Pennsylvania Railroad!
Early birthday present! My inner railfan has been quietly squeeing with geeky joy all night. Exclamation marks! So pretty!
Early birthday present! My inner railfan has been quietly squeeing with geeky joy all night. Exclamation marks! So pretty!
Black with silver m/60 buttons
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. )
New hardware
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.
The Klinik - Hours And Hours
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.
Entry tags:
Various SL uniforms
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.
Shirtwaist with M/59 buttons
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. )
Tired.
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.
Because there is no such thing as too many garrison caps
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.
New cap.
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.
Entry tags:
Grandpa.
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.
Buttons, buttons, buttons.
One of the American Red Cross buttons on the left, obviously, and the British Red Cross Society ones. I think I'll use them for a more daytime-friendly version of the panzer dress - not the colour scheme, just the double-breasted cut with very wide lapels and separate collar. That kind of cut really calls for oversized buttons like these, and with that huge collar you can't see the buttons on the shoulder straps properly anyway, so I could use all six of them for the front closure. I'm very happy with that dress (even more so since I added some silver braid to it for the second time I wore it), so I would like to re-use the pattern for something else.
The jury is still out on colour, fabric and so on, but I'm tempted to go for grey cotton twill - I saw this lovely, warm grey one at NK when I bought the fabrics for my New Year's Eve dress. With my luck they're probably sold out of it by now, and it was ludicrously expensive for cotton twill, but on the other hand it's NK, which means that it will add up bonus points in their very generous customer bonus system anyway... I will look around a little, and think some more.
I have another batch of vintage buttons on their way too - faceted chartreuse glass this time, hopefully arriving some time this week. Browsing buttons on Ebay is an expensive pastime, it seems..
More Red Cross buttons!
I just won an auction for these babies:
British Red Cross Society, bakelite or some other early plastic. So pretty! No idea what I am going to do with them yet, but I'll think of something. They are large, 3 cm, so maybe a jacket or something? If there were more I'd love to put them on a short-sleeved shirtwaist or something similar, but six is an awkward number for projects like that - I would have to choose between having shoulder straps or having it buttoned all the way up, even if I did a front button closure from the waist up.
Maybe with a notched collar, though... That way I could possibly get away with just three front buttons, since they are so large, two for shoulder straps and one for a pocket flap or something.
I have a decided preference for plastic military and civil uniform buttons - I don't like flashy brass buttons much, and while silver tone buttons work if the design is interesting I usually prefer the plastic and glass ones. The classic Soviet brass buttons with the hammer and sickle in a five-point star are nice, sure, but I like the subdued plastic version below better:
Hotness, I must get hold of some. There are gorgeous white plastic and glass uniform buttons too, usually for various navy uniforms - the white glass German Kriegsmarine ones are to die for. Perhaps a white navy-inspired dress is in order?
British Red Cross Society, bakelite or some other early plastic. So pretty! No idea what I am going to do with them yet, but I'll think of something. They are large, 3 cm, so maybe a jacket or something? If there were more I'd love to put them on a short-sleeved shirtwaist or something similar, but six is an awkward number for projects like that - I would have to choose between having shoulder straps or having it buttoned all the way up, even if I did a front button closure from the waist up.
Maybe with a notched collar, though... That way I could possibly get away with just three front buttons, since they are so large, two for shoulder straps and one for a pocket flap or something.
I have a decided preference for plastic military and civil uniform buttons - I don't like flashy brass buttons much, and while silver tone buttons work if the design is interesting I usually prefer the plastic and glass ones. The classic Soviet brass buttons with the hammer and sickle in a five-point star are nice, sure, but I like the subdued plastic version below better:
Hotness, I must get hold of some. There are gorgeous white plastic and glass uniform buttons too, usually for various navy uniforms - the white glass German Kriegsmarine ones are to die for. Perhaps a white navy-inspired dress is in order?
Entry tags:
This is becoming a bad habit.
Tired, but more hungry than tired at the moment and I love eating in the middle of the night - I should probably be thankful that I don't eat in my sleep. I had a friend who couldn't keep any food in the house, because she would sleepwalk to the kitchen and eat anything that was available, without waking up.
