Something British, Something Pink, Something Giant and Something Yet Unknown

Jules’s stayed over the weekend, and as it always happens our meeting up in Frankfurt ended up being a shopping tour.

Something British: When we noticed that it was Friday we took a little trip to the stock exchange where the Schiller market takes place once a week. There’s that one market stall that sells British imports, mainly food, and it’s traditional for us to stop by and get some Cadbury chocolate. The stickers and badge are from Accessorize, I figured that a Union Jack heart would make a nice addition to my badge collection.

Something Pink: I was rather shocked when I realised that I had NO rose-coloured nail polish! Not that I wear anything else than clear on a regular basis, but it’s a point of principle. Why I actually bought fabric tape is a conundrum to me, but maybe it will be involved in the “Something Yet Unknown” project.

Something Giant: I already own the mermaid and dragon parts of this series and it was down to about a quarter of the original price. Even though Jules cringed a little when he had to let me go into a book store (he always fears that he has to spend the rest of the day there if I make it inside) I had to buy it.

Something Unknown: A large fabric sticker of sage green colour (sadly the photograph didn’t really get it right) and two faux leather labels. You may now make an educated guess about the purpose of these things.

A Makeshift Princess Yuletide

My holiday were divided in three parts: I spent Christmas Eve down at my grandmother’s place together with my grand-aunt and my mother having rather usual and not so very festive dinner, on 25th I had Yule Breakfast with my mother after which we went for our traditional walk, which was a little more like the holidays should be with two sorts of cake for breakfast, boiled eggs and tea, but the most awesome and appropriate part of this year’s Christmas was when Jules and I celebrated together on Boxing Day our style.

Jules arrived in the afternoon (sadly Ludwig couldn’t come to accompany Hollis, as he was otherwise engaged), so we decided to take our tea first and then have the gift giving. As mentioned in the post title everything was a little bit makeshift – from the decoration to the choice of the table cloth to even my skirt wich isn’t really finished yet but I had to wear it!

Or whole table and setting had something of a children’s make-believe or pretend tea party about it, and we fully embraced this A Little Princess style.

As we went on to the gift-giving, I gave Jules a T-shirt with a glittery green ドラマ おしましょ! (jap. dorama oshimashiyo – Let’s make drama!, an idea by the Scoundrel) print and two packs of sequins to complete it to his liking (that’s why there isn’t any picture yet) while I got wonderful orange-yellow-ish striped arm and leg warmers with amber embellishments from him (no picture yet, too). As most of the time with Jules and I the things fitted the taste of the respective other quite well, and I was relieved to see how much he loved the shirt! He even bragged about it in the most cute and adorable way to Scoundrel when the latter called later in the evening.

We retreated to the kitchen to prepare our dinner and even had the starter – puff pastry squares with grated cheese – there. Our main course was a rural (given that my mother’s house could be seen as my country cottage ^^) combination of cob slice omelette and button mushrooms à la Provence au jus de vin rouge et citron, not so bad for makeshift, especially when you know how to make your menu card fit your mood.

Our dessert was a crème of yoghurt with ginger honey and cob nuts again…,

… and then it was time for christmas crackers! Jules had never had one before, so it was some kind of a must. My mother used to make them herself when I was little and I continued this tradition yesterday.

the inner life of my cracker

Jules with his crown.

I had grabbed the tastes-like-diabetes “Best Friends” key chain unicorns during Jules’ and my trip to town on 23rd. The glitter was something I had in my really small craft stock at my old room, as well as the cardboard for the crowns and the marbles. Makeshift again, but nevertheless incredibly fun. Maybe I’ll even manage to get the crackers ready in time and with a bit more design to them next year!

I hope you had equally great holidays with your friends and families and made it well through the ranges of dinner, biscuits, puddings and pies.

A Pagan Prince – Photo Shoot

In my last Satorial Saturday (I know, I haven’t posted one for two weeks, but my outfits were simply plain boring) I showed you a coordinate I wore to a photo shoot with Jules. As it wasn’t really planned out we both happened to be model and photographer, and here are some of the pictures I took of him.

I call it a Princess Day, Others might call it Madness

The madness part would likely come from people who don’t know what to do with huge amounts of fabric in one colour.

Yesterday Jules and I had our obligatory “girls day” downtown as I was visiting my mother and he happened to be in town, too. Our main reason to meet was to go to the remaining stock sale at our favourite fabrics store which is, in fact, only at the first Saturday of every month, and it’s a great coincidence that we found one of those without Jules or me being out-of-town.

