dies got common and yarns in all colors where more easy to get hold on. The costume has alot of colors and alot of flowers.
    At hemslöjden (homecrafts) they have a little shop with second hand dress items, many from the 19th century that has been passed down in generations.
     
     
     
     
    dräktboden-i-Dala-floda
    kråka-dalafloda

    Note the bonnets! A fashion from the first half of the 19th century that for some reason stayed in this region. The outside is covered with cotton tartan and the inside with wool muslin with roses. They also have wool bonnets covered with embroidered flowers and different types of tartan head scarfs for different occasions of the year.

    dala-floda-tröjor
    folkdräkt-dalafloda
  • Folk costume

    Livstycke stigsjö


    Jag ville göra ett nytt livstycke till min stigsjödräkt, nämligen såsom orginalet såg ut. Orginalet finns på nordiska museet och är från ca 1780-1799. Den är gjord i röd kamlott men eftersom det inte direkt går att få tag i nu för tiden så valde jag att göra den i röd kläde, dvs ylletyg i tuskaft. Till foder har jag använt linnetyg på 280g.

    1780 — 1799


    Kamlott var modernt i folkligt dräktskick
    under andra hälften av 1700-talet och speciellt till högtidsdräkt
    eftersom det var ett köpetyg. Ofta bars det i t.ex. ungmorsdräkten.
    -skriver Berit Eldvik

    Till den officiella stigsjödräkten valde man att göra livstycket i grönt tyg med röda passpoaler trots att orginalet var rött. Det gröna livstyckes valde man att använda till flera av de ångermanländska dräkterna. Dessa dräkterna dyker upp lite då och då på begagnatsidor så vill du ha en egen och inte beställa nytt så går det att få tag i.


    Orginalet finns att se på digitalmuseum

    https://digitaltmuseum.se/011023309406/livstycke


    Lite andra dräktdelar från Ångermanland:

    http://www.folkdrakt.se/bild/angermanland/dam.htm

    Orginallivstycket från Nordiska museet
  • 18th century,  Uncategorized

    18th century pockets

    18th century pockets
    I have lost my old embroidered pockets so I decided to make a new pair of some scrap fabric.
    A simple tutorial:
     
    18th century pockets
    1. Draw the pockets on a paper, use the stencil to cut 4 pieces of fabric.
    2. Cut the opening on 2 of the pieces. Use a narrow ribbon to make the edge, I used 12mm cotton ribbon. Sew the ribbon from the outside, turn over and then sew the backside with whipstitch as you do on stays.
     
    striped 18th century pockets
    striped 18th century pockets
    3. Pin the fronts together with the backs and sew them together with the ribbon the same way you did before.
    4. Use a wider ribbon to make the waist band. Pin the pockets to the waistband while you have it on you so you can adjust the placing. Sew the ribbon onto the pockets from the front, turn itover and sew it with whipstiches again all the way to the edges.
     
     
    And done!
     
    18th century pockets
     
    18th century pockets
     
  • 18th century,  18th century stays,  Uncategorized

    Pink 18th century stays- part 2

    How to make pink stays- part 2
     
    pink stays
    A ducktape dressform is great to make small changes! It is not as good as your self as you have bones to work around but its better than having to lace up every time! 🙂
     
     
    And here are the final stays!!
    pink 18th century stays
    pink stays
    I just realized I never did the shoulder straps haha! I will add those later then..
    pink 18th century stayspink 18th century stays
     
    pink 18th century stays back
     
    pink stays lacing
    pink 18th century stays
     
     
     
     

    Edit: I have released the pattern as the Freya stays, both on paper and digital. you can find it here:

    www.thehistoricalfabricstore.com/sewingpatterns

  • 18th century,  18th century stays

    Making pink 18th century stays- part 1

     
    pink stayspink stays
     
    This winter and a bit of last winter I have been digging more into stays making. I have been making two stays at the same time but I decided to finnish this one first. Pinterest has been a great source to find the right materials and layers and off course the wonderful Patterns of fashion 5! 
    The stays I wanted to make was these 1785-1790 stays from McCord Museum

    http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/M969X.26?Lang=1&accessnumber=M969X.26

     
     
    Patterns of fashion 5
     
    
    So first the toile! Not a easy task to do on yourself...! And I dont have an easy body type for this shape... 
    My best tip is to not just look in the mirror, ask someoneto take pictures so you can see better where to 
    adjust and if you want; compare to a original pair of stays. It took me alot of tries. After like 4 toiles I 
    was happy. I made a lot of misstakes like to long, to tight over the chest, to short in the front and so on
     but I have learnt alot!
    
    Trying on stays front
     

    pink 18th century stays sidepink 18th century stays back

     
    Now to try with all layers of fabric:
     
     
     
    Materials I used (layers from the outside):
     
    -Pink linen/cotton fabric
    -Heavy linen canvas
    -265g linen
    -creme colored linen lining
     
    -4mm plastic boning (fake whalebone)
    -Cotton ribbons
    White and natural linen thread
    I made most seams by machine and the edges and embroidery by hand. If you do it all by hand you would sew the seam allowance first on each piece and then sew the pieces together.
    stays pattern
    stays pattern
    outside of the stays
    inside of stays
    stays boning
    
    
    stays boning
    boned stays
    
    
    
    
    
    stays lacing holes
    First fitting:
    
    
     
    First try: Good in the front. Slits to low in the sides and back.
     
     
    Second try:

    Good fit but to long on the sides, need some cutting; a cm or two.

     

    18th century stays lacing
     
    Better! Now I felt ready to make the inside. First I sewed the curved line decorations and then I aded a waistband for strength, boning over the chest held by a cotton tape, and finally 3 layers of linen canvas on the ”beak”.
    inside of stays
    edge ribbon stays
    Next step is herringbone cotton tape over the seams ad a 12mm cotton tape over the edge.
    
    edge cotton ribbon stays
     
     
    stays lining
    finnished stays