Tatted Stitch Markers

 Stitch markers are fantastic. I rarely knit or crochet without using at least a few, whether it’s to mark the start of a round, separate pattern repeats, or remind me just where those increases are supposed to go. I have a bunch of those plastic locking stitch markers in my notions bag, so that they’re always handy when I need them. 

But while those stitch markers are wonderfully functional, they’re not exactly pretty, so the other day I set out to make myself some nicer looking ones. There are tons of designs for beautiful beaded stitch markers out there, but I figured I’d go off the beaten path and try to make stitch markers using tatting. (Spoiler alert: it was a success!). These stitch markers can only be used for knitting, unfortunately, but I think they could be modified with a lobster clasp to work with crochet too. Depending on the size thread used, they’ll work for any weight of yarn from lace all the way up to bulky. But I’m rambling now. Without further ado, here’s the pattern! 

Sizing chart:

Written Instructions:

Ring 1: 3 ds, small picot, 5 ds, small picot, 5 ds, small picot, 3 ds, close ring

Rings 2 and 3: 3 ds, join to last picot of previous ring, 5 ds, small picot, 5 ds, small picot, 3 ds, close ring

Ring 4: 3 ds, join to last picot of previous ring, 5 ds, large picot, 5 ds, join to first picot of first ring, 3 ds, close ring

And there you have it! It’s a simple pattern, so you can quickly make a bunch of stitch markers it different colors and sizes (goodness knows I have). If you do decide to make this pattern, tag me on Instagram @_meadowlarklace_ so I can see it. And until next time, stay crafty!

Stockings for Days (or months, as the case may be)

Do you ever have a project that’s just... a mistake? Not in the sense that you made a lot errors while making it or it turned out poorly, but just that it was a bad idea in the first place?

 

Yeah, I may have a penchant for those types of projects, and this pair of stockings is one of them. You see, I’ve been working on my historically inspired Dream Fairy costume, and I wanted a nice set of stockings to go with the chemise. Rather than buy a modern pattern simply based on Victorian styles, I decided to go straight to the source with an 1884 book titled Knitting: How to Knit and What to Knit. If you’ve got any interest in historical knitting whatsoever, I highly recommend giving this book a read. Its instructions are pretty detailed, and they’ll get you used to the antiquated terminology that has lapsed out of knitting vernacular in the ensuing 140 years.

 

I wanted to use a stocking pattern from the Victorian era because I love all the little details that speak to the period. I’ve never seen a “seam stitch” in modern sock knitting, and we don’t use the purl 2 together decrease on the right side of the stockinette nearly as often as the Victorians did (at least, judging from this book), but they all make subtle changes to the way the finished product looks, and I was determined to make it look good!

 

But, like I said, this project was a mistake, and its nature first became apparent when I had to buy yarn. The book doesn’t specify what weight yarn to use (at least, not in a way that I understood) but just judging by the stitches I had to cast on for the leg, it had to be lace weight. It should have struck me then that if I was going to be making thigh-length stockings in lace weight yarn, that this was going to be a long-haul of a project. Did I want to knit that much stockinette?

 

The answer doesn’t matter, because I didn’t ask myself that question. I bought two skeins of lace in a lovely charcoal gray and set to work.

 

The second hurdle came after I was actually smart for once and knitted/blocked a proper gauge swatch. I knew that the cast-on edge would have to fit around my lower thigh, minus a bit of negative ease. But with the gauge I was getting, even on my smallest needles, the sock as written would be waaaaaaaaaaay too big. Like, “I could probably fit both my legs into the sock” too big. But I had already bought the yarn, and I didn’t want to buy size 000000 needles for this project, so I did some math to adjust stitch counts. It meant I would have to record everything meticulously if I wanted the socks to match, but that was fine, right? Tentatively, I cast on and began the first stocking’s lace edging, making sure to check the fit periodically.

 

 

The book I used had an option for a plain edged stocking, but come on. We all know I was going to go for the lace. I chose the No. 24 edging and happily plugged away at it. While there weren’t any charts, the written instructions were thorough and not too different from what I’d see in a modern pattern, so they were fairly easy to follow. I was having fun! And then... then came the stockinette.

