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Buttonholes
Feb. 24th, 2026 08:54 pmI finally started the buttonholes on my 1878 bathing suit. Three more buttonholes and nine buttons will finish the project. It ought to be finished by the end of the week.
Big Step Forward
Feb. 21st, 2026 07:26 amI made a big step forward on the 1930's sweater that I've been working on for months. I finished the knitting on it last night. Now I just have to finish blocking it, weave in the ends, and sew it together.
This pattern was not great. It had that feel that you occasionally get from old patterns that someone made the sample garment and then wrote down what they thought they did and no one really tried it out or looked closely at the resulting pattern to make sure it would be easy to follow. Here's hoping it turns out well when made up.
This pattern was not great. It had that feel that you occasionally get from old patterns that someone made the sample garment and then wrote down what they thought they did and no one really tried it out or looked closely at the resulting pattern to make sure it would be easy to follow. Here's hoping it turns out well when made up.
Knitting Progress
Feb. 19th, 2026 05:18 pmI started the second 1880's stocking and am 1" into it. Only about 600 rows left to go.
I blocked one sleeve of my 1930's sweater and will block part of the body tonight. I'm finished with the ribbing and about halfway through the stockinette section before the color change happens. I'm kind of hoping to finish that one up in the next couple of weeks. It's been going on for awhile.
I blocked one sleeve of my 1930's sweater and will block part of the body tonight. I'm finished with the ribbing and about halfway through the stockinette section before the color change happens. I'm kind of hoping to finish that one up in the next couple of weeks. It's been going on for awhile.
Here's where I left off last week:
And here's where I left off this week:
The unfinished area on this part of the chart is less than 50x30 stitches. I'm hoping to finish this quadrant this week. It's not infeasible.
And here's where I left off this week:
The unfinished area on this part of the chart is less than 50x30 stitches. I'm hoping to finish this quadrant this week. It's not infeasible.
1870's Hat
Feb. 14th, 2026 03:12 pmI made an 1870's hat last month. It's from the Penny Dreadfuls Dolly Varden hat pattern, which was no longer available when last I looked but I think has a new incarnation as one of Chantal Filson's Patreon patterns.
The pattern calls for some pretty beefy construction that I felt was overkill so I made it more along the lines of the instructions in a Timely Tresses pattern. I only used one layer of buckram and one brim wire. I had to make the tip wider to fill the crown. She has you wire and mull and then sew tip into crown, but I didn't do that. I wired both sides of the side of the crown and the outer edge of the brim. Then I cut the tip oversize and clipped the edges and folded them down into the crown. I clipped the headsize edge of the brim too and folded it up into the bottom of the crown instead of wiring there too. I did make up the crown and brim separately until the tip and brim were covered and then sewed the crown to the brim and covered the side of the crown.
It's buckram and wire, mulled in flannel, and covered with silk/rayon satin. Then there's a silk satin ribbon and velvet flowers for trim. The crown is lined with crinoline. Everything is handsewn because that's how I make hats.
I will try to remember to post pictures of it on me once I actually wear it with a costume. After a few weeks hanging on a bedpost, I figured it was better to snap a couple of pictures to post now than forget all about it waiting for a better picture opportunity.
ETA: I realized that I also didn't cut the brim covering the way the pattern said to. I cut the top to be smooth and then cut a straight strip for the under side of the brim. With the thick satin, gathering a circle twice the diameter of the hat would have been very chunky and clunky looking. As it is pleating the satin down to the headsize is thick enough.
The pattern calls for some pretty beefy construction that I felt was overkill so I made it more along the lines of the instructions in a Timely Tresses pattern. I only used one layer of buckram and one brim wire. I had to make the tip wider to fill the crown. She has you wire and mull and then sew tip into crown, but I didn't do that. I wired both sides of the side of the crown and the outer edge of the brim. Then I cut the tip oversize and clipped the edges and folded them down into the crown. I clipped the headsize edge of the brim too and folded it up into the bottom of the crown instead of wiring there too. I did make up the crown and brim separately until the tip and brim were covered and then sewed the crown to the brim and covered the side of the crown.
It's buckram and wire, mulled in flannel, and covered with silk/rayon satin. Then there's a silk satin ribbon and velvet flowers for trim. The crown is lined with crinoline. Everything is handsewn because that's how I make hats.
I will try to remember to post pictures of it on me once I actually wear it with a costume. After a few weeks hanging on a bedpost, I figured it was better to snap a couple of pictures to post now than forget all about it waiting for a better picture opportunity.
ETA: I realized that I also didn't cut the brim covering the way the pattern said to. I cut the top to be smooth and then cut a straight strip for the under side of the brim. With the thick satin, gathering a circle twice the diameter of the hat would have been very chunky and clunky looking. As it is pleating the satin down to the headsize is thick enough.
One Down, One to Go
Feb. 13th, 2026 06:32 amI finished knitting the first of a pair of stockings from an 1880's pattern. I definitely like knitting wool stockings better than cotton, but I will finish the pair.
