#historical crafting

[leo-fie]

How many tablet woven bands are enough?

Trick question!

There is no such thing as enough tablet woven bands!

[saffscrafting]

So we went up north for a day and while there, stopped in a used book store, where I picked up a book that was printed in 1904 titled "Dainty Work for Pleasure and Profit"

I was reading the introduction and found this part to really be telling about how much has changed in just over a century.

"It is certainly the first duty of a wife and mother to make home the pleasantest and happiest spot on earth for the members of her family, and to do this requires more than order, system, immaculate cleanliness, more than the purchase of expensive carpets and pieces of heavy furniture. It requires the home-making, home-beautifying talent. It needs the exercise of an ingenious mind and nimble fingers in fashioning dainty accessories in the shape of mantel drapes, screens, wall-pockets, toilet sets, dainty table linen, cushions, photograph holders, and all numberless odds and ends that go to make up the pretty home comfort of a room."

Imagine what these women would thing when a 21st century wife came into their homes and called their hard work "Kitschy", and imagine their dispair at the bare minimalistic homes we happily live in now.

They didn't spend a lot on all their stuff, but to their mind all the pretties they made were necessities, and not luxuries. After all, as the book says:

"Do not let your children grow up amid uncouth and unlovely surroundings, while you are waiting for the dollars to grow. Remember, the young will seek for beauty elsewhere, if it is denied them at home."

[scarletstitchstudios]

I finally made my first yarn wig after 10+ years of crocheting my cosplays...

[imsociallyanxiousgetoverit]

I really need to see the real life occurance of Wood Worker x Historical Fashion Crafter become a trope in Fanfiction, y'all. Or even actual shows or movies. Like this is clearly a thing at this point!!

[the-warped-weaver]

If there's sound, don't worry about it, my husband was playing Fable 2 while I worked.

[thehaberdasheress]

Dearest Tumblr: My business is running low on money. My shop needs an algorithm boost before the holiday rush starts. I would like to be able to pay myself and my two hired minions this month. So that means it's time for... SERIOUS SAVINGS.

I design easy-as-hell embroidery patterns, sell sewing supplies I test and use myself, and have just added art nouveau print-on-demand items like umbrellas, dresses, and mugs.

Find me at thehaberdasheress.etsy.com

And because I love you more than all the other platforms, until this Sunday September 16 you can use the promo code TUMBLRSECRET for an additional 10% off.

(Also. If you just want to throw money at me without any kind of compensatory merchandise, I have absolutely no shame anymore. Here's my Paypal.)

[bookshelfdreams]

There's no clothing item so great as the humble triangular shawl.

Throw it over your shoulders for some effortless elegance. Pin it with a cute little brooch if you're feeling extra fancy. Wrap the ends around your neck and let the tip trail behind you to be cozy and dramatic. If you need to be practical, cross the ends over your chest and tie them behind your back to keep your boobs and shoulders warm but your hands and arms free. Put it over your head and wrap the ends around your neck - that's a hood! You could even wrap it around your waist, if you're feeling avantgarde and need to keep your kidneys warm.

The possibilities are endless. Tie up your groceries or other small items in it to carry them. You can sit on it instead of sitting on the ground. Wrap it around a small child to keep them snug and safe. Tenderly drape it over the shoulders of a shivering lover.

Cape, vest, headscarf, skirt, tote bag, security blanket, she can do it all. Truly one of humanity's top 100.

[antiqueartist]

Remember this???? I finished it!! I finished my corset cover yoke!!!! I'm so very proud of it even though it took FOREVER

I've learned I'm too ambitious for my own good but as long as I can keep finishing these projects I'm not going to do anything about it :")

Anyways, onto the actual sewing!

[hattedhedgehog]

As part of my historical costuming intensive course, in only a few very hectic weeks I learned how to metric pattern draft, fit and sew a tailored 1830s mens ensemble! Now that we've had our photoshoot and final exhibition, I'm excited to share the results of the hard work.

I came to really appreciate that my tutor for this module pushed us to make samples of pockets and the trouser fly before it came to the real thing, even if the desire to rush ahead made it frustrating to be told to do another practice version. "Anything worth doing is worth doing again" has become a very valuable motto.

