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The cadadh I started -- we decided to stop working on it and just buy the type we need. The fabric most likely won't hold up, and it wasn't even the color we originally wanted.

I tried working on accessories for my husband last week.  The good news is, I have a pattern to work with for different versions later, but we’ve decided to just buy these for now.

Cadadh

I tried to make cadadh, or bag hose, for my husband’s 18th century Highland costume.  The problem is that he’s going for a fancier look, and I had my heart set on a castellated or similar top, instead of plain or fold-over cuff.

It’s difficult to be happy with something when you’re trying to make it fancier than you’d normally make.

The fabric

The biggest issue is the fabric. The colors are nice (I love blue), but we had hoped for red and black diced fabric.

The color wasn’t the only problem with the fabric. It was one of the first items we purchased when we decided to do 18th century costuming, so I can’t even remember what type of fabric it is. I only remember thinking it was probably one of the few times I would find diced fabric, so we bought it.

At the time, it had very little give even on the bias. I worried it would be uncomfortable for Christopher to wear. Once I washed it however, it was almost too flimsy.

When I cut it out following the pattern I’d made, it ended up HUGE in the calf.  I’m still not sure how that happened since I was careful. I expected a possibility of a little difference, but not that much.  It was an easy fix though, I just took it in even more. The fit was perfect. My husband loves how it feels, and said it was very comfortable.

Unfortunately, I noticed another issue with the fabric: holes and unraveling.

As I was hand sewing, I would catch glimpses of light from behind the fabric and realized the needle was leaving holes bigger than it should have been. I tried to fix the seams as best I could, but my husband goes through socks fast.  I just knew the cadadh would not last very long.

The fancy top

Instead of doing the plain cuff, we decided to try out a fancier version. That’s when we really realized the fabric wasn’t worth it. I had to keep the seams in the little triangles small, but the fabric issues were worse there.  I was already seeing ragged chunks of fabric fraying at the seams.

I would have needed to do a little more work to get the top edge to lay correctly when he was wearing the cadadh (I had to use another fabric cut on the bias to help give it a little more strength and keep it from stretching out more), but we decided to just stop at that point.  I didn’t even finish turning the points out.

The pattern

It’s not a total loss, however. My husband will also have costumes with breeches, so he’ll need regular stockings.  I feel very confident this pattern will work fine for those, or even regular cadadh if we find the right fabric.

Sometimes it’s better to just buy something for now

I also learned a lot, and got to test out some ideas. We just felt my time could be better spent elsewhere. Not to mention, since he wears a regular kilt, it’s nice to invest in accessories he can wear for both. We had asked a sporran maker who was familiar with 18th century, and he knew we weren’t going for re-enacting or 100% authenticity. He recommended a sporran type that will work for both 18th century costuming group needs, but not look out of place with modern kilt-wearing.

I’m still very new to embroidery, but I sometimes like to make things for people as gifts. This past Thursday was my husband’s birthday, and since I didn’t have any pressing deadlines I thought I would try to make him something.

It can be very hard to keep something secret from my husband, Christopher.  We’re constantly together!  He loves to see what I’m working on, and he can usually tell when I have been sewing.  So he knew I was up to something, but he didn’t know what it looked like.  The funniest part was that I’d actually chatted with him enough where he should have known what I was up to, but I managed to time the conversation when he’d had a few drinks and he probably didn’t remember it.  Whew!

I decided to keep this project simple, so I opted for a hand sewn handkerchief.  It’s made from the cotton fabric I’ve been using for mock-ups and linings, and I used DMC cotton embroidery floss.  I had some pretty navy thread, and then I decided to get something with a copper tone for the initial.

I had been practicing various embroidery stitches, and when I was sewing the herringbone stitch in the navy thread I had, I fell in love with it and knew I had to use it on a project soon.

I didn’t quite get the corners just right, but hey — that’s what practice is for.  This was also the first time I had done satin stitch for a letter.  I felt a little rushed with it, but it works and Christopher was very pleased with it.

I hope to make him some nicer gifts for Christmas (sorry dear!  I won’t be discussing any details with you about those! Bwahahaha!), but it will definitely be hard to keep it secret.  Especially if I get started early enough and they turn out like I hope they do.

The embroidered handkerchief I made for my husband's birthday. I don't quite have the corners right yet for this stitch, but it was a fun project and he loved it.

I just wanted to do a quick update — I’m hoping to have a better update or two this week, sometime.