 

When I finished my lace sweater a while back, I encouraged you all to choose patterns that would be fun to knit, and avoid anything you’d find boring (even if you liked the finished look). Well, I did not take my own advice on this one, friends. Plain stockinette is my knitting kryptonite. And because I was trying to cover my legs from mid-thigh down, that meant a lot of stockinette! I kid you not, there were 100 rows (with 112 stitches per row) to knit before I even started the calf decreases! Here, look at my notes if you want proof.

 

(Meticulous notes are meticulous. But if socks (or sleeves, or mittens) are going to match, I want them to match exactly, and that means marking out every row)

 

The silver lining to knitting 18 inches of leg is that once you get to the ankle, you’re already in the home stretch. The book offers a number of different options for the heel, and I went with the first because it’s by far the most familiar. Anyone who’s knit their fair share of socks would recognize the technique immediately: yes it’s the good ol’ heel flap!

 

 

As far as I can tell, this method of heel knitting hasn’t actually changed much since the 1880’s, so it was a relative breeze. Then it was back to the dreaded stockinette, but only for a few inches before reaching the toe. Again, there were a few options for this section, and I chose No. 14 just because I liked it. It seems that the Victorians preferred to work their toes in a spiral decrease pattern, rather than on either side of the foot like we usually do today. Another interesting historical detail to ponder as I admired my beautiful finished stocking. I was finally done!

 

...Oh, right. The other stocking. Back to work I guess!

 

In all seriousness, I am glad that I took detailed notes while making the first stocking. It saved me the headache of wondering whether or not these two socks would even look like a matched set in the end. And knowing exactly how much more I had to knit staved off the dreaded second sock syndrome.

 

 

Like I said at the start, the reason these stockings were a mistake wasn’t because they turned out poorly. I really love the way they came out, and aside from the costume I’m definitely going to be wearing them in the wintertime with my taller boots. No, they were a mistake because they took two dedicated months of knitting, and it wasn’t knitting that I particularly enjoyed. They felt more like a chore to me than something I was doing out of passion, and that’s no good when you’re a hobbyist. I’m glad these are done with, and I think I’m taking a break from knitting for a little while to recover. Fortunately, the rest of the Dream Fairy ensemble still needs making, and there’s plenty of sewing and tatting to spend my time on. Perhaps next it’s time to tackle the chemise...

 

Stay safe, my friends. Until next time!

Simple Dice Bags with Lining

All dice need a home. Why not make them one yourself?

 

(Let’s all conveniently ignore the fact that these dice bags are not holding dice. I misplaced my set and haven’t got around to ordering new ones because all the games I play are online anyway!)

 

This pattern comes in two sizes: medium and large.

 

The medium bag will comfortably hold a single set of dice, plus or minus a few pieces. Do you have just one set of dice that you use for everything? Maybe you have many sets, but you prefer to keep them nicely organized. Or perhaps one of your dice sets is so special it needs its own handmade container. If so, this is the bag for you.

 

On the other hand, are you a DM who routinely needs to make five initiative rolls at once? Are you the player that everyone looks to when the warlock casts Circle of Death and deals 8d6 damage to 6 creatures simultaneously? Or perhaps you just love dice, and don’t care whether or not they’re sorted by color. If so, you may want the large bag, which easily holds 5+ sets of loose dice.

 

Materials

25-75 yards (23-70 meters) of lace weight yarn or size 10 crochet thread.

Scrap of quilting cotton or other medium-weight woven fabric, for lining (optional)

Thread matching the fabric color

 

Supplies

US size 1 steel crochet hook (2.35 mm)

Stitch marker (optional, to mark beginning of round)

Tapestry/yarn needle

Sewing needle, for lining (optional)

 

Abbreviations

(Note: this pattern uses US crochet terminology)

sc: single crochet

hdc: half double crochet

inc: increase

ch: chain

sl st: slip stitch

st: stitch

tbl: through back loop

 

Instructions- Size Medium

 

Base

 

Round 0: sc 6 in magic circle. Do not join. (6 sts)

Round 1: inc each st around (12 sts)

Round 2: *1 sc, inc* around (18 sts)

Round 3: *2 sc, inc* around (24 sts)

Round 4: *3 sc, inc* around (30 sts)

Round 5: *4 sc, inc* around (36 sts)

Round 6: *5 sc, inc* around (42 sts)

Round 7: *6 sc, inc* around (48 sts)

Sl st into next st

 

Sides

 

Note: You can substitute any other stitch you want for hdc in rounds 2-14. Work your rounds until the sides measure 2.5” (6.5 cm) tall, then proceed to round 15. Some stitch patterns may benefit from joining at the ends of rounds, instead of continuous rounds as written. In this case, at the end of each round, sl st to first stitch in round, and ch 1-3, depending on the height of your chosen stitch.