I'm 100% going to wear elements of this in daily life, it's incredibly comfy.

[mesterspets]

I made this entire outfit for an event in the spring, and didn’t have time to shoot it until the autumn. Good thing the trees are matching me now!

[leo-fie]

More easy tablet woven band while I procrastinate the "band of doom". This time it's orange and dark blue diagonal stripes.

[yuri-puppies]

an inventory of labru and farcille double dates

with thanks to this fanart by @hawberries for the inspiration and to @holmsister for the park date idea

art museum: the toudens wandered off when a local moth flew by in the courtyard and they realized there might be a nest nearby. several people comment on what a handsome couple kabru and marcille make, why, they could be one of the portraits.

theatre play: both toudens are asleep before the intermission. kabru and marcille can't stop shit-talking everything from the acting to the set design out loud and are about to get kicked out.

park: marcille is so ready for a cute picnic under the trees, and she gets it… with kabru. the toudens are rolling in mud with a stranger's dog. this is not even a dog park.

gym: marcille is the only one who thought this was a date.

beach: see daydream hours sketches. marcille came here to look cute and have a good time and is now chasing the other three around with a sunscreen bottle.

science museum: marcille has her lowest-cut top and is planning to Cling TM throughout the grosser exhibits. she underestimated: a) how many children there would be around b) how grossed out she'd get c) how much more interesting the mating rituals of the greater sage-grouse are than her tits. at least kabru isn't there to make fun of her, since he became entranced by evaluating the effectiveness of the various knowledge translation strategies at the anti-pollution exhibit. laios has started giving an impromptu lecture on the dangers of exotic pets in the reptile exhibit to several transfixed children and their baffled parents. the staff has gone from trying to stop him to calling for the volunteer coordinator to recruit him.

[scarletstitchstudios]

My first yarn wig will always have a special place in my heart 🥰

[the-warped-weaver]

I have to give my wrist a break for a few days.

My tendinitis is acting up and now I have a bit of swelling going on.

In the meantime, here's one of my favorite pieces I've done. This was my first full sized flame pattern sash.

[codacheetah]

I joke abt Loop being a critter a lot but I do honestly wonder if they'd be considered like. Not a "creature" per se but part of some kind of mythological species from the Island's culture. To make a wish so severe and so powerful so as to completely destroy yourself, and be remolded in the shape of the Universe, well that just feels like the kind of thing that would get infinite fables written about it. Some parents warn their children that if they're too irresponsible with Wish Craft and ask too much of the Universe, they'll become a star as punishment (and if this is told to young children I have to imagine the next threat is "and you won't be able to eat all your favorite snacks anymore!") Some people however revere Stars as the most dedicated followers of the Universe, favored so much for their direct communication with it that they've been reshaped to match the stars that guide them. Idk

[useless-catalanfacts]

For centuries, clogs were the most common shoe for peasants in many parts of Europe and some other parts of the world. Clogs are shoes made of one single piece of wood that protects the foot from humidity outside, making them good for working in the fields or walking through mud or snow.

Here in Catalonia, the most common shoes were usually espadrilles (espardenyes), but wooden clogs (esclops) were also very common in winter. Catalan clogs were made of pine tree wood or poplar wood, which was then smoked to protect the wood. There were artisans who specialized in making them, but ordinary farmer families in the countryside would also make their own. People stopped using clogs around the 1950s, when mass produced rubber rainboots/Wellingtons arrived. Then, clog makers had to close their shops, and most of them moved to work in factories or in building work.

Nowadays, there are very few clog makers in Catalonia. Until a few years ago, the person in Catalonia whose job was making clogs was Jordi Coll, who died in 2009. He had been a clog maker in his youth until clog shops closed, but he started again in his old age. Now, there is another one: the man in the photos included in this post is Josep Pratdesaba, who grew up in a farmhouse in Taradell (Central Catalonia). He explains that all the family used to meet every evening around the fireplace in the kitchen, where each person would do the personal work they had to do, including making clogs. Now, he makes clogs in his free time and goes to fairs and festivals to make them and talk about it to the public, where elderly people explain the anecdotes of when they used to wear them and the young children watch with amazement how he turns a log into a shoe.

Photos by Jordi Borràs Abelló for this article published in La Mira.