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There's more, but I was not photogenic yesterday. Have been inexplicably exhausted today, so this is it for now - I will have a closer look at the rest of them tomorrow.
As usual, it's not completely finished yet, I'm going to add piping to the pocket flaps on the sleeves, and possibly some topstitching on the pockets themselves to keep them from bulging too much (if/when I can be bothered to remove them from the sleeves, and maybe the sleeves from the dress as well). I'm not sure I'm pleased with the cap either. Well, well.
I am pleased with the shoulder pads, though. Just needed to say that again - although I might beef them up even more.
Edit: fuck it, I'm wide awake all of a sudden. A few more (artsy-fartsy, B/W) ones ( here. )
As usual, it's not completely finished yet, I'm going to add piping to the pocket flaps on the sleeves, and possibly some topstitching on the pockets themselves to keep them from bulging too much (if/when I can be bothered to remove them from the sleeves, and maybe the sleeves from the dress as well). I'm not sure I'm pleased with the cap either. Well, well.
I am pleased with the shoulder pads, though. Just needed to say that again - although I might beef them up even more.
Edit: fuck it, I'm wide awake all of a sudden. A few more (artsy-fartsy, B/W) ones ( here. )
How gloriously kitschy is this on, say, a scale of 1 to 10? There's a skull with what seems to be crossed stick grenades, an imperial crown over a shield with a big, gaudy K and it says Sturmtrupp. Supposedly Austro-Hungarian, WWI, probably pewter or pot metal. I won the auction yesterday, will post better photos when I have it.
From Saturday's gig, with good sound quality.
Also, photos are beginning to show up - here's a peek at that Red Army-inspired dress + cap I made for an acquaintance last fall, at long last:
We couldn't resist grabbing the guy in the middle for a couple of photos when he happened to be passing, some British guy who shows up at big events sometimes. I loved both his outfits for the festival. Great attention to detail, what with the make-up and everything.
Also, photos are beginning to show up - here's a peek at that Red Army-inspired dress + cap I made for an acquaintance last fall, at long last:
We couldn't resist grabbing the guy in the middle for a couple of photos when he happened to be passing, some British guy who shows up at big events sometimes. I loved both his outfits for the festival. Great attention to detail, what with the make-up and everything.
New uniforms at SL, Stockholms public transport company. Still just trial versions, but they look rather nice, more classic than many other similar civil uniforms - tailored garments with metal buttons instead of poplin jackets and baseball caps, even if the cut is predictably modern and boring.
A and I made a couple of expeditions last week, to a goodwill store in one of the southern suburbs, where I found, but ended up not buying a vintage SL leather uniform jacket. I have no idea what this particular kind of leather jacket is called in English, if a specific term even exists, but the Swedish word is bryggarfrack, which literally means brewer's tailcoat and hints at the origin. It's an old worker's garment, usually made of goatskin with a wool lining, collarless, about hip length and with a straight, loose cut, sometimes with a half belt. This one was in practically unused condition, in black goatskin with silvertone SL buttons, and of course it was way too small for A, and way too large for me. It was 50% off, so for a moment or two I considered buying it just because it was such a great piece and I wanted the buttons. But I try not to collect items I can't wear, and buying it for the buttons would have been a. a sad waste of a great vintage uniform garment, and b. some seriously expensive buttons. I hope someone who will appreciate it properly buys it and gives it a good home.
I have no idea why they posed these three handsome fellows with Stockholm in the background like this, but it's a great photo.
We also went to Spårvägsmuseet, the Stockholm Transport Museum, which is currently showing a uniform exhibition, and saw a slightly earlier (1920's) version of the bryggarfrack mentioned above, with the old SS buttons - SL was called Stockholms Spårvägar until an official name change in 1967. Buttons, insignia and the like were changed from SS to SL earlier than that, though. I can't find a date, but 1950's or even earlier - I'm as sure as I can be without access to hard facts that the 1950's uniforms, and possibly earlier ones too, bore the SL logo. I'll have to ask about that the next time I go there - it's a great museum, especially for railroad and transport geeks, and the uniform exhibition has some gorgeous garments and photos on display. There's a supporting organization of some sort, I think I will join that.