My ears are ringing and my feet hurt, too. I've had a really good evening, great live show as predicted, great dance floor too, apart from a couple of random guys who wouldn't stop trying to make eye contact, and as usual when I'm out on my own I had some interesting conversations with people I usually don't talk that much with, and some complete strangers too - note to self: dresses without acres of cleavage seem to make me more approachable to people who aren't hitting on me. Nice side effect.
As always after a good night out, I'm feeling a little warm and fuzzy with love for my local scene and this subculture. This doesn't always seem to apply to the culture in other countries, but in Sweden the EBM/industrial/synthpop scene as I know it is a very kind environment. There are assholes everywhere, of course, it's insular and probably very closed, perhaps even hostile to outsiders, but once you're in it is a very tolerant and well-meaning place to be.
The dress turned out all right - not great, but good enough to wear. I really don't understand how people can look at a garrison cap with the signalist pin in it and think stewardess, though - they really aren't that common in stewardess uniforms. If you ever have some time to kill, or just really feel that you need to brush up on your knowledge of flight attendant uniforms, this is the place to go. Pretty hideous, much of it, but fun nonetheless, and I must admire the dedication of this guy.
My ears are ringing and my feet hurt, too. I've had a really good evening, great live show as predicted, great dance floor too, apart from a couple of random guys who wouldn't stop trying to make eye contact, and as usual when I'm out on my own I had some interesting conversations with people I usually don't talk that much with, and some complete strangers too - note to self: dresses without acres of cleavage seem to make me more approachable to people who aren't hitting on me. Nice side effect.
As always after a good night out, I'm feeling a little warm and fuzzy with love for my local scene and this subculture. This doesn't always seem to apply to the culture in other countries, but in Sweden the EBM/industrial/synthpop scene as I know it is a very kind environment. There are assholes everywhere, of course, it's insular and probably very closed, perhaps even hostile to outsiders, but once you're in it is a very tolerant and well-meaning place to be.
The dress turned out all right - not great, but good enough to wear. I really don't understand how people can look at a garrison cap with the signalist pin in it and think stewardess, though - they really aren't that common in stewardess uniforms. If you ever have some time to kill, or just really feel that you need to brush up on your knowledge of flight attendant uniforms, this is the place to go. Pretty hideous, much of it, but fun nonetheless, and I must admire the dedication of this guy.
Small bits and pieces of happiness
Meme nicked off of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kvlt_kitty .
The rules are that for 8 days you have to post something that made you happy that day. Disregarding the chain mail bit.
I really thought about this yesterday, but I reformatted my computer the day before yesterday and so I'm late. Anyway, yesterdays little bit of not-too-intimate-to-share-on-LJ happiness in my life was a short passus in Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age where Dr. X operates a sort of microscope device with an ancient Nintendo hand control - you know, that old NES one with the cross-shaped button:
"Eventually they were looking at the severed portion of John Percival Hackworth on a meter-wide sheet of mediatronic paper that one of the assistants had, with great ceremony, unfurled across a low, black lacquer table. They sought something that was bulky by nanotech standards, so the magnification was not very high - even so, the surface of Hackworth's skin looke like a table heaped with crumpled newspapers. If Dr. X shared Hackworth's queasiness, he didn't show it. He appeared to be sitting with his hands folded in the lap of his embroidered silk robe, but Hackworth leaned forward a bit and saw his yellowed, inch-long fingernails overhanging the black Swiss cross of an old Nintendo pad. The fingers moved, the image on the mediatron zoomed forward."
That made me smile.