Sewing

I’ve been staying very busy.  I’m trying to keep sewing, although I’ve not been as productive as the petticoat week.  I’m trying to make a few accessories before I work on a tape dummy and sew a jacket or two.

I’m also looking forward to finishing my garments (for the first one or two outfits, anyway) so I can start working on my husband’s again!  I’m excited about costuming with my friends and letting my husband join in.

He seems excited as well — I caught him looking briefly at a few informative websites about period card games to see what they’re like.

Downton Abbey and Christopher

I had about two days where I wasn’t feeling too great, so I watched Downton Abbey on Netflix.  I know, I’m a little slow finally getting around to watching it.  I’m not a big fan of being glued to television’s schedule, so I waited to catch it on my own time.

I loved it SO much, I told Christopher about it and we sat down to watch it together over a period of a few days.  By the second episode, he exclaimed “We are buying this on DVD!!!” I kept warning him about the last episode, and sure enough as the end credits started rolling, he practically jumped up and had fits.  He wanted to see more!

I think he’s hooked!   (what a lucky gal I am to have a husband who loves watching things like that with me)

Blogger

I decided to create a blogger account so I could more easily reply to friends there.  I also felt like I was missing out on the great sewing and costuming community there.  I feel a little alone on my self-hosted server (although, I very much appreciate those of you who reply here or talk to me about my entries in person or elsewhere — thank you so much!).  Having an account there will help people recognize me, or even get a feel for who I am when they see me replying.

I don’t know if I’ll do anything more than just use it as an informative placeholder for this blog/website.  We’ll see how my needs change over time.  It seems like a neat setup so far.

I’m looking forward to keeping up a little better with my friends, as well as meeting new people.  Here is the link to my blogger account.

Hoping to post later this week

I’m hoping to post two entries later this week — one related to sewing, and the other to something Christopher did this weekend.  In the meantime, I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

My husband, Christopher, wearing his kilt on a snowy day.

This past week, North Texas had below freezing temperatures as well as ice.  My husband and I didn’t want to risk driving around (or even walking) on the ice, so we were cooped up for a few days.

Fortunately, Thursday night it snowed and made walking around a little easier.  We decided to get out Friday and have some fun.  We went for a long walk and then decided to go back out.  The second time, Christopher decided to wear his kilt!

Not only did we get some fun photos, but we brought his video camera and he juggled snowballs and had a blast.  It was nice to get out — I’m not used to being cooped up and missing my workouts (I just didn’t want to slide on ice and get hurt — especially since I had just gotten over a cold).

I tried to keep busy with embroidery etc, but admittedly it was hard to focus long enough to do much.  Between being distracted watching cars slide by on the road outside, less lighting from the clouds, and pacing around from being cooped up… I didn’t get as much done as I probably could have.

While it was fun getting out Friday, and I actually prefer cooler weather to hot weather, icy roads are something we can all do without.  Especially when it keeps you from getting things done!  We’re looking forward to life getting back to normal.

The video below is something Christopher quickly threw together of the footage I took.  Some of it was from our earlier venture out while he was wearing jeans, and the rest is from when he was kilted.

This past Sunday, Halloween, was my birthday.  It was a great day, despite a few folks feeling under the weather.  I received many thoughtful gifts and wonderful donations of cash to help keep me sewing!  I thought one gift, in particular, would make a great blog entry.

My husband knows me very well.  Sometimes, I think he knows me better than I do!  He definitely listens to me.  He must make mental notes about every little muttering on things I’d like to do or learn, because this birthday he bought me the perfect gift.

He was searching online for just the right gift.  He found a card seller he knew I would love, Cartolina.  Actually, he got me two cards, because he couldn’t decide which one I’d like more.  He also gave me a third card since we sometimes like to buy cards to have handy for giving away.  One had little birds on it, and the other is an 18th century lady holding a “Happy Happy Birthday” banner.  The extra card has gossiping Victorian ladies on it.  He also bought me The Exile by Diana Gabaldon (a graphic novel based off her Outlander series).

He was torn about what else to get me.  He wanted something really special.  Something I hadn’t mentioned so it would be a surprise, but covered a subject I was currently involved with or wanting to do soon.  He came across 18th Century Embroidery Techniques by Gail Marsh.  He crossed his fingers and bought it.  Little did he know!