 

Round 1: sc tbl, *hdc tbl* around

Round 2-14: hdc around

Round 15: *2 hdc, ch1, skip 1 st, 3 hdc* around (8 ch1 spaces)

Round 16-18: hdc around

sc 1, sl st 1, tie off yarn, weave in ends

 

Instructions- Size Large

 

Base

 

Round 0: sc 6 in magic circle. Do not join. (6 sts)

Round 1: inc each st around (12 sts)

Round 2: *1 sc, inc* around (18 sts)

Round 3: *2 sc, inc* around (24 sts)

Round 4: *3 sc, inc* around (30 sts)

Round 5: *4 sc, inc* around (36 sts)

Round 6: *5 sc, inc* around (42 sts)

Round 7: *6 sc, inc* around (48 sts)

Round 8: *7 sc, inc* around (54 sts)

Round 9: *8 sc, inc* around (60 sts)

Round 10: *9 sc, inc* around (66 sts)

Round 11: *10 sc, inc* around (72 sts)

 

Sl st into next st

 

Sides

 

Note: You can substitute any other stitch for hdc in rounds 2-25. Work your rounds until the sides measure 4.5” (10 cm) tall, then proceed to round 26. Some stitch patterns may benefit from joining at the ends of rounds, instead of continuous rounds as written. In this case, at the end of each round, sl st to first stitch in round, and ch 1-3, depending on the height of your chosen stitch.

 

Round 1: sc tbl, *hdc tbl* around

Round 2-25: hdc around

Round 26: *2 hdc, ch1, skip 1 st, 3 hdc* around (12 ch1 spaces)

Round 27-31: hdc around

sc 1, sl st 1, tie off yarn, weave in ends

 

Drawstring – Both Sizes

The drawstring for this bag can be made of many things. Shown  above are an I-cord (small white bag), a ribbon (large bag), and a braid (small pink bag). Drawstrings should measure approximately 10” (25 cm) long for the medium bag, or 14” (35 cm) long for the large bag.

 

To insert the drawstring, weave one end into and out of the holes produced in round 15/26. The ends of the drawstring should end up outside the bag.

 

Lining (Optional) – Both Sizes

A fabric lining can easily be sewn into these dice bags for added strength and stability. Recommended fabrics are any medium-weight woven fabric, especially quilting cottons. A ¼” (0.5 cm) seam allowance is used throughout.

 

For the medium size, cut out a circle measuring 3” (7.5 cm) in diameter and a 3.5” x 8.25” (9 x 21 cm) rectangle. For the large size, cut out a circle measuring 4” (10 cm) in diameter and a 6” x 11.5” (15.25 x 29.25 cm) rectangle.

 

With right sides facing, sew the short sides of the rectangle together by machine or by hand. Optionally, press the seam open using an iron.

 

Using a pencil, fabric marker, or chalk, make 4 equidistant marks on the edge of the circle, separating it into equal quarters. Do the same thing with one of the long raw edges of the rectangle (now a tube).

 

 

Using a long stitch, sew a gathering stitch around the circle about ⅛” (0.25 cm) from the edge. Pull on the thread to gather the edges. Insert the circle into the tube, with right sides facing. Match up the marks on the circle to the marks on the tube and pin in place. Then, add pins to the area between each mark, adjusting the easing as necessary to fit the curves to each other. Sew together, by machine or by hand.

 

 

Trim the excess fabric of the new seam to about ⅛” (0.25 cm), and clip the seam to allow the bottom to lie flat. Be careful not to cut your stitches! Finally, fold the top raw edge over ¼” (0.5 cm) on the wrong side (you may find it helpful to press this fold in with an iron). Insert the lining into your crocheted bag so that the right side of the fabric faces inwards (aka, the part you will see when you open the bag) and use a whipstitch to secure the top edge to the top edge of the crocheted bag.

