All posts filed under: What I wear

A modern Red Riding Hood

In addition to all my historical sewing, and client sewing, and teaching, I’ve been sewing for me. I’ve just been so busy I haven’t managed to blog about it. Case in point: my latest project, which was finished over a month ago, but which I haven’t managed to photograph and write about until now. I made this cape as a demonstration piece for a cape class I was teaching. It’s made from McCall’s ‘Generation Next’ M6446. In some ways it’s good that it took me so long to blog about it. I wasn’t sure about it as a garment when I finished it (and I still have significant reservations about the pattern), but now that I’ve had a chance to wear it a bit I’m in love. It goes over everything so easily, and is the perfect transitional garment with the changeable late-winter weather. The felted wool also repels water quite effectively, so I’ve worn it in the rain with the hood up and stayed nice and cozy. You can actually see the rain spots …

Regency sleeve mitts (more or less)

Published by The Dreamstress

I’m doing two entries for the Historical Sew-Fortnightly ‘Separates’ challenge, and neither of them is the project I had originally planned, and started working on in week 1 of the the fortnight. However, I’m pretty excited about my first entry, soft as it is, because it is inspired by an image that was shared on the HSF facebook page, and the ensuing discussion. Sarah posted these knit sleeves from the collection of the Nordiska Museet: Made of fine wool or silk, they were worn with evening dresses in the chill northern winters, to keep the wearer warm while still being elegant and fashionable, combating the problem of “Dressing in French and freezing in Danish” that Tidens Toj mentions. I looked at these and thought how perfect they would be to go with my 1813 Kashmiri gown, which, being made of wool, is pretty warm, except for all that exposed arm and chest. There are other examples of similar sleeves or mitts (maybe) in the Nordiska collections, and at the MFA in Boston, indicating that wearing …

The ‘Queen Celeste’ Roll-Collar jacket

Published by The Dreamstress

I’m teaching a Roll-Collar jacket class at the moment, so I made myself another Roll-Collar jacket, just to keep in practice. I’m calling it the ‘Queen Celeste’ jacket, after Babar’s wife, because the cotton-velvet fabric is a sort of elephant grey-purple, and looks like something that you would make a child’s stuffed toy out of, but the overall effect of the jacket is quite regal. Wearing it feels like wearing a child’s stuffed toy: it’s all snuggle and plush and has a warm, comforting effect. It’s like an extremely glamourous blankie! When I set out to make the jacket, I wanted it to be really crisp and bold, in bright red, or bottle green. But the Wellington fabric stores failed my vision, and I resorted to my stash (like a good girl) and unearthed this purple-grey velvet. I had just the right length for the jacket, and when I found it I remembered I had cut a lining in a vintage lavender floral twill for my very first version of the jacket. I ended up …