Todays bit of happy is of the retail therapy variety - we whiled the afternoon away at a vintage clothing fair, and I spent too much money. Oh, well. Bought 1. a huge, cheap cocktail ring with a big chunk of facetted plastic in the right shade of chartreuse set in black, 2. a rather expensive, but pretty celadon green, knit wool sweater with black edges, circa 50's but in mint condition apart from four rather ugly buttons, probably not original, which I promptly substituted with black scottie dog buttons, and 3. this baby:
The stamps on the back and the three crowns on the front tells us that it's Swedish, silver, probably a military badge of some sort and made in 1946, some googling makes me guess that this is an M/39 Air Force Signalist mark. I thought 90 SEK was a bit expensive until I had a closer look at the stamps and saw the cat's paw - not expensive for silver, and it's such a handsome little badge either way. As I've stated before, I like it when symbols of the function in question are incorporated in the design.
There is a small electric plant here in Stockholm, built in 1905 by Art Nouveau architect Ferdinand Boberg, that has stylized borders of sandstone light bulbs as part of the decor. I think that is a pretty fantastic example of this mindset. The "flashes" on this little badge are great, and it will look amazing with this dress when I finish it, I suspect.
kvlt_kitty .The rules are that for 8 days you have to post something that made you happy that day. Disregarding the chain mail bit.
I really thought about this yesterday, but I reformatted my computer the day before yesterday and so I'm late. Anyway, yesterdays little bit of not-too-intimate-to-share-on-LJ happiness in my life was a short passus in Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age where Dr. X operates a sort of microscope device with an ancient Nintendo hand control - you know, that old NES one with the cross-shaped button:
"Eventually they were looking at the severed portion of John Percival Hackworth on a meter-wide sheet of mediatronic paper that one of the assistants had, with great ceremony, unfurled across a low, black lacquer table. They sought something that was bulky by nanotech standards, so the magnification was not very high - even so, the surface of Hackworth's skin looke like a table heaped with crumpled newspapers. If Dr. X shared Hackworth's queasiness, he didn't show it. He appeared to be sitting with his hands folded in the lap of his embroidered silk robe, but Hackworth leaned forward a bit and saw his yellowed, inch-long fingernails overhanging the black Swiss cross of an old Nintendo pad. The fingers moved, the image on the mediatron zoomed forward."
That made me smile.
Todays bit of happy is of the retail therapy variety - we whiled the afternoon away at a vintage clothing fair, and I spent too much money. Oh, well. Bought 1. a huge, cheap cocktail ring with a big chunk of facetted plastic in the right shade of chartreuse set in black, 2. a rather expensive, but pretty celadon green, knit wool sweater with black edges, circa 50's but in mint condition apart from four rather ugly buttons, probably not original, which I promptly substituted with black scottie dog buttons, and 3. this baby:
The stamps on the back and the three crowns on the front tells us that it's Swedish, silver, probably a military badge of some sort and made in 1946, some googling makes me guess that this is an M/39 Air Force Signalist mark. I thought 90 SEK was a bit expensive until I had a closer look at the stamps and saw the cat's paw - not expensive for silver, and it's such a handsome little badge either way. As I've stated before, I like it when symbols of the function in question are incorporated in the design.
There is a small electric plant here in Stockholm, built in 1905 by Art Nouveau architect Ferdinand Boberg, that has stylized borders of sandstone light bulbs as part of the decor. I think that is a pretty fantastic example of this mindset. The "flashes" on this little badge are great, and it will look amazing with this dress when I finish it, I suspect.
Entry tags:
Costumes and things.
Edit: found another photo that is nice, but not very clear either - it's taken at the masquerade in indoor lighting, so the colours are pretty much gone and the sharpness is less than stellar.
( The two others are here. )
( The two others are here. )
Tomorrow's parties, and a uniform
Apparently there's another Halloween party tomorrow - a bit of Halloween overload, I say, but I suppose it'll be fun, and A wants to go. It's just that awesome local band Agent Side Grinder (seriously good, go have a listen) are playing at an awesomely geeky local industrial club, too, and I'm not going to miss that either, so it seems we'll end up doing both. How to dress for that combination? I don't have a serious costume yet, and even if the Fru Draake thing was finished I'd save it for next Friday, so I'm going for safe and boring and wearing my vintage SKBR uniform. It hasn't been out and about in years, it deserves a night on the town.