I was so shocked when I unwrapped the gift, I’m sure my jaw hit the floor.  I remembered seeing it mentioned somewhere online before, but I had not even thought to add it to any of my lists of books to purchase or look into.  Although I have a lot of garments to make, and will probably have to leave special things like embroidery for later, it’s definitely something I want to try when I have a chance.  I know I’ve mentioned a few times in passing that I would love to attempt a few spots of embroidery to learn enough to do larger embroidery, or commented how lovely certain embroidery decorations are on garments when I have shown him photos.

I must admit, the thought that went into the gift, the care it showed in choosing it, and how much he obviously pays attention to what I’m babbling about or mentioning… I actually cried a bit.  It meant so much to me, and I look forward to someday giving embroidery a try when I have the time.  I know I now have an amazing book for inspiration and help when the time comes.

Thank you so much, Christopher.  I’m so very lucky to have you in my life!  Thank you for listening to my sewing babbling, and being so supportive.

I talk a lot about my husband, Christopher Gronlund, on this blog.  He means so much to me, obviously!

I’ll be mentioning him a little more.  He just started getting into podcasts.  He has a few others planned — especially for his The Juggling Writer website — but for now, I’m going to talk about his very first podcast:  he’s reading his first novel, Hell Comes With Wood Paneled Doors, a chapter a week!  You can check out the details on the podcast website.  Here is a little about the story:

Hell Comes With Wood Paneled Doors is a humorous coming-of-age story about a family traveling cross country in a possessed station wagon…

When Michael O’Brien’s father, James, buys a new car just in time for the family vacation, he signs away more than his old ’74 Gremlin as a trade in.

If you’re in the mood to hear a goofy, fun novel from a writer who really enjoys making quirky, touching stories, please give it a try!  I’m not just biased, either!  I actually had read Christopher’s writing before we ever met, and I was already a fan.

Sorry my sewing entries have slowed down again — there hasn’t been much going on project-wise.  My stays are close to being finished, but I admit I’ve not been focused enough to work on them.  I’d been very annoyed with myself for not pushing myself harder on some projects, but I realized I need to cut myself some slack.  I’ve had other things on my mind.

A month into his new job, my husband Christopher was unfortunately laid off again.  I’d been hoping to make a big push to buy the accessories and fabrics I needed, and sew like crazy to finish our costumes for the first event in November.  Understandably, there’s been a change of plans, and I doubt I will be able to finish our costumes or attend any events for a while.

I’m sure I’ll especially be sad when I see photos of the upcoming 18th Century Picnic (missing last year’s picnic is what made me realize I needed to try my best to get back to sewing).  There will be other events though, and hopefully soon, there will be another job for my husband so we both can get back on track.

I just wanted to wish my husband a congratulations on his blog, The Juggling Writer, being a year old today!  He’s put a lot of work into it, and although the main focus is for writers who have trouble juggling everything in their lives and making time for writing, many of the things he posts could apply to non-writers as well.  Christopher, may your blog and site be around for many more years, and full of great posts and information.  Best wishes!

Originally, I wasn’t planning on having a blog be the main part of my new website.  Once I decided to give it a try, I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to figure out enough interesting topics to write about, even for a blog that was just going to be personal instead of professional or helpful.  Of course, I’m not trying to make some ground-breaking, perfect site — it’s mainly for myself and for friends and family.  An easy way to keep track of what I’ve been up to.  There are themes I follow, but it’s not like I have to do anything special or try too hard.  I update when I feel like it or have the time.  It is fun, however, trying to come up with interesting ways to at least add a little bit of interest and variety to my blog.

Shaking off the cobwebs

Sometimes I do find myself wondering why I should keep up the blog that often.  I have so much on my mind that I feel like there is just no way for me to post even the most boring update.  That’s usually when my husband and I go out for a working date.  We love hanging out together, and we’ve always been able to bounce ideas off of each other.  Sometimes ideas just flow more freely when we change our surroundings.  We may not even have a big brainstorm together, but it’s still nice to get out and shake out the cobwebs or get our mind off whatever is holding us back from working smoothly.  My husband has several creative endeavors of his own:  two of his main focuses are his writing, and also his blog.  He sometimes has the same issues keeping his content fresh or wants to talk about a plot in his writing, so these dates work great for us both.  Many of my actual blog entries — like this one — were written while we were in a restaurant.  It’s just nice to be creative or do some work in a different space for a little change of scenery.

