Sewing plans /dreams

Hello,
I'm sorry I've been absent for long! Last week I blogged at the Swedish site Kravallslöjd (click on "Erika Borgström" on the right side bar, and only my posts comes up). It was only in Swedish though! I have plans on being lazy and just translate the posts and re-post them here =)
This past week I've been knocked out by the worst cold I've had in years. I'll spare you the details, let's just say that the Kleenex box is still kept within easy reach but I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the fever haze. It's been a bit annoying, easter is a four day holyday in Sweden and I had so much sewing I wanted to sink my teeth into now that I really could focus for a couple of days. But no sewing. Today is the first day that even the idea of sewing is interesting =)

So instead of showing anything ready of half ready, I'd like to talk summer sewing plans. Summer is soon. Very soon. How did that happen this year too? I blame the short spring-season =)

The right is a cotton voile and the left a soft linen.

 Pattern found here

The floral cotton is destined to something very close to the swing dress, I've used my own block pattern and made my own version, but the general idea is the same. This one is first out, now if only I could decide on what sleeves to make... I'm torn between set-in sleeves that widens (leave open or gather? Better for dancing if open, but harder to fit under a cardigan) and cap sleeves.

The linen has a lot more body, so I'm making a 50s dress with a full circle skirt, scalloped neckline and holksleeves. Sort of like the pattern above (found here), although, of course, I'm making my own pattern... I'll skip the buttons, and only use a side-zipper instead.

Blouses! Comfortable blouses for summer are a huge gap in my  wardrobe, and aren't these two fabrics nice for fixing the problem? I have some loose ideas about the models, but need to sit down, make some sketches and decide what I'm going with. So far I've thought about a standing collar with a bow in the front for the polka-dots, and holk-sleeves for the blue fabric.

A close up on the blousefabrics.

Speaking of blue fabrics, I'm beginning to get a blue problem for the summer! For some reason, I always go for the blue version, whether it's fabric or RTW. And blue don't always match blue... I need other colours in my summer wardrobe! The strange thing is that blue isn't even my favorite colour, that would be red and green. But maybe I'm more particular with shades when it comes to them? Do you have a colour that you always come home with and then open your closet / fabric storage and realise it's in tone with what's already there?

Hope you've had a great Easter!
Love, Erika

Guesting the vintage dream

This weekend I took a mini-trip to Luleå to celebrate the 30th birthday of my friend Johannes. One night I spent with my very stylish friend Therese, who has the most gorgeous appartement I have ever seen! Above, the vanity in the guestroom. That's right, a room just for guests. Not a combo sewing - home office - guests, such a luxury for the lucky friends who stays in this room!

 

The green hat with dark velvet and a bow at the neck was just adorable! 

The kitchen was cozy but stylish in white, red and black. Lots of polkadots! =)

The living room. I just love the lamp! And the mirror. And the polarbear...

The perfect place to cozy up with a nice book, right?

For all the sewing enthusiasts =) I love the suit that's all marked up with chalk, and the sewing machine. It's actually quite interesting to see the tailoring techniques that are represented in this print.

I swear, I left with such a positive feeling of "wow, I can't wait to fix my appartament!". Isn't it great with people who inspire us to take that last step, to bring our projects to their conclusions? It's so easy to become blind to those last boxes in the corner. After all, one doesn't know where to put the things in them, and it's not like the boxes are hurting anyone just standing there...

I'm not promising I'll get it done this week, or even this month. Actually, I'm guessing earliest towards the end of summer (mom visiting = we'll transport the last of my furniture up here). But before it didn't feel so necessary, just something I needed to do, now I want my own dream-appartement! I think I will start with my sewing area...

Thank you, Therese! Both for having me overnight, the lovely chat and the wonderful inspiration!

Love, Erika

A haircut and some shopping

I've been a busy little bee sewing on the coat this past week. Even though we got 30 cm of snow this Friday, spring is around the corner and it will surely soon melt. That is all good, we're moving towards warmer and lighter days! However, I would like to get one or two chances to wear the coat this season... So sewing 'til my fingers are bleeding! =)

I have managed to get a few other things done, the most important one: getting a haircut. My wonderful hairdresser Sara from Retroella specialices in vintage/retro hair, the only downside is that she just moved to Stockholm. She was home in Umeå over the weekend and I'm very happy she had time to cut my hair!

The style is same as before, just trimmed it a bit, making it a lot easier to curl.

So happy to have hair that's healthy and easy to work with again!

I've also indulged myself with a "semla" a couple of times past week. This is a traditional swedish pastery that's only eaten around the beginning of lent, we even have a special day dedicated to it. Swedes are nothing if not serious about their coffeebread! =)

I've done a little bit of shopping, the purse is second hand from Tradera, and the gloves are new (they're red! So happy!)

Double broches always catches my eyes, they look so stylish and sophisticated. And now I'm the proud owner of a double broche! (Please disregard my face in the photo, I had been on town all day, was tired and hungry.)

Search and you shall find! Or rather, search high and low, tell my mother or my grandmother, and they shall find =) Duck-billed scissors seemed so practical for trimming seamallowances, esp when the two seamallowances are to be cut to different widths (like the facing/front seam of the coat). Plus they look kind of funny, and it's a sewing gadget... Of course I was craving one! Coudln't find any seller carrying these scissors closer then UK, though... My mom found one in a sewing store in Stockholm and mailed it to me! Thank you so much, mom!