SKBR stands for Svenska Kvinnliga Bilkårers Riksförbund, which is a women's civil defense organization started by a group of women who were trained as chauffeurs by a more general female civil defense organization at the beginning of WWII. They had no financial backing during the first years, but still managed to do quite a lot of social work; transporting Home Guard troops, evacuating children, driving refugee transports and ambulances. The organization received backing from the state first after the war, and continued to grow with the increased demand of competent drivers and mechanics for the army in the 50's.
My uniform is 50's, judging from the logotype with three triangles featured on one sleeve, which was created in the 50's; not much later, going by the cut of the garments. It's almost complete, consisting of a belted tunic, calf-length skirt with an inverted box pleat at center front and jodhpurs, all in grey wool, but it lacked a cap when I bought it. I later found the right vintage cap for it. I'll be wearing the tunic, cap and skirt tomorrow, not the jodhpurs, sadly; they are very hot - that great, curvy classic fit, you know - but sadly I have neither riding boots nor high lace-up combat boots to wear with them, so that'll have to wait until I do. I don't like the way they look with jodhpur boots, although I know that's a classic way of wearing them, too (besides, I don't have any of those either).
I made a grey shirt with the usual tailored puff sleeves and inverted pleat breast pockets with buttoned flaps a while back - I feel sure that there must be a shorter way of putting that. In Swedish I'd write bälgficka, which pretty much includes all that information in a single word. Anyway, will be wearing that with the skirt, possibly a black tie, the cap and the tunic. I'll try to keep my hands off the black eyeliner and go for minimal make-up and fresh-faced instead; once again, I can't think of an English word that quite covers all the implications of äppelkäck, but it'll have to do. Also a period updo, and probably not seam-backs - I just can't imagine that any sensible girl would waste expensive and fragile nylons on a frumpy uniform. I love it and in my eyes it's sexy as all that, but the skirt is the worst length possible, and the zippers pinch, and I just don't think that's how the original wearer thought of it.
So. Rant over, will try really hard to produce photos, I want some.
SKBR stands for Svenska Kvinnliga Bilkårers Riksförbund, which is a women's civil defense organization started by a group of women who were trained as chauffeurs by a more general female civil defense organization at the beginning of WWII. They had no financial backing during the first years, but still managed to do quite a lot of social work; transporting Home Guard troops, evacuating children, driving refugee transports and ambulances. The organization received backing from the state first after the war, and continued to grow with the increased demand of competent drivers and mechanics for the army in the 50's.
My uniform is 50's, judging from the logotype with three triangles featured on one sleeve, which was created in the 50's; not much later, going by the cut of the garments. It's almost complete, consisting of a belted tunic, calf-length skirt with an inverted box pleat at center front and jodhpurs, all in grey wool, but it lacked a cap when I bought it. I later found the right vintage cap for it. I'll be wearing the tunic, cap and skirt tomorrow, not the jodhpurs, sadly; they are very hot - that great, curvy classic fit, you know - but sadly I have neither riding boots nor high lace-up combat boots to wear with them, so that'll have to wait until I do. I don't like the way they look with jodhpur boots, although I know that's a classic way of wearing them, too (besides, I don't have any of those either).
I made a grey shirt with the usual tailored puff sleeves and inverted pleat breast pockets with buttoned flaps a while back - I feel sure that there must be a shorter way of putting that. In Swedish I'd write bälgficka, which pretty much includes all that information in a single word. Anyway, will be wearing that with the skirt, possibly a black tie, the cap and the tunic. I'll try to keep my hands off the black eyeliner and go for minimal make-up and fresh-faced instead; once again, I can't think of an English word that quite covers all the implications of äppelkäck, but it'll have to do. Also a period updo, and probably not seam-backs - I just can't imagine that any sensible girl would waste expensive and fragile nylons on a frumpy uniform. I love it and in my eyes it's sexy as all that, but the skirt is the worst length possible, and the zippers pinch, and I just don't think that's how the original wearer thought of it.
So. Rant over, will try really hard to produce photos, I want some.
Ok, not bright red.