A and I made a couple of expeditions last week, to a goodwill store in one of the southern suburbs, where I found, but ended up not buying a vintage SL leather uniform jacket. I have no idea what this particular kind of leather jacket is called in English, if a specific term even exists, but the Swedish word is bryggarfrack, which literally means brewer's tailcoat and hints at the origin. It's an old worker's garment, usually made of goatskin with a wool lining, collarless, about hip length and with a straight, loose cut, sometimes with a half belt. This one was in practically unused condition, in black goatskin with silvertone SL buttons, and of course it was way too small for A, and way too large for me. It was 50% off, so for a moment or two I considered buying it just because it was such a great piece and I wanted the buttons. But I try not to collect items I can't wear, and buying it for the buttons would have been a. a sad waste of a great vintage uniform garment, and b. some seriously expensive buttons. I hope someone who will appreciate it properly buys it and gives it a good home.
I have no idea why they posed these three handsome fellows with Stockholm in the background like this, but it's a great photo.
We also went to Spårvägsmuseet, the Stockholm Transport Museum, which is currently showing a uniform exhibition, and saw a slightly earlier (1920's) version of the bryggarfrack mentioned above, with the old SS buttons - SL was called Stockholms Spårvägar until an official name change in 1967. Buttons, insignia and the like were changed from SS to SL earlier than that, though. I can't find a date, but 1950's or even earlier - I'm as sure as I can be without access to hard facts that the 1950's uniforms, and possibly earlier ones too, bore the SL logo. I'll have to ask about that the next time I go there - it's a great museum, especially for railroad and transport geeks, and the uniform exhibition has some gorgeous garments and photos on display. There's a supporting organization of some sort, I think I will join that.
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Horrible quality. I really must set up some kind of shoot in daylight, but I'm uncomfortable around cameras and I keep putting this off until later - when it's warmer, when the days are longer... The sun doesn't set until around five in the afternoon now, but still.
( Two more. )
( Two more. )
My booze mojo from last Tech Noir is still going strong, apparently. I honestly don't know what it is, usually I'm not at all good at getting people to buy me drinks - it's a skill, I have met girls who were absolute champions. I can't do it, though, I feel like a leech.
I didn't pick up my booked Hootchy Kootchy ticket in time, so I spent the first half of the night at Tech Noir and then met the new friends at KGB. Have had a lovely time all around, and I took pictures. They are bad, but I'll see what I can do with the rest of them tomorrow.
I didn't pick up my booked Hootchy Kootchy ticket in time, so I spent the first half of the night at Tech Noir and then met the new friends at KGB. Have had a lovely time all around, and I took pictures. They are bad, but I'll see what I can do with the rest of them tomorrow.
I did have some grey fabric that worked after all - it has no green undertones, but looks fine with the M/59 buttons anyway in small amounts and will match several other garments as well.
Black cotton twill, the piping is a black and beige shot cotton/rayon fabric that reads as grey, and I have posted about the signalist badge before.
Oh, and I finally got my hair up in a halfway decent Swiss braid. Far from great, but definite progress, and for once I feel that my hair might actually be too short - odd, considering that I've been thinking about cutting it off and trying to go back to my natural colour lately.
Black cotton twill, the piping is a black and beige shot cotton/rayon fabric that reads as grey, and I have posted about the signalist badge before.
Oh, and I finally got my hair up in a halfway decent Swiss braid. Far from great, but definite progress, and for once I feel that my hair might actually be too short - odd, considering that I've been thinking about cutting it off and trying to go back to my natural colour lately.
Just finished a new warm winter cap, my old one is very shabby and not that warm either.
This new one is made to match the fantastic vintage jacket I got before Christmas - I don't know if I mentioned that. First time I've bought a vintage suit and been able to wear both the jacket and the skirt without alterations. I have had a hard time dating it, I'm leaning towards high quality 70's (the lining has fusible interfacing and overlocked edges, the buttons are undersewn and rounded, vaguely military-inspired in metal painted black, and the collar points are insane) but the cut might be late 40's/early 50's just as well. The tags in it look older, the zipper in the skirt is the vintage, heavy-duty metal kind, the button in the skirt is an older plastic one, and the quality of the pieces and the level of work that has gone into it is not that common in off-the-rack garments made after the 60's (the collar is stuffed with horsehair, for instance).
Not that it matters, it is beautiful, especially the jacket, which has a couple of inverted box pleats at the center back accented with two buttons, like on an old frock coat and it fits as if it was made for me, in spite of being ready-made. No lapels, just a large collar with exaggerated points. The skirt is a wide, flared model with lots of panels in that difficult mid-calf length, both of them executed in a thick, black wool coating. I have been wearing the jacket a lot the last couple of months, it's very warm and looks good with practically everything I wear. I don't love that type of wide skirt, and the length makes me feel stumpy, but it's a very comfy skirt, so it has been in circulation a little too.