 

And there you have it: your very own dice bag! It's a great way to use up leftover bits of yarn, and this pattern is very easy to riff on, so feel free to make your own. If you do, comment below with pictures, or head over to my Ravelry (MeadowlarkLace) or my Instagram (@_meadowlarklace_) and show me there. And until next time, stay crafty my friends!

Antique Lace Adventures

Today, I am in a lace mood.

If we're being completely honest, I've been in a lace mood for weeks. And nothing satiates my hunger for lace like some good shuttle tatting. In the interest of working on my Dream Fairy costume, I thought I'd look for some nice antique tatting patterns to use as edgings. Due to the pandemic, I can't go browse the stacks of my university's library like I'd like to, but archive.org is really just as good an option. There are dozens of handcraft/needlecraft books available there in the time period I'm interested in, so needless to say I was in heaven searching through it all. 

One of the books I found most interesting was Beeton's Book of Needlework, an instructional guide for knitting, crochet, tatting, netting, and embroidery published in the year 1870. The instructions are quite detailed, and it has dozens of patterns for each craft. I tried out four of the tatted edging patterns, to see if any would be appropriate for my costume.

Friends, I don't know if you've ever read 150-year-old instructions for anything before, but things change. Especially the terminology. Most of the techniques (for tatting at least) are pretty similar to what I've learned as a 21st-century crafter, but I had to relearn a lot of the terms in order to read these patterns. Plus, the Victorians were not shy about mixing crafts. Something like half of the tatting patterns have you grab a crochet hook at one point or another.

Not that I mind that. I always have my hooks handy!

In the interest of making these beautiful old patterns more accessible to modern tatters, I've written up my own interpretations of them below. BIG DISCLAIMER: I am not a historian, and I have no expertise whatsoever in interpreting historical patterns. I am, in fact, a computational biologist, which I'm pretty sure is about as far removed from historical lacemaking as anything conceivably could be. So if you care about historical accuracy, take my interpretations with a big grain of salt. With that said, let's get on to the patterns. 

Note: All samples were worked in Lisbeth size 40 cotton thread. A 0.75 mm hook was used for the crochet sections. Crochet instructions use US terminology.

No 3 – Lace Edging in Tatting

 

Tatting Section:

 

Wind shuttle, and do not cut thread from ball.

 

*R 10 ds, p, 10 ds, cl r. Turn work.

Ch 8 ds, p, 8 ds. Turn work.

R 10 ds, j to p of previous ring, 10 ds, cl r. *

 

Repeat until edging is desired length, then cut and tie.

 

Crochet Section:

 

Ch 1, sc into picot of first tatted chain, * ch 6, sc into picot of next tatted chain*

 

Repeat between * until all picots have been worked. Tie off. Weave in ends.

 

 

No 4 – Lace Edging in Tatting

 

Tatting Section:

 

Wind shuttle, and do not cut thread from ball.

 

* R 10 ds, p, 10 ds, cl r.

R 10 ds, p, 10 ds, cl r. Turn work.

Ch 12 ds, p, 4 ds, j to p of previous ring, 4 ds, p 12 ds. Turn work.

R 10 ds, j to p of previous ring (the same p that you just joined the chain to), 10 ds, cl r.

R 10 ds, j to p of the first ring, 10 ds, cl r. *

 

Repeat until edging is desired length, then cut and tie.

 

Crochet Section:

 

Ch 1, sc into picot of first tatted chain, ch 4, sc into picot of second tatted chain, * ch 6, sc into picot of next tatted chain, ch 4, sc into picot of next tatted chain *

 

Repeat between * until all picots have been worked. Tie off. Weave in ends.

 

 

No 5 – Border in Tatting with Crochet Edging

Tatting Section:

 

Wind shuttle, and cut thread.

 

R 9 ds, cl r. Turn work.

Leave approx. 1/6 in (0.4 cm) between previous ring and next ring.

R 4 ds, p, 3, ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 4 ds, cl r. Turn work.

* Leave approx. 1/6 in (0.4 cm) between previous ring and next ring.

R 9 ds, cl r. Turn work.

Leave approx. 1/6 in (0.4 cm) between previous ring and next ring.