I got the main fabrics for the dress yesterday - the pink dupioni, which is eye-wateringly bright in large amounts, and pink cotton to flat line with. There was a dupioni in the same red as the warp in the pink fabric, which I assumed would work as a contrast, until I looked at them next to one another. It doesn't work. At all. The hot pink brings out a strange, rusty tomato shade in even cool, true reds and it looks awful.
So bright red is off the list at the moment and I'm considering burgundy instead, but I am rather stumped at the moment. Will bring a pink sample and hunt for contrasting fabric tomorrow and next week. Bummer.
Also got some silver cord for the Panzer dress - have added some of it to the shoulder straps, and I'm thinking of putting the rest together with a small silver tassel I had lying around to make a sort of... yeah, whatever that cord and tassel thing draping between the collar and/or lapels and the shoulder strap is called on uniforms.*
Finally found a source (in Swedish) that gives clear and reasonably comprehensive information about the various three crown buttons, by the way; as far as I've gathered, the grey metal ones are M/1939, the gold and silver coloured ones are M/1960, a furlough uniform. The gold colour is the standard, with the silver ones used only by a few regiments, which would explain why they are harder to find, of course. I'm guessing that the grey plastic version is from one of the 1950's or 1960's uniforms, too - M/1959 or M/1968. Nice to get that sorted out.
*Aiguillette or possibly lanyard, it turns out; ägiljett in Swedish. The Swedish uniform regulation is very useful for this kind of stuff, apparently. And I did make an aiguillette sort of thing with the rest of the cord.
So bright red is off the list at the moment and I'm considering burgundy instead, but I am rather stumped at the moment. Will bring a pink sample and hunt for contrasting fabric tomorrow and next week. Bummer.
Also got some silver cord for the Panzer dress - have added some of it to the shoulder straps, and I'm thinking of putting the rest together with a small silver tassel I had lying around to make a sort of... yeah, whatever that cord and tassel thing draping between the collar and/or lapels and the shoulder strap is called on uniforms.*
Finally found a source (in Swedish) that gives clear and reasonably comprehensive information about the various three crown buttons, by the way; as far as I've gathered, the grey metal ones are M/1939, the gold and silver coloured ones are M/1960, a furlough uniform. The gold colour is the standard, with the silver ones used only by a few regiments, which would explain why they are harder to find, of course. I'm guessing that the grey plastic version is from one of the 1950's or 1960's uniforms, too - M/1959 or M/1968. Nice to get that sorted out.
*Aiguillette or possibly lanyard, it turns out; ägiljett in Swedish. The Swedish uniform regulation is very useful for this kind of stuff, apparently. And I did make an aiguillette sort of thing with the rest of the cord.
Bummer.
As I suspected, there isn't quite enough of the piping to go around. I bought everything Mattson's had, which was almost two meters less than I needed, so I crossed out some details where I wanted it and hoped that it would cover the rest. It doesn't, though, so I will have to skip putting it in the sleeves, which feels a bit Spartan. But I asked Mattson's to see if they could order more of the stuff, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that, and if they get hold of it I can take out the sleeves and put the piping in later on.
Sleeves are useful without piping too, after all, but I can't see the point of having decorative pocket flaps and shoulder straps without piping, and I don't want to skip those details. Don't want to forgo piping on the cap either, the cap is important.
There will be no kick pleat and no slit - the fabric is stretchy enough that I can make it fairly narrow around the knees without having trouble walking. I dislike working with very stretchy fabrics, not to mention knits and jerseys (horror!) so I approach them with much skepticism and fusible interfacing. Not the best method, probably, but these dresses usually turn out alright. I just have to fight down the impulse to put spiral steel or at least rigilene along the princess seams, stretch be damned..
Sleeves are useful without piping too, after all, but I can't see the point of having decorative pocket flaps and shoulder straps without piping, and I don't want to skip those details. Don't want to forgo piping on the cap either, the cap is important.
