Handmade

Diy fur tanning with Oak gall powder

admin — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 16:05:55 +0000

I need fur for Iron Age and other historial clothing. I will make 16th century gown that was fully lined with fur that looks like European Mink fur. It was Little Ice Age and temperatures in Europe were lower than now. Houses built of stones were extremely cold and it was hard to keep warm. My gown will have fur only inside sleeves and visible edges.

We have In Finland serious problem with an invasive American Mink. They are thriving and causing huge damage to our native water- and shore bird populations. Wild American Mink fur looks very similar to European Mink fur. I bought pile of dried and cleaned mink pelts from a hunter hunting in Finnish west coast. Some of the pelts were from minks that were escaped from fur farms, some from individuals whose ancestors were escapers and some from population that has been wild for long time (brown and smallish).

I used Oak gall, Spruce bark and birch for source of tanning acids. I also tanned few skins with readymade Pretanic solution, but Oak galls produced better skins. Its disadvantage is that it dyes fur slightly beige. I also tested how madder will affect. I got nicely dyed meat side, but I should have had opened skins for this tanning. Now dye did not penetrate inside the pelt where the hair was.

Cochineal

admin — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 17:06:03 +0000

Red dye has been very rare to get from natural sources. Situation changed when Spanish brought cochineal scale insects and their host plant opuntia cacti from Mexico. Climate in the Canary islands was suitable for opuntia farming. Huge plantations were planted in to the drier islands. Nowadays most of them are abandoned.

These scale insects produce large amounts of red and purplish red pigments.

I found several wild opuntia bushes when we were visiting Fuerteventura. These plants had cochineal bugs that I collected to take home. Most of these scale insects were dead and dry, but I think they will still give dye pigments. All bugs were dried before trip to home.

Iron Age gown choker

admin — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 06:27:08 +0000

Kaukola Kekomäki grave number 6 had large set of jewelry. There were pieces of choker that was made of linen covered birch bark and silver plaques. There were no remnants of any kind of clasp system, so choker was probably closed with strings. In this grave there was also pendant or amulet. It could have been hanging from choker.

More pieces to European frog’s-bit silver jewellery set

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 15:38:45 +0000

Here are new rings and earrings to frog´s-bit jewellery series that has been published here. Jewellery has been made out of sterling silver sheet. Stamen parts are gilded silver.

Rock crystal amulet Masku style

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 15:35:31 +0000

This kind of rock crystal amulets have been found from Finland and Sweden. In Masku graveyard there has been found 2 similar pendants and in Sweden Vikings had similar items. This pendant has wire decorations and small silver balls inside scrolls of wire.

Roman coin silver ring

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 15:32:34 +0000

This Roman copper coin was made of small every day purchases. It´s monetary value was small and they were minted in huge quantities. These coins exists today still in large quantities so the coin is not rare at all. So I could make it in to a ring without feeling too sorry for its destiny. Coin is not soldered in place and it can be released by just turning its holding claws outwards.

Karelian Iron Age gown choker plates

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 15:29:41 +0000

Burial 6 in Kaukola Kekomäki had remains of a choker. It was made of strip of birch bark covered with linen fabric. Fabric had sewn on gilded silver plates with palmette decorations. Choker had also square silver charm hanging from center.

These plates that measure slightly larger than square centimeter have been made of 0,3mm sterling silver sheet. For die pressing I made a tool from 3 sheets of cut out bronze soldered to a sandwich. I did not have access to proper pressing tool, so Teppo Nousiainen did the pressing work. To press sterling silver sheet into bronze mold it is necessary to use something softer than silver as filler between silver and press. Small pieces of lead were used this time. It would have been possible to use rubber or polyurethane instead. It is possible to make lots of silver plates with tool I made, but mold will of course become rounder during the process.

I hope to be able to gild these like some of the originals were.

Evening gown in 1917 style

admin — Sun, 14 Jan 2018 16:32:39 +0000

I had dreamed to get 1910 style evening gown. Finally there become a good opportunity to wear one. Finland had its 100 years from independence declaration anniversary celebrations. My role in our school play was to be Aino Sibelius preparing to 1917 festive. I designed this gown and I took inspiration from mid-1910 century fashion. Finland was far from European trend metropoles so I figured that style worn in 1915 would be accurate enough.
My “court” seamstress Merja Helminen sew this blue green dress after my drawings. I will use it as evening gown in future. Fabric is silk and wool mix and made for Japanese kimono. Cutting the dress was very tricky since kimono fabrics are usually under 40cm wide. Available fabric was just enough for this dress. This dress has large pleat in another front seam. With this pleat it is possible to easily change waist measurement. Lining of this dress is heavy silk.
Over dress is made by me and its material is silk chiffon. Over dress trains a bit and all edges are trimmed with beading. Belt is made of cotton velvet and decorated with silver brooch that I made years ago.

Suitable shoes came from England. Brand Hotter makes vintage style, but modern shoes. Headpiece was made of black velvet and ostrich feathers.
This kind of gown need right underpinnings. I made for this gown long Edwardian/Victorian hybrid corset. Materials were sturdy hand dyed kimono silk and corset coutill. Most bones are flat steel, but some are very bendy rigilene plastic boning. I did not have steel spiral bones.

Iron Age market in Pukkisaari Helsinki 2.9.2017

admin — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 17:30:38 +0000

At last moment I decided to go to Helsinki and visit Pukkisaari Iron Age market. I had a change to do some shopping in our capital and on Saturday go to Pukkisaari isle. Local Iron Age interest group has built several log buildings to this small island. Buildings surround a yard and large fireplace where food is made for participants. Sellers come from Finland and neighboring countries. It was interesting to compare different costumes and styles between countries.

I bought wool yarn, glass beads and Baltic brooches. Helsinki was still full of tourists and visitors from Europe and Japan were numerous in the market. It was funny to observe their reactions. Next time I might stay for a night in the camp. Then I will have more time to talk with other Iron Age minded

Viburg road market and archery workshop 4.-5.8.2017

admin — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 17:23:29 +0000

I had dreamed about primitive archery for years. I hope to build an arrow someday. I was ready to sign up for archery workshop right away, when I saw first ads of it. Rainy weather made organizers almost to cancel the lessons, but their new canopy saved the situation. We had a chance to test longbows and recurve bows. Our teachers (even literally) threw at us new and new challenges. Finally we had to aim to flying discs!

On Saturday I participated to Viburg road market. This time the theme was armies. There were all kinds of old fashioned troops from Viking age until World War II. Soldiers had flint lock pistols, swords and even real cannon that was shot several times. It was very loud!

Soldier had their wives with them. So I had great change to investigate female costumes from different time periods.