Today tt's a beautiful Sunday, a little bit over zero degrees, startling sunshine, and I've already worked out at the gym and dyed my hair (pictures of that later). Time to sew!

Love, Erika

Channelling my inner movie star

Photographer for all the pictures in this post is Frida Sandström. 

A co-worker's daughter asked me if I would be willing to help her out with a school project, they were going to make fan-cards inspired by a decade of the 20th c. I was of course delighted to be asked, we had a great time and here's the result of mine and Frida's hard work!

This is the shot Frida chose to use for the final product. Although as you can see in the first image she made me blue-eyed =) A bit cute, very 50s, but it feels so strange to see myself with a different eye-colour. Lol!
The dress is vintage, I found it in Herräng.

The blouse is from my grandmother, the skirt is from Tradera / Ebay. I believe they're both 70s, but they do a good job of pretending to be 40s, don't they? =) The shoes are my beloved dance-shoes, "So danza".

The same outfit as above, with one of my favorite hats (Tradera), a purse and gloves (from my grandmother, again) and a mink stole (family heirloom). I know fur is a hot topic and just to state my point of view; I don't support the fur-industry and I would never buy new fur, nor fur from the last decades. Vintage fur from the 60s and earlier? I find that more ok. And this one? My great-uncle Stig bought it for his wife Anna-Lisa in the 50s, and after her death he gave it to my mother, who later on gave it to me. Every time I wear it I'm remembered of Stig and Anna-Lisa's great love for each other, their long marriage with all it's joys and sorrows. Some day I'll tell you the story of my remarkable great-uncle, the sweetest old man I've ever met! I have a few other things from him, but nothing brings back the memories as much as this stole. I hope it's not offensive to anyone that I show it here.

I couldn't resist it. This hat is just too special to be left on a shelf! I first showed it here. When I first laid eyes on it I found it hilarious and I was certain I would never use it, and for a trip to town I wouldn't. But for a special occasion, with a period theme, so it's part of a costume? I can't help to love it! Also, with the stole, I think the "glamour"-factor is very high. =)

It was so much fun to take these photo's, Frida is a very talented young photographer. And of course I always love any excuse to dress up and pose in front of a camera! Lol!
Hope you enjoyed the results of our photoshoot!

Love, Erika

Tools or toys?

Everytime I take up a new hobby I'm struck by the same feeling: the interest in all the little things one can buy. It's tools, little garment details, practical things, purly decorative things, bur I want them all, convinced that if I just have all the proper gear my experience will be perfect. Which is silly, because in the end it's not the gear that makes the hobby but the actual performance of it.

However, while toys are fun there are so many things that are practical. Danceshoes are shoes, which means they´re fun to buy, but they're also much needed if one dances a lot (for knees, feet, legs, posture etc). Sewingmachines are fun, but certainly also makes the sewist's life easier. So how to think when the things I crave as toys also are practical tools? Nowadays I think 1) Will I use it enough to merit the expense? and 2) Do I have room to store it? I'm often saved from "pratical purchases" by having to say "No" to the second question, my appartement is small with limited storage spaces.

Sewing is by no means a new hobby to me, but the intensity of it has shifted the past 1,5 years. A bit because of my vintage interest (sewing period clothes that can't be bought) and a bit because of my injuries giving me more time for quiet hobbies. I've sewn quite a great deal in my days, but little modern, meaning I have very few of the tools often taken for granted by sewists (in medieval circles I'm considered a great cheat as it is; I use a sewing machine after all! =) ). There's a lot of "Oh, I want that" and "Oh, I need that!" and "OMG, I've been looking for a place to buy that!" when I browse any sewing tool section =) I really try to remember that if I've made it this far without something, I probably don't really need it. Some stuff I've given myself leave to purchase/aquire:

A point presser (kantpress) and a tailor's ham. The tailor's ham I made myself from leftover fabric, it has wool from my thick coatfabric on one side and a double layer of cotton on the other side. First I stuffed it with rags, as one DIY said to, but it ended up very lumpy and uneven so I changed the filling to sawdust. At first I was at a total loss, where do one buy sawdust?, until pet-stores were mentioned. Cages for small animals has sawdust on the floor! *mentally clapping my forhead* The supermarket has a pet-isle, and what do you know? Sawdust!

An aid for measuring and a new seamripper, with a better handle. Both were in use within a few days of arrival.

I've been coveting a dress dummy but found them too expensive (a bit like the overlock, which btw works like a dream after service). I might very well be the luckiest girl in the world, 'cause my grandmother found one. And I mean found it, someone had thrown it in the trash (in a big plastic bag, in the trashes where one throws clothes, furniture etc, not the icky trashes). She rescued it, but it's the wrong size for her and she anyway has one, so she gave it to me! Thousend thank you's, grandma!

All the pieces are there, it's only fault is that it has separated in the waist. Some spring or something is missing, so one can press it together but it doesn't stay that way. Hopefully I'll find a way to lock it in place in a suitable height, but until then it will still be a great help while I'm sewing the coat. Later on I'm planning on making a fitted shell and fill it so the dummy actually have my measurments (nope, it can't be altered to that extent, I have too great variations between back, bust, shoulders, waist and hips. Erhmm... the bodice.).

Other things I covet but don't know if I really need are duckbill-scissorns, zigzag-scissors, loop-turners and chalkwheels. And lot's of other things, but that's what came to mind while writing. What do you say about this? Are these things (both the things I have and the one's I want) tools or toy's? Anything of it that you can't live without or that you've tried and never used again?

Hope everyone has had a great weekend!
Love / Erika