Masking magic

Corona sucks, I know. Everything has changed. I decided to sew some masks from fabrics I hand printed. A friend wanted to buy one. So I set up a shop. Now you can buy one, it’s 12,50 euros each.

Dark season reflections

My workplace is less than three kilometers away from home, so I ride my bike to work nearly every day, be it  rain or sunshine, heat or snowfall. It gets pretty dark during winter months in Finland. Thus, safety reflectors are a must. Reflective safety vests are popular among bikers and pedestrians but I found them unpractical and unflattering. So what else is there to do than create a better one myself! Funny enough I had all the materials save for the satin bias tape left over from previous projects. I am pretty happy with the outcome.

Valhalla on earth

I truly understand the appeal of cosplay and had I been indoctrinated into the anime fandom, I probably would have started to cosplay myself (yes, I do know cosplay isn’t just for anime fans). Still I find cosplay somewhat restricting on the creativity as best outfits are usually intricate copies of the original designs. I prefer using the materials I have/can easily find to make something I  Alas, I never became a cosplayer. (Though, never say never).

Luckily I’m part of a tongue-in-cheek history association (For the Finnish speakers more info at Stereotyyppisen historian seura), where we have an theme party with a chaniging era every summer. We are not too strict on details or authenticity of the costumes. I don’t make my own costume every year if I happen to find/have a suitable outfit, but when the inspiration strikes I like how part of thrill is replying to compliments with “thanks, I made it”. Last year the theme was Vikings. I ended up making a Valkyrie inspired outfit and here are the best shots of it. We also had the best location for this: Pukkisaari – An Iron Age Trading Place. 

An update on an upholstery upgrade

We have an arm chair that had a very worn upholstery. Our cats had done their best to ruin it and I thought it was about time for new upholstering.

I knew it wasn’t too tricky, since I’d done it once before. Still it took me 6 months to finish and more than 18 to post about. Some times projects just don’t feel so inviting but once you are done and finished you are left wondering why starting was so hard.

First I unscrewed the pieces and took apart the fabrics. I used the old upholstering as pattern for the new. I took it apart in the summer of 2014 and only got back to putting it together in New Year 2015.

Mind your Art

I was initially into the whole adult coloring book hype when it first became a thing last summer. However, I quickly discovered that it wasn’t really my thing. Coloring was supposed to be this stress relieving mindfulness exercise, but I didn’t experience it in that way. Thus my enthusiasm didn’t last very long.

However, I used to love to draw and sometimes wonder why I don’t do it anymore (since more than past 10 years). So this summer vacation, one night I picked up my markers and started to doodle and sigh. Sighing mostly because I had an urge to draw but I was not happy with anything that came out of.

Then late at night I took another empty sheet from my drawing block and started to draw forms on it with my Sharpies. I used each color to draw a shape and then moved on to the next. Then I continued with this method until about an hour or two later (lost track of time) my paper was full. And I was happy with the result.

Flowers and songbirds – a summer dress

Other than sewing, singing is a dear hobby of mine. I took part in a “opera” singing course that resulted in a church musical on Paul the apostle. I was singing in the choir and we were asked to wear a flowery summer dress. I simply didn’t own one and since I couldn’t find one second hand either I ended up sewing one.  

A piece of tradition with a twist

I consider my most prized possession to be the national costume that my mother gave me. She had weaved the fabrics herself in the 70s and had a professional dressmaker turn them into a costume. (She even weaved the linens for the shirt and apron!)

I have worn it at a few occasions, proudly representing Finland, like in this picture below from 2008 in China during my volunteer work/internship period.

 

I tried looking  up sources explaining the Finnish national costume, but there isn’t much info available in English that I could find. However, here is an article on the 130th celebration of the national dress, if you are interested to learn more.

Pink twirls and swirls

This one is also from 2015. My niece wanted a dress to match the one her barbie doll had. It was a long gown made with a type of rosette fabric. I couldn’t find anything matching at the local fabric store, but they had this pretty cotton with embroidered twirls, which was the same shade of pink. So I sewed away and below you can see the process and the result. It was ready just in time for her birthday.

Stressing over dressing and forming

This post has been long coming. Ever since spring 2014. The reason I didn’t post about it before (other than not getting around to posting in general) was that it was still unfinished two years later. By it I am referring to this beautiful dress form.

 

I have always dreamed of owning a dress form. However, I have been too stingy to buy one and my doubts about the adjustability of the adjustable ones. So when I realized that Jyväskylä adult education centre had a course on making a dress form in your own measurements I was more than happy to take part. This was back in the spring term of 2014. The only thing left unfinished after the course were the measuring ribbons. In the fall of 2015 I took another course, which was about pattern forming and draping.

I finally finished my dress form, made a detachable arm for it and drew basic patterns for myself using the form. Yay! Now that I have beginner’s skills in draping, I should be ready to unleash my creativity fully. I only worry the dress form no longer matches my measurements.

More details on the photo gallery below.

Passing on family heirlooms

I have been holding on to all kinds of trinkets as mementos. However, when I made those Christmas wreaths a couple years ago, I decided I should make one with the “best” ones to give to my goddaughter. Just needed to wait some years for her to be old enough not to straight out destroy the work of art once handed to her. ;D

So in the pictures below you’ll find the process and the result. Not a wreath, but a framed collection of childhood memorabilia glue gunned onto and inside the frame. I presented this to her on her 6th birthday about a month ago along with telling some stories on the pieces. I was happy to find she appreciated it.