There will be no kick pleat and no slit - the fabric is stretchy enough that I can make it fairly narrow around the knees without having trouble walking. I dislike working with very stretchy fabrics, not to mention knits and jerseys (horror!) so I approach them with much skepticism and fusible interfacing. Not the best method, probably, but these dresses usually turn out alright. I just have to fight down the impulse to put spiral steel or at least rigilene along the princess seams, stretch be damned..
Shoulder pads!
We went to the movies and saw Blade Runner: Final Cut last weekend, and my head is still spinning with shoulder pads - goodness, what shoulder pads! Am going to see it again with a very young friend who hadn't even heard of it, so clearly needs to take the chance of seeing it on the big screen. I'm happy that I did, it was a completely different experience than watching an old, worn VHS copy on a small TV. There were so many little details that I had missed, and the restored sound was good, too.
And oh, the shoulder pads...
The silver-coloured three crowns buttons have found a project at last, by the way - I'm completely disregarding all the things I actually need in favour of another little mock uniform dress. The fabric is a woven polyamide/lycra that I have used for a couple of similar dresses before, fairly stiff and sturdy but quite stretchy, up to about 40%. Black with silver piping, buttoned down the front with a single row, comparatively narrow collar and lapels, pockets with buttoned flaps on the half-length sleeves, buttoned shoulder straps and big 40's style shoulder pads. I will make them myself, modern shoulder pads are too soft and flat. The 40's pads I'm trying to emulate are built high, often 2-3 cm or more, but not extremely wide, they are tightly curved over the shoulder and stuffed hard.
I had only seven of those buttons and needed at least eleven for the project, so I went to the two remaining military antiques shops in town (after a detour to the Army Museum half a block from where there used to be a third one, where I poked and prodded another set of great shoulder pads in a female WWII Blue Star uniform) and asked for them. Found only two expensive ones at my first stop, but hit the jackpot at my second - seven large ones, two small ones, plus oodles of the also very pretty grey M/39 version of the same button, two sizes, in metal and plastic. I bought in the region of 40 buttons there and I'll go back for more. Was asked to show off the dress I'm using them for, too, when it's finished. I think I should, maybe.
I know that many sewers tend to collect tons of fabric. I've never been that bad a case of fabric hoarding, but I can't resist good buttons. They do take up less storage space than fabric, there is that to say for it..
The K came from the same place as most of the buttons, by the way. I have been thinking about the metal numbers and letters featured on some uniforms lately, and since K is my first name initial and they only had this one little letter lying around, it was obviously meant to be.
And oh, the shoulder pads...
The silver-coloured three crowns buttons have found a project at last, by the way - I'm completely disregarding all the things I actually need in favour of another little mock uniform dress. The fabric is a woven polyamide/lycra that I have used for a couple of similar dresses before, fairly stiff and sturdy but quite stretchy, up to about 40%. Black with silver piping, buttoned down the front with a single row, comparatively narrow collar and lapels, pockets with buttoned flaps on the half-length sleeves, buttoned shoulder straps and big 40's style shoulder pads. I will make them myself, modern shoulder pads are too soft and flat. The 40's pads I'm trying to emulate are built high, often 2-3 cm or more, but not extremely wide, they are tightly curved over the shoulder and stuffed hard.
I had only seven of those buttons and needed at least eleven for the project, so I went to the two remaining military antiques shops in town (after a detour to the Army Museum half a block from where there used to be a third one, where I poked and prodded another set of great shoulder pads in a female WWII Blue Star uniform) and asked for them. Found only two expensive ones at my first stop, but hit the jackpot at my second - seven large ones, two small ones, plus oodles of the also very pretty grey M/39 version of the same button, two sizes, in metal and plastic. I bought in the region of 40 buttons there and I'll go back for more. Was asked to show off the dress I'm using them for, too, when it's finished. I think I should, maybe.
I know that many sewers tend to collect tons of fabric. I've never been that bad a case of fabric hoarding, but I can't resist good buttons. They do take up less storage space than fabric, there is that to say for it..
The K came from the same place as most of the buttons, by the way. I have been thinking about the metal numbers and letters featured on some uniforms lately, and since K is my first name initial and they only had this one little letter lying around, it was obviously meant to be.