R 4 ds, j to last p of previous large ring, 3, ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 4 ds, cl r. Turn work. *

 

Repeat between * until edging is the desired length, then cut and tie.

 

Crochet Section:

 

Row 1: Ch 1, sc into first small tatted ring, *ch 6, sc into next small tatted ring* Repeat between * until all rings have been worked. Ch 2, turn work.

Row 2: Dc into first st of previous row * ch 1, skip st, dc into next st * Repeat between * until end of row. Ch 2, turn work.

Row 3: Repeat the Decorative Edge Stitch (see below) to the end of the row, ending on a dc.

 

Tie off. Weave in ends.

 

No 6 – Border in Tatting and Crochet

 

Tatting Section:

 

Wind shuttle, and cut thread.

 

R 4 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 4 ds. Close ring partially, leaving about 1/8 in (0.3 cm) open.

* Leave approx. 1/8 in (0.3 cm) between previous ring and next ring.

R 3 ds, j to last p of previous ring, 3 ds, j to second to last p of previous ring , 4 ds, p, 4 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, cl r.

Leave approx. 1/8 in (0.3 cm) between previous ring and next ring.

R 4 ds, j to last p of previous ring, 3 ds, j to second to last p of previous ring, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 3 ds, p, 4 ds. Close ring partially, leaving about 1/8 in (0.3 cm) open. *

 

Repeat between * until edging is the desired length, then cut and tie.

 

Crochet Section:

 

Row 1: Ch 1, 3 sc into first partially closed ring, * 3 sc into next space between rings, 3 sc into next space between rings, 3 sc into next partially closed ring * Repeat between * until all rings and spaces have been worked. Ch 2, turn work.

Row 2: Dc into first st of previous row * ch 1, skip st, dc into next st * Repeat between * until end of row. Ch 2, turn work.

Row 3: Repeat the Decorative Edge Stitch (see below) to the end of the row, ending on a dc.

 

Tie off. Weave in ends.

 

 

Decorative Edge Stitch:

 

Dc into next stitch.

 

Remove hook, leaving a live loop.

Without picking up live loop, insert hook into next stitch and draw up a loop.

Chain 1.

 

Note: It is possible for the dropped loops to unravel if pulled. To prevent this, thread a piece of scrap string/yarn through each loop after the stitch is completed. When attaching the edging, make sure that each loop is secured to the base fabric.

On a Wing and a Prayer

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over years of crafting, it’s this: prototype, prototype, prototype. Sewing a garment? Make a mockup. Knitting or crocheting? Gauge swatch. Using a new skill or technique? Get out your scrap yarn/fabric to test it out! Seriously, you won’t regret working the kinks out on a prototype before you start the full project. And the newer the skill, the less you know going in, the more important testing is!

 

My Dream Fairy costume is going to be chock-full of new skills and experiences for me, so prototypes are going to be a must. Drafting, historical hand-stitching, interpreting antique knitting and tatting patterns... the list goes on and on. And at the very top of the list, are the all-important fairy wings.

 

These won’t be just any fairy wings, either. No, they will be handmade lace wings. You see, I am what the youth call “extra”. It may not be obvious at first glance (I am also deceptively sneaky, as many a surprised friend will attest), but I just live to be able to whip out something gloriously over-the-top and unnecessary. Why make plain old fairy wings when I could spend dozens of hours with a 0.75 mm crochet hook? Of course, shenanigans like this require planning, and the construction of at least one prototype. I’ve decided to share my process and thoughts here, partly in case anyone else wants inspiration for similar endeavors, and partly so that my notes on what goes well and what goes poorly don’t just disappear into the recesses of my brain, never to be seen again. (Also this is my crafting blog? If I’m not writing about my crafts, then what’s this whole business even for?)

 

I should stress before we begin: this is not a tutorial. I do not know what I am doing. You’re more than welcome to try making your own pair of ridiculous lace wings along with me, but don’t think that anything I do will actually work as intended!

 

Disclaimers out of the way, let’s start with a bit of research. I’ve never seen anyone make fairy wings covered in handmade lace before, but there are plenty of fairy wings to be had all over the Internet. Construction usually follows the same basic pattern: build an armature out of wire, and cover it with your wing material of choice. The armature is then attached to a series of straps that affixes it to the wearer’s back, or else it’s tucked into a rigid support garment like a corset. I don’t have plans to make a corset at the moment (though it certainly wouldn’t be out of place for this costume), so straps it is!

