Back to the d'Urbervilles..sort of.

Clearly, Tess isn't dressed all the time.

After deciding that first 1880's skirt looked all wrong and I decided to go more towards the smoky-gothic-city-style of an outfit, I kind of had a skirt lying around. So I fixed it up a little..less layered..more length..I returned to my original inspiration: Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Even if she's a really crappy secret keeper and falls in love with a dumbass it still seems to draw me in. I'm not talking about a book here and not the new film, but the 90's miniseries that looks so amazing. That's what's gonna be in the back of my head whilst finishing this one.

The upper part is actually a winter jacket that I didn't  finish 4 years ago lined with the same fabric as the skirt. 

So that will hopefully keep my mind of the fact that Christmas is kind of an annual thing. A lot less into it this year..but a little less hopelessly sad..

And I'm not even gonna mention what I think of the Finnish independence day tomorrow! let's just say I'm proud to be on the Swedish speaking side of the invisible border.. 

Goodnight!

Closet-diving and little jars.

There's so many of those bloggs out there that will tell you everything (and I mean everything!) about the lives of people that you barely know/care about, and they all feature at some point (or many) a "today's outfit"-post...and I know, I'm basing my "everything" on those maybe 5 bloggs I've clicked on Facebook for lack of better judgement and the same creepy curiosity that makes me look into peoples windows when I walk by, but still! Well, today I'm doing my interpretation of that..almost..only less lame.

The shirt is not from my wardrobe (even though I do have it on my mannequin which makes it look a little off there with the waistcoat) but part of my Victorian-project to dress up my family all in the same style..you know..as one does..I did finish it some days ago, and it's good enough for a first try. A little too wide, but otherwise it's good. I tried to keep it fairly simple now to start with so there's no extra pleating or such..but maybe I'll try that next time. My favourite detail on it is the buttons that are made to look like cufflinks on the sleeves. I'm not sure how accurate that is, but it looked so cool so I just had to do it!

Now, the 3 other pieces are totally from my wardrobe! The black dress is a gift from Skrutt that I just finished up a bit. It's been lying around for a while, and then I just came to think of the lace collar and had to try it. I've never looked more Catholic in my life. It's staying! for now at least..

Then there's my patched dress..Again in my recycling of fabric, some of this is older than I am. Aside from that it's one of my more artistic and less authentic dresses. It has it's ground idea in an Edwardian nightgown, but it's ripped of at the knees and patched all over with the same and different coloured bits..To me it's the way life tears you apart and then puts you back not quite the same. All the different colours has there own meaning in the puzzle,  like the pink ground fabric is a sunbleched bedsheet from my 1980's childhood..and that deep red comes from one of my sons first pillowcases...and the bow is the same silk ribbon as on my weddingdress..and finally india-patterned purple of which I also made a Victorian corset not so long ago. I think this will be my "thinking artsy thoughts"-dress. Maybe, if I add to it, it will be floor length at some point!

And here it comes: This is what I'm wearing today! my Victorian underskirt and this awesome t-shirt I made yesterday. It's inspired from a green t-shirt just like this, I just liked it so much because it goes so well with my Victorian skirts and makes it all a little more casual, so I made another one. And that text right there, right across my boobs, says "tout est relatif". I've had "all is relative" written on my arm for some time and wanted to use in something..and somehow it just sounded cooler in French..like most things.

So lastly, before I force my self to conform to society's  rules about sleeping at night, I'll do a sneak preview of my first completely useless but fun art projects: my jar-art! I got so into stuffing things into jars at Halloween and this is the next step..it's supposed to be more and less likely life situations..stuffed into jars! And something so vague also needs a confusing title, hence the paperlabels. One is finished (out of 3 so far..), with the random contents of a sofa or bed with the text "there's no time like the stolen".

But since this is not another blogg about someone's life, do not expect a "this is my food"-post next..that will never happen.

In the middle of a storm.

They do say it's gong to be stormy for a few days..but I was referring to the mind storm in my head right now. There's so so many thing flying around and wanting to be figured out and made up...if only I had all the time in the world.

 I have done some things that I will tell you all about when I feel less tired..and more focused..but right now all I can think of is my slightly odd adoration of Love Death and Paris. Probably brought on by my new favourite song: Quand vous mourrez de nos amours by Rufus Wainwright. (Notice how I am trying to pretend it's new and not at all deeply rooted in my personality long before I ever heard this song.) For some reason old pictures of people have always fascinated me, not despite, but because they have all been dead for a long time. Maybe it's my past lives talking..but there's just something safe and familiar about it. 

Anyways..This days happy place is Montmartre..because never did I feel more like I could be a piece of the same puzzle.

..and because love really is the greatest thing you'll ever know.

Dance Dance!

 Why?

..it's 1 am and this just made me laugh so hard I fell of the chair, that's why!

The corset wearers _or_"It's part of our artistic lifestyle!"

..the last one is something I said a lot last weekend..and plan to use a lot more..sometimes you just need a short way to shut someone up. It's all part of the philosophy "either you get it, or you just don't". 

..but obviously, the seamstress in me also see the silhouettes of the 1860's, 1880's & 1900..sort of.

But mostly I just want to say..corsets are awesome! whether you're a pseudo-Victorian or just feel like being eccentric at a party. Either way, this one's for my girlfriends..there's no one I'd rather mock porn with <3

Trying things out..!

Just some things I'm trying out..

After having finished my Victorian outfit I thought I'd try my newly successful pattern on something else, so I made a jacket. A little modified of course (the first one was made for corset wearing) but basically the same design. Turns out that went really well..just not for me. Too big, too white and too short, but it looks nice when I'm not wearing it. So hopefully I'll find a home for it somewhere else...on someone else's much taller and much more suntanned body. Or something.

And the other things there are my new hat..and a first try at a plain cotton cap..but I underestimated the size of my head. On Lus head it fit perfectly..but he's not always into showing things of..

But the next try out is much more successful!  It's a birthday present that I finished just last weekend for my girlfriend (..a relationship that used to be a lot weirder, trust me). She's always been an inspiration for dollmaking, but until now I've never really been able to capture her..always too light and too proportional..and a little big headed..but that's what they all suffer from. So now I present, my girlfriend in a jar!

At first I was going to continue my street-children-theme..but for some reason I think that might creep her out..so she became a 2011 forest princess! That's as modern as it gets people!

Next up is some shirt making..and some dollmaking (Lorna Doon style probably, I just can't get that out of my mind!).. and what am I gonna wear to the slumber-party this weekend? (..yeah..that's probably just exactly what it sounds like..)

Just one last thing..

 

..because I need to remember this day as the day when something good happened too, today I finished the last piece to my 1880's outfit. The final buttonhole on the final petticoat is now done! Now I can step into Victorian London and blend right in!

Most of all I'm surprised I managed to do this much before something else caught my attention and then I'd be in the place where I'm most..sidetracked and lots of lose pieces lying around. 

And because today deserves a happy place:

London 2011