A Man Sunbathing With His Pet

You know, when it comes to a snowman, it doesn't mean the same thing for me as for most people...

I just don't like making balls, I'm not good at it.
At first, I wanted him to hold a puppy, but then I thought almost everyone has a pet dog.

I prefer imagination. When I shape the body, I feel like stroking the real body. That's what makes the right profile easier to achieve :-)

Female Leather Armor

This piece was meant to be unisex - sewn for a couple who would spare it.
They broke up before it was completed and I adjusted it to the female half :-(

At the beginning, the side seam was curved like at normal dresses. Then we agreed I should make it thinner. To my surprise, a plain straight line fits the best! The main shape was in the center back seam.

I used my favourite pattern for the fastener bands - I call it a shamrock :)

Renaissance Dress - Finished

The dress has a little sweep (only about 10 cm) that gives the skirt part a nice silhouette from the side view, mainly when walking :-)
The upper tubes at the sleeve would lay flat if I hadn't sew the center one right to the shoulder part of the corset. These sleeves are so arduous to make...

What could I do better next time?
The petticoat sleeves are just about 20 centimeters longer than hands. Far more would be ideal, at least for such lightweight fabric. The tubes need petty's support to form nice archs.
She's so beautiful :-)

Brown Fiertoch

This is a part of a traditional folk costume from Spytihněv (south Moravia). Fiertoch is the topmost layer of the skirt. It is tied around the waist like an apron.

My niece has chosen beatiful brown&gold brocade. I sewed a stripe long about three meters from stiff fabric, ironed the three edges of a brocade rectangle and sewed it on.

Then I spent about 8 hours handstitching a spangle band to the brocade. I watch TV when doing things like this, not to get crazy :-D
The band must be neat even at the wrong side. Folkers are perfectionists when it comes to their costume...

I gathered the upper and lower part. I did it in hand, but at the waist I machine sewed an auxiliary line of stitches which helped me keep the length of gathering stitches.
You can see the process - what the fabric looks like when you just gather it without manually straightening each pleat.

Brocade frays easily so I cut the upper edge as late as I could. The gathering here was nice and accordion-like.

At the bottom, the size of stitches corresponds with the width of the pattern - I always go throung the same place of the pattern.

I love this state :-)

Here I just sewed on two connected rectangles - one from lining and one from brocade.

I always wonder if I should sew it on by machine, the gathering is at least 5 mm tall... But usually I get surprised by how easy it is.

I sewed the lining to the back in hand. What's left now: sewing a white ribbon to the sides as a fastening and
leave like this for at least a week. The gathering stitches are always taken out right before one takes it on to preserve the desired accordion shape.

Renaissance Dress - Sleeves

I cut all the pieces for the sleeves. It seems like a few but takes a lot of time.
I toughtened all of the edges with a fusible web (the lining too for the grommets not to rip out).

I sewed tubes, ironed to bands that I cut to small pieces. I serged a line of tubes like at the Cranach dress.

After sewing the bands to the upper edge of the lower sleeve I sewed on the lining. Carefully not to catch the side band.

I folded the lower hem and sewed on with a hidden stitch (machine). Then I sewed on the upper part of the sleeve. This time, unlike at the Cranach dress, I leave the sleeves flat as long as it's possible.

I ironed the edge aroung the bands and added a line of stitches there.
As drying is one of important phases of ironing, I let the sleeves dry in the shape I'd like it to stay in. On my hula hoop :-)

At the upper sleeves, I sewed the bands on the sleeve first and then I sewed on the lining.

I serged the sides and added a lot of grommets.
I sewed the sides together and that's all :)

Orange Fire Costume

I made a fireshow waistcoat for my boyfriend.
The design is from both of us - he wanted a sleeve on the right arm (he spits fire and wipes the oil from his mouth to it). I made up the rest :)

I didn't have a cord or leather thick enough, so I had to braid a thin cord and I quite like it :)

Renaissance Dress - Corset Base

I fitted the bodice for the renaissance dress. I made a pattern for the other layers; one from canvas and one from brocade.

The second layer in progress. The first layer has wide seam allowance for the bone to fit in.

I put the two layers together and sewed them carefully at the seams.

I have prepared a pleated skirt. I has a small sweep :)

Oh, I love sweeps!

The brocade covering. I tried to match the pattern at the bust, it's not perfect, but it should do..

I cut the sleeve from the fitting and made a pattern from it.

Spiral Poi - Finished

I did some little changes compared to the previous production.

I don't make a hole at the top, because my pair tore off at the point when I was spinning hard. It weakened the thinniest place at the poi. Now I just fold the top over a metal rectangle and I sew the handles to it.

And I decided not to embroider the upper hem of the sack with always the same stitch, when my Janome 7700 knows a lot of wonderful stitches. I'll chose it to match the picture on the sack :)

The poi pattern's just amazing :-)

Spiral Poi

Again, again, again. I always end up admiring my customers' designs. This one is really cool :-)
Making a pattern meant precise measuring. The spiral always ends up at the right side and it must begin exactly at the same height and width on the left side.

I cut out all of the pieces and drew the pattern on the base two pieces.

I sewed the spiral pieces on with a satin stitch, I attached them to the base with straight stitch. The straight stitch must be close enough to the edge so that it wouldn't be visible after sewing the poi together.

I serged the lower edge and  ten centimeters of the side seam allowance. I marked the lower fold line and started sewing the poi together at the side seam. I didn't sew under the fold line to leave a gap for the cord.

I had to pin each satin line. The lines must connect exactly at the width of the seam allowance to make an impression of a continuous piece.

I folded the slit in and sewed to keep it in place.

When I folded the lower hem, I had to alternate the thread colours for the stitches not to be visible. I always prefer to have sleeve shaped things wrong side out when sewing the lower hem:-)

Are you curious what they'll look like when turned over?
So am I :-D

Woolen Trousers and Tunic - Finished

I hemmed the lower edge of the calf pieces and gathered the knee of the trousers.

The gathering: I sewed two lines of long stitches and pulled the lower thread.

I sewed between these two lines and then ripped out just the line of gathering stitches that was visible at the right side.

The completed trousers:-)

I serged the neckline lining, ironed it to the wrong side and sewed on the place. I ironed it on the wrong side so that the edges wouldn't mark to the right side.

I had to insert small gores to the armcye. I sewed them to the sleeves first.

Then I sewed the sleeves to the body. Then I sewed the sleeve and side in one step.

I like sewing over the seam allowance when I hem the sleeve - it's locked where it should stay:-)

I folded and hemmed the lower edge and the tunic is here :-)