 

Before we get there, though, we need some wings. I’m lifting my design straight off of the real-life luna moth, since Mother Nature is my all-time favorite designer. A nice, head-on image of the moth works as a perfect base.

 

 

 I only have enough wire on hand to make one wing, so let’s use the upper left wing as the test. I scaled the image up to human-size and traced it out onto paper. That served as a guide for bending the wire into shape. I still needed something to keep track of the inner details of the wing, though, so I grabbed some spare netting, stitched the wire frame onto it, and used some cotton crochet thread to mark where the details ought to go.

 

 

Some quick crocheting around the wire covered up the metal and created a good surface on which to anchor the lace. Color didn’t matter for this prototype, but I couldn’t just use any clashing hues at random. I still had to spend time looking at it after all! So I swapped green and maroon for an equally pleasing blue and white palette.

 

Next came putting in the eye-spot and veins. For the spot, I used a scaled-up version of Julia Hart’s Peacebloom. To make the veins, all I had to do was crochet some slip-stitch cording and sew it to the crochet-covered wire. A few pins stuck in the mesh backing help the veins retain their soft curves. Lastly, to complete the base I crocheted a rough mesh into the top white section of the wing. This is going to get covered up later, so it doesn’t have to be neat!

 

 

Moving right along: lace! Specifically, lace netting. I had a bit of yarn left over from a previous project (points if anyone can figure out which one!) that’s the same weight as the pale green yarn I plan to use for the final wings. I took a few pages from the Irish lace playbook for this, since a big part of that practice involves filling irregular empty spaces with netting. There are loads of netted fills to choose from, so I picked a few different staples to try out.

 

For the curious, the fills are as follows from the top: basic netting, trellis netting, netting with the Clones knot, dense basic netting, and netting with picots. The last three panels are just a repeat of the first three. Originally, I thought I’d pick whichever one fill I liked best and use that over the whole wing, but I think I rather prefer the look of all the different ones next to each other. The things we discover while prototyping!

 

At long last, I could remove the mesh backing. I was rather looking forward to being done with that thing, since it’s a bit difficult to crochet with one side of the work completely blocked off from you! Clipping the basting threads was a bit nerve-wracking, what with all my handmade lace mere millimeters away, but I got through it without incident. The wing was looking good, but it wasn’t quite finished yet. No, it needed flowers! Dozens of little blooms worked in white crochet thread. I tried out a bunch of different flower patterns for this, and my standout favorites were Tiny Peony by Picot Pals and Poppy by Vera Matrebo. I also made a bunch of super basic generic flowers that I didn’t really need a pattern for. All of these were worked separately, and then stitched onto the white net part of the wing with a tapestry needle.

 

There were so. Many. Flowers. So many. I expected the lace to take a while, but I’m pretty sure the flowers took just as long. It was, however, also very much worth it. Just look!

 

Last but not least, we need a way to wear the wing(s)! I had plans for this one, y’all. I drew diagrams and schematics. I contemplated materials. I... didn’t do a very good job. I suppose something had to give in this project, and it might as well be the supports.

 

Let’s go over what doesn’t work very well, so that next time it will be better. I designed this apparatus a bit like a bra, with an elastic band going round the wearer’s midsection and two straps on the shoulders. But rather than having two cups in the front, there’s one reinforced flat panel in the back, made of a piece of plastic sheeting sandwiched between muslin layers. The end bit of the wire is bent into a loop and sewn onto the muslin. In order to get an idea of what would happen when all four wings were in place, I added a few extra bits of wire to make little stubby wing-loops. The final result makes me want to read a story about a fairy born with only one wing, and her adventures out in the big wide world...

 

...anyway, back to crafts. The strap system... works... sort of. It’s not very stable, but it will hold the wings up, and I can get it on and off. That’s about all I can say for it, though. Honestly, it’s making me seriously consider adding a corset to this project, just to avoid the strap-nightmare this could easily become.

 

 

(Bad photo, but you get the idea. It’s really hard to photograph this delicate apparatus while I’m wearing it!)

