Wild Wild West

The ghost town of Bodie, California is frozen in time, preserved by dust, yet one can imagine how it was to live back in those days, in a blooming miners town with everyone having a gold rush. Bodie is just an array of abandoned houses, most of the things are left untouched, like maps and a wooden globe in the school house, canned goods, pattern catalogs (from 1897-98) in the general store.

Elegant men and sexy women:

I know I would have been sewing away custom handmade clothing for the ladies in town. There was no chain superstore with pret a porter fashions, everything was made to order from catalogues and custom fitted.

Photos from Bodie Museum and a darling little house in town. I adore the elegance in this corset, it was meant as underwear and was probably an instrument of torture for women, but look at all the boning and topstitching, rouching and the trims and shape of it, ooh I wish I could sew like that!

I don’t know much about fashion history, so here’s what others say about those times: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1890s_in_fashion

Back

I have been away for a 10 day vacation in Yosemite. Dreamy place. See some of Marius’ photos here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mariusp/sets/72157608485901000/

A long trip from Florida, by plane and driving, so I had time to crochet a warm wool beanie for Marius and start one for myself.
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool: http://www.yarndex.com/yarn.cfm?yarn_id=1731, 1 sheen of light gray, gray and orange but I still have a lot of yarn leftover.
Hook: 4.25mm
Pattern: from garn studio…
Next time I’ll use two yarns together so it will be even warmer.
I still have to go through my photos and select a few of the park, but these are the beanies.

Shhh! He didn’t want his picture published…but I love it, so here he is waering a matching beanie

The 360 view from 8,122 ft (2,476 m) at Sentinel Dome was breathtaking!!!

Reading BurdaStyle’s blog posts I have stumbled upon this little video about patterns and sewing: http://www.archive.org/details/Patternf1948. Here’s more: http://www.burdastyle.com/blog/show/693

I know I haven’t sewn much lately and I do miss it, but I have crochet a lot in the meanwhile.
I have finished a blue top with shell buttons over a knit bodice and weaved ribbons on crochet cups.
I’ve made two black crochet cups that I’d like to finish with leftover fabric from the Malissa dress.
I have two white crochet cups either for a top or bathing suit…
Some weird crochet jewelry, chokers and earrings.
Many little free forms that I’m trying to connect together and finish with sewn fabric, some flowers and leaves in silver and ivory for a top. I hope I’ll have enough fabric leftovers to finish it. Another holidays project will be out of crochet snowflakes and an iridescent red taffeta. I have also crochet two bibs for tops, for leftovers of the angels silk and a white embroidered cotton. I’m curious to see the outcome, as I’m creating these with no pattern. pictures pending.