I tried on my 1880's stocking I've been slowly knitting away on. I thought I was getting close to where it was time to start the toe. It turned out I was over an inch past where it was time to start the toe. I want to make sure there's room to shrink, but not that much room! The heel came a lot farther forward than I was expecting it to.
I ripped back to where I wanted the toe to start, counted how many rows that was so the second stocking ends up the same size, and knit the first toe row. By the end of the weekend, I expect I'll have finished the first stocking and cast on the second stocking.
I ripped back to where I wanted the toe to start, counted how many rows that was so the second stocking ends up the same size, and knit the first toe row. By the end of the weekend, I expect I'll have finished the first stocking and cast on the second stocking.
Here's where I left off last week:
And here's where I left off this week:
And here's where I left off this week:
Trousers Finished
Feb. 9th, 2026 05:26 amI put the trim on the trousers of the 1878 bathing suit last night so they are officially finished. The dress still needs a hem and trim and buttons and buttonholes.
Everyone else went to the movies last night (a makeup from the icy Sunday when the theater was closed) so I worked on my 1878 bathing suit. I hemmed the trousers and cut, joined, and pressed the bias strips for trim. I put the dress on the stand and pinned the back pleats preparatory to tacking them at the waist.
Snow and sleet and sub-freezing temperatures may be bad for wanting to sew but are good for wanting to read and cross-stitch.
Here's where I left off last week:
And here's where I left off this week:
Between the 23rd and yesterday, I also finished seven books. They were all mysteries and therefore not terribly long, but that was a lot of reading!
Here's where I left off last week:
And here's where I left off this week:
Between the 23rd and yesterday, I also finished seven books. They were all mysteries and therefore not terribly long, but that was a lot of reading!
Covered Buttons
Feb. 1st, 2026 07:13 amI haven't really worked on my bathing suit this week, but I did cover buttons for it. Last night I put it on and verified that it does fit so far and figured out where to hem the pants and where to start marking the hem for the skirt. Unfortunately, it's cold up in the game room so I didn't want to hang out up there pressing hems. I also had decided that I need to tack the pleats in place at the waist so they will sit reasonably nicely under the belt without having to try to adjust them all the time. I figured that needed to be done before hemming, but I didn't want to go up and mess with the dummy in the cold game room. I pinned and tacked the front on myself, but I couldn't do the back the same way.
The long and short of it is that there have been baby steps on it, but mostly I've been reading and cross-stitching.
The long and short of it is that there have been baby steps on it, but mostly I've been reading and cross-stitching.
Here's where I left off last week:
And here's where I left off this week:
And here's where I left off this week:
I finished knitting the first sleeve for my 1930's sweater this evening and cast on the second one. Now for another 8" of ribbing.
1878 Bathing Suit
Jan. 25th, 2026 05:36 pmI made a lot of progress on my 1878 bathing suit on Friday and Saturday. Now it's up to the point where I need to make buttonholes or cover buttons or try it on. I don't feel like doing any of those things just at present so it can sit for a bit. I hung the dress part so any bias can hang out.
Here's a picture of the sleeves before I set them.
And now back to books and cross-stitching. When it's quite cold out, reading under a blanket is very attractive. I've finished three books in the last three days.
Here's a picture of the sleeves before I set them.
And now back to books and cross-stitching. When it's quite cold out, reading under a blanket is very attractive. I've finished three books in the last three days.
Bathing Suit
Jan. 24th, 2026 09:35 amI cut out an 1878 bathing suit last weekend, but it took until last night for me to start sewing it. I just couldn't get excited about it during the week. Then my husband and kids went to the movies, and I was alone in the house so I finally set to work on it. I made a good amount of progress. The Jane Austen tea at the library was rescheduled due to the threat of winter weather today so hopefully I'll work on it some more this afternoon.
I spent some of my free time on my cross-stitching this week.
Here's where I left off last week:
And here's where I left off this week:
Here's where I left off last week:
And here's where I left off this week:
Two Inches
Jan. 15th, 2026 07:23 pmI’m two inches into the foot of my stocking! I ended up knitting a whole inch today. The shorter rows are faster, of course, but the new ball of yarn is actually a little softer/more flexible.
New Cross-stitch
Jan. 12th, 2026 06:02 pmOver the weekend I started the "Charming Waterway" cross-stitch kit that I got for Christmas about five years ago. I also started a different cross-stitch project that is meant to be a birthday present for someone so I won't show progress on it until it's been given away.
Here's where I left off on the "Charming Waterway" last night:
But tonight I have band concert clothes to hem for freshmen.
Here's where I left off on the "Charming Waterway" last night:
But tonight I have band concert clothes to hem for freshmen.
Heel Turned
Jan. 10th, 2026 04:35 pmI turned the heel on my 1880's cotton stocking. It's been a long time coming. Maybe the foot will go faster than the leg. (Obviously, it should because the number of stitches per row is smaller than the leg.) I've probably got about 180 rows left. Then I get to start all over with the second stocking.