 

And there you have it, the prototype! All in all, I think it was pretty successful. My basic idea works! I’m glad to have had some practice with the crocheted netting and making all those little flowers. As for the things I would change, here’s the list:

 

·      Wire choice. I used what I had lying around, which was 2.5 mm aluminum wire, and it was just a hair too flimsy. Next time, I’ll use 3 mm wire, or maybe I’ll swap aluminum out for the strength of steel.

·      Eye-spots. As much as I love Peacebloom, I don’t think the pattern works well here. The way it’s constructed makes it easy to pull out of shape, and it didn’t hold up well to the tension involved in making the netting. I have to find a bit of a sturdier motif to replace it.

·      Flower color. The flowers at the top of the wing turned out beautifully, but it’s a little difficult to distinguish petals and shapes in that sea of blooms. I might try my hand out at a bit of dyeing to make some of the flowers slightly darker, or give them a gradient effect to improve contrast and make it easier to see each individual blossom.

 

Clearly a bit more testing is in order. Sometimes one prototype just isn’t enough! (Though I think I won’t be making another full wing before the final project). Before I can do that, though, I need more materials, so it will have to wait for order to ship. There’s plenty else to do with this costume, though, so stay tuned for that! I think I’m in the mood for some tatting next...

 

Stay well everyone, and until next time, stay crafty!

Dreaming of a New Project

Hello, friends! I hope the weather has been as lovely in your corner of the world as it has been for me these past few weeks, because it really is nice outside. I’m savoring all that spring has to offer before the heat of summer truly kicks in.

 

That’s not what I came to talk about today though. No, I realized a while ago that I’ve gone over six months without having a big costume project to work on. Six months! Half a year! Do you know what that is?

 

Unacceptable, that’s what! So I’ve set out to fix the situation by entering the annual Foundations Revealed competition. For those of you who don’t know, Foundations Revealed is a membership-based resource for sewing, especially historical sewing. I’m not personally a member (grad student budget, anyone?), but I happily gobble up their free resources, and I’d love to be a member someday. Each year, their competition has a theme, and this year’s is characters from literature (poems, novels, short stories, etc.). No character came immediately to mind, so I went searching and happened upon a poem by Thomas Hood titled The Dream Fairy. In it, the eponymous fairy comes down from the moon to grant dreams to good children. It’s a cute poem, and it gave me a similarly cute idea for a costume.

(As it turns out, tracing over a photograph is the fastest way to get realistic proportions for your design sketch. I have no shame.)

 

Art skills aside, let me take you on a tour of the plan. I’ve been itching to try my hand at some historical sewing for a while now, so the costume is based on late 19^th century undergarments. Dreams are something of a transitional state, between sleep and wakefulness, so I want to capture that feeling in a “transitional” type of dress, as if the fairy were caught changing clothes. Plus, undergarments are typically simple and easy to make: an ideal first project! The specific pieces I’m going to make are a chemise, drawers, and stockings. I’ll trim everything with handmade lace (of course) and embroidery.

Then there’s the wings. Every fairy needs a pair, and what better wings for a fairy who comes down from the moon than those of a luna moth? I mean, just look at these beautiful bugs!

 

This is actually one of my own photos: I was lucky enough to spot a luna moth a few years back and wasted no opportunity in photographing it. They’re fairly rare to spot since they only live as adults for a short while. The fairy’s wings are modeled directly after the luna moth, both in shape and color. I’m going to make the frame out of wire and fill it in with crocheted mesh, in the style of Irish lace. In the interest of fantasy, I’d also like to add some floral motifs, as both the wing-spots and the top edge of the upper wings. Of course, I’ll need a harness of some sort to attach them to, and the chemise will need to be able to accommodate them. I expect the wings will be the most complicated part of the costume, and might require a few prototypes, but they also have the potential to be the most eye-catching component as well.

 

To be honest, I’m pretty nervous to enter this competition. I saw the entries for the previous years, and everything is amazing, even down to the absolute beginner level. I’m not entering to win, but I’d like to make something to be proud of. That being said, all we can do is our own personal best, right? I’m excited to start this project, and I’m excited to share it with you all! So stay tuned to hear more about it, and until next time, stay crafty!