It’s all about the atmosphere

Some of our favorite spots are very simple and affordable dates.  We’ve gone to a few places enough times to get a feel for their slower times, so we aren’t having a hard time thinking, much less hearing each other.  We’ve gone to a bar and grill and been the only people in the restaurant for almost an hour or longer.  We usually have some chips and salsa and a  few beers while we work.  One of our absolute favorite work spaces is La Madeleine.  It’s just a wonderful atmosphere that appeals to us both.  It especially gets my mind whirring excitedly about my love of costumes.  We can easily sit at a table with coffee and work or chat for a long time.  I especially look forward to cooler weather, when they light the fireplace.  Some of my favorite dates with Christopher have been there working, or just relaxing.  I always walk out of these places with a big smile and a renewed attitude to keep updating my website and blog.

I look forward to finding new places to get inspired or feel energized enough to come up with ideas.  It’s just another great way to squeeze in some time with my sweetie, and fool myself into thinking that working on my blog isn’t as hard as I thought it would be.

If you find yourself struggling to keep focus or just needing a change of scenery, try treating yourself to a coffee or snack at your favorite place and drag a notebook or laptop with you.  You might even consider bringing along a friend you trust who could help fire you up about your project again, or at least lend you their ears.

Pssst…this isn’t Cynthia; it’s her husband, Christopher. She wanted me to do a review for a piece I ordered for the 18th century costume she’s making for me. So here it is.

I’ve needed a new sporran for my kilt for awhile, now. Since I need a sporran that can come close enough to being 18th century accurate for costuming and be modern enough for contemporary wear, I went with a Rob Roy sporran, made by Joe Gondek. I know the sporran in this review is not 100% 18th century accurate; down the line, I’d definitely love getting a tan sporran from Joe that’s wholly accurate to the time. He did such a wonderful job making this sporran by hand that I will purchase another sporran from him.

I’ve been using an entry-level sporran for quite some time, and while it’s served me well, I’ve wanted something nicer for quite some time. I finally purchased a couple pairs of nice, wool kilt hose–and my wife knitted some hose garters that go well with both pairs of hose. I needed a sporran worthy of some of the higher quality accessories I’ve accumulated, so a handmade sporran made by Joe Gondek seemed a logical step. Joe makes period-accurate sporrans for re-enactors, and sporrans for contemporary use. What he charges for the sporrans he makes is a steal–especially after receiving the sporran he made for me, knowing I needed something for a roughly accurate 18th century costume and modern wear.

My old sporran lacked room for keys, wallet, phone, and anything else I might want to carry. More than that, it seemed weak at the sides, and even hung very light on the hanger and chain. The Gondek sporran hangs heavy enough on its own; full of anything I might need, it hangs perfectly. More than that, I can carry anything just shy of a VW Beetle in the sporran; it’s very roomy without looking large. When worn with my kilt, it’s a perfect size. While I have yet to wear it out and about, it’s so nice that I’ve worn it around the house, and the break-in time for the fastener has been fast. Already, even with brand new leather, I’m able to open and close the sporran quickly. Nice for being out and about.

Big enough for my bear paw of a hand.

I’m sure Joe’s made enough sporrans that it didn’t take him a very long time to finish the construction of my sporran, but looking at the construction, if I had a son, I’d be able to pass this sporran down to him. I see this sporran lasting me for years! More than that, though, is knowing it was made by somebody constructing kilt accessories out of love of history and wearing the kilt in modern times. More than anything, I love that I can wear this sporran with a costume my wife is working on for me and for going out in 2010. While not fully 18th century accurate, this sporran wasn’t made to be 100% accurate to the time. It’s the perfect sporran for my needs: nice enough to wear with a costume from another time, but hip enough to wear today and tomorrow.

Solid construction all around.

Joe’s communication during the construction was great. He was camping when we first placed the order, but when he returned from his trip, he went right to work. The sporran shipped before Joe received payment. Once we told Joe we were sending payment, he sent the sporran. We received the sporran a day before Joe received our payment. I know that’s no biggie to some, but when you’re waiting for something new from USPS, you want it as soon as you can get it. It’s nice that there’s somebody out there who trusts the people he’s making things for to send merchandise after hearing that payment has been sent.

More than that, the things Joe makes…they are nicer than what you can find for much more. He does this out of love, and it shows in every stitch.

I don’t know Joe Gondek personally, but I will definitely be ordering another sporran or two from him in the future. I don’t think I can beat the price and quality. He also makes handmade sgian dubhs…I can think of no better person to make the next kilt accessory I plan to purchase.

I used to feel that the kilt I owned deserved better accessories; after purchasing this sporran from Joe, I need a new kilt worthy of his handiwork!

You know you want one!