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Just looking
Dec. 10th, 2003 08:28 amYesterday I had decided to treat myself to some "shopping with my eyes" in fabric stores in Boras, I wasn't to buy anything, just look.
I guess you all know how this turned out. 20 meters of fabric. For the equivalent of 53 dollars or ca £ 30 (I checked the exchange rate). First I found more of the yellowish linen I'm going to use for my loose kirtle. I thought I bought all there was last time, but I was so much in a hurry that I apparently didn't notice that there were more rolls of it. about a hundred rolls of linen in all different colours and qualities are packed in a rather small room, so it was an easy mistake. I bought two more meters. When I read the description of the kirtle more thoroughly I noticed that it had a silk lining reaching 38 cm up on the inside, apart from the extra pink interlining and the coarse linen foundation, so I need more.
That was actually the second thing I did, because first I went to my favourite wool store, "just to look". It's a factory outlet for one of the few wool weaving factories left in Sweden. I didn't find anything I really lusted for, but then the woman who's working there directed me to three huge carts with rolls of mostly black and dark blue fabric that was only $ 1,3 or 80p per meter. For 100% wool! At that price you have to buy something. Since the fabrics were very thin (about the thiness that would be called handkerchief weight if it was linen), I didn't really know what to do with it. I wouldn't use those dark colours for 12th century clothing, which it otherwise would eb fine for. Still I couldn't resist it and bought 4,5 m (what was on the roll)of a light beige that will be useful for lining and 3,5 meter of a black tabby. Maybe I can use it for a swallowtail cap (15th century) and I might also make a modern skirt from it.
Then I went to Furulund's which is less of a remnants store and found a mild greyish light blue wool tabby (might contain some other fibers), slightly fulled, for $2,5 (1£60p) per meter. I bought ten meters, thinking that I could make dresses both for myself and for my girls. It is a fairly loose weave so I'm thinking about fulling it in the washing machine, but I have to test on a swatch first. I like it's current soft drape and I don't want something too stiff and thick.
After that I met the lecturer, who's the chief conservator at the national bord of antiquities, and listened to a 3 hour lecture about swedish church textiles, mostly vestments, from the middle ages until today.
All in all a very good day, even though I wasn't home until after 11 pm and felt very sick and exhausted by then. After my husband gave me some food I felt better.
I guess you all know how this turned out. 20 meters of fabric. For the equivalent of 53 dollars or ca £ 30 (I checked the exchange rate). First I found more of the yellowish linen I'm going to use for my loose kirtle. I thought I bought all there was last time, but I was so much in a hurry that I apparently didn't notice that there were more rolls of it. about a hundred rolls of linen in all different colours and qualities are packed in a rather small room, so it was an easy mistake. I bought two more meters. When I read the description of the kirtle more thoroughly I noticed that it had a silk lining reaching 38 cm up on the inside, apart from the extra pink interlining and the coarse linen foundation, so I need more.
That was actually the second thing I did, because first I went to my favourite wool store, "just to look". It's a factory outlet for one of the few wool weaving factories left in Sweden. I didn't find anything I really lusted for, but then the woman who's working there directed me to three huge carts with rolls of mostly black and dark blue fabric that was only $ 1,3 or 80p per meter. For 100% wool! At that price you have to buy something. Since the fabrics were very thin (about the thiness that would be called handkerchief weight if it was linen), I didn't really know what to do with it. I wouldn't use those dark colours for 12th century clothing, which it otherwise would eb fine for. Still I couldn't resist it and bought 4,5 m (what was on the roll)of a light beige that will be useful for lining and 3,5 meter of a black tabby. Maybe I can use it for a swallowtail cap (15th century) and I might also make a modern skirt from it.
Then I went to Furulund's which is less of a remnants store and found a mild greyish light blue wool tabby (might contain some other fibers), slightly fulled, for $2,5 (1£60p) per meter. I bought ten meters, thinking that I could make dresses both for myself and for my girls. It is a fairly loose weave so I'm thinking about fulling it in the washing machine, but I have to test on a swatch first. I like it's current soft drape and I don't want something too stiff and thick.
After that I met the lecturer, who's the chief conservator at the national bord of antiquities, and listened to a 3 hour lecture about swedish church textiles, mostly vestments, from the middle ages until today.
All in all a very good day, even though I wasn't home until after 11 pm and felt very sick and exhausted by then. After my husband gave me some food I felt better.