The cap is a similar fabric, as similar to the jacket as I could find. Keeping my fingers crossed that it will not wear and age dramatically differently, but it doesn't matter a lot anyway. There's enough for a pencil skirt too, hopefully with a couple of inverted box pleats in the back like the jacket.
That's how I keep them in place, by the way, huge hair pin (groß Frieda!) skewered through my bun and a clip or barrette on the inside of the cap further to the front - I can headbutt someone with one of these caps on and it won't budge.
A has the good camera, getting something remotely useful out of the bad camera in indoor light was a bit of a challenge, but it is a couple of pictures, at least - far more than I manage of most of my projects these days.
This new one is made to match the fantastic vintage jacket I got before Christmas - I don't know if I mentioned that. First time I've bought a vintage suit and been able to wear both the jacket and the skirt without alterations. I have had a hard time dating it, I'm leaning towards high quality 70's (the lining has fusible interfacing and overlocked edges, the buttons are undersewn and rounded, vaguely military-inspired in metal painted black, and the collar points are insane) but the cut might be late 40's/early 50's just as well. The tags in it look older, the zipper in the skirt is the vintage, heavy-duty metal kind, the button in the skirt is an older plastic one, and the quality of the pieces and the level of work that has gone into it is not that common in off-the-rack garments made after the 60's (the collar is stuffed with horsehair, for instance).
Not that it matters, it is beautiful, especially the jacket, which has a couple of inverted box pleats at the center back accented with two buttons, like on an old frock coat and it fits as if it was made for me, in spite of being ready-made. No lapels, just a large collar with exaggerated points. The skirt is a wide, flared model with lots of panels in that difficult mid-calf length, both of them executed in a thick, black wool coating. I have been wearing the jacket a lot the last couple of months, it's very warm and looks good with practically everything I wear. I don't love that type of wide skirt, and the length makes me feel stumpy, but it's a very comfy skirt, so it has been in circulation a little too.
The cap is a similar fabric, as similar to the jacket as I could find. Keeping my fingers crossed that it will not wear and age dramatically differently, but it doesn't matter a lot anyway. There's enough for a pencil skirt too, hopefully with a couple of inverted box pleats in the back like the jacket.
That's how I keep them in place, by the way, huge hair pin (groß Frieda!) skewered through my bun and a clip or barrette on the inside of the cap further to the front - I can headbutt someone with one of these caps on and it won't budge.
A has the good camera, getting something remotely useful out of the bad camera in indoor light was a bit of a challenge, but it is a couple of pictures, at least - far more than I manage of most of my projects these days.
My grandmother wants all of her old photo albums scanned, so I will probably post a few old family photos here - there are great clothes in some of them. We haven't really got started properly yet, but I took the opportunity to have this photograph of my grandfather and my mother on his Matchless motorbike scanned - I think it is some version of the Matchless G3, but that's just a guess based on pictures and the fact that it was developed for military service. Grandpa is in his uniform, obviously, but the bike might be his private property, I suppose - as I remember it, he was in the cavalry, and I have a couple of photos of him on horseback with one of the Finnish refugee children who stayed with grandma and grandpa during the war, too. Must ask mom.
I don't have an exact date, but my mother was born in 1946, so -48 or -49, perhaps?
Great boots and motorcycle goggles. In other photos of grandfather and other guys in his regiment they are wearing jodhpurs with the M/39 furlough uniform, but these look almost like some kind of shorts - trick of the light, perhaps. The jacket has got to be the usual M/39 field tunic.
Grandpa died when I was twelve, and I don't remember him very well. He is one of those people who lives in other people's memories, though - he and my mother were very close, and he seems to have been something of a character. I'm often told anecdotes about him by my mother and grandmother, family friends and people in Kesudalen, where he is still present in many ways.
I don't have an exact date, but my mother was born in 1946, so -48 or -49, perhaps?
Great boots and motorcycle goggles. In other photos of grandfather and other guys in his regiment they are wearing jodhpurs with the M/39 furlough uniform, but these look almost like some kind of shorts - trick of the light, perhaps. The jacket has got to be the usual M/39 field tunic.
Grandpa died when I was twelve, and I don't remember him very well. He is one of those people who lives in other people's memories, though - he and my mother were very close, and he seems to have been something of a character. I'm often told anecdotes about him by my mother and grandmother, family friends and people in Kesudalen, where he is still present in many ways.
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