When we first entered, we were both a little bit disappointed. None of us actually knew what we had expected, but this wasn’t it. But after half an hour of searching through incredible 80s and 90s stock, cheap satin and not really pretty lacy curtains, we both found the treasures that were hidden beneath the horrible.

Jules with his bright tulle (matching his shirt!), some weird snake-ish embossed caravan print fabric and something very stretchy with silver clouds on it.

And that's me with the fabric I hunted down.

I would have loved to take along some more of the muted coloured cotton bales with me, and surely Jules felt like this about the prettily patterned linings and futuristic metallics, but we went by bus and had to carry things home afterwards, so we left with only three bales on Jules and two on my account. All right, and we took in some zippers and buttons, too. Together, we had over 13 kilo of fabric. I know that because the prices were made by the kilo, and this is why I was able to get such amounts, anyway. Awesome.

That’s one bale of changing dark rose madder and one of twill woven light rose-leaf yellow cotton from Brussels, together with some zippers and old-fashioned buttons.
I’ve got plans for the fabrics, but I will only announce the new dress for Renaissance fairs so far as the rest isn’t planned out yet.

After we had brought our prey to Jules home wich is luckily right at the final bus station downtown we went to get some lunch – both of us hadn’t had real breakfast before we went to the fabric store.
We ended up with sushi – it’s kind of traditional with us.

And afterwards we went shopping. The thing is, I don’t really like shopping unless it’s with Jules. We perfectly know each other’s taste and therefore he finds things that I’d love and vice versa. We share enough similarities to not quarrel all the time and have got enough diversities – that we respect, that’s a very important part there – to not get bored. Add a good sense and portion of humor, and you’ve got the perfect shopping spree.

This is what I ended up with:

Sweets. I don’t know how, but it’s always sweets. This time it was jelly beans and strawberry-flavoured red liquorice at the same shop where Jules found his perfect-for-him new school bag.

A t-shirt. I always feel I’ve got nothing to wear (or at least nothing that’s not utterly boring), but during the holidays this will hopefully change! But at least I’ve got another t-shirt now.

A necklace. With a rocking-horse pendant. It looks so incredibly old-fashioned and cute! I’m tempted to build a whole outfit around it.

And finally: A lacy waistcoat. It’s from a small boutique I spotted when I drove into town on Friday and instantly dragged Jules there when we were back from his home. It was stuffed with things I’d call mori, and I would have bought everything in there if I hadn’t known that I wouldn’t wear it on a daily basis or, worst case, never. But I did find this wonderful lace thing and hardly believed it fitted me. But it did, and so I took it home.

Don’t worry, as soon as the holidays start there will be more interesting postings again, too (Crafting! And sewing! And adventures!). But until then I still have one exam and two presentations. Wish me luck!

Off to the South for the Weekend

In about twelve hours I’ll be at Lilibeth’s house after a journey by train together with Jules and maybe a little sightseeing tour – I just don’t know where.

We’ve got an awfully stuffed program (it will be splendid, though) including museums, photo sessions, crafts, a picnic and long walks. Oh, and we’ll meet Noctua, too, an event I’m really looking forward to!

I would have loved to travel with my two old cardboard suitcases as my luggage, but I had to pack so many things that they simply were not the most sensible choice (my backpack is way easier to carry, too). Maybe for another journey.

Sadly I won’t manage to finish two sewing projects of mine before I’ll leave. But maybe I can convince Jules to another photo shoot when we come back and he’s visiting his prince charming here in Marburg next time.

Things I packed as I considered them essential for this journey of four days (of course I stuffed in some clothing and everyday needs, too):

• Hare: My stuffed animal of choice.
• Nightgown: Lilibeth made it for me as a birthday present last year, and we don’t have decent photos yet! Besides, I need something to sleep in.
• Secret Sewing Project: To be revealed when I’m home again.
• Pencils and drawing paper: Because I made up my mind to draw more.
• Toothbrush: Why, it’s essential.
• Old-fashioned badminton bats: To play a very lady-like game of badminton now and then.
• Laptop: To pre-write some posts.

So good-bye now, no posts until Sunday.

I hope you’ll all have a splendid weekend!

Back Home for The Weekend

Actually, back at my mother’s home. The weekend started with quite an adventure when I happened to take the wrong train on Thursday evening and nearly went to Heidelberg! As much as this is my destination for the weekend after next, I was not so amused and got off the traing as soon as I noticed (which was two stations before Heidelberg, actually). I was so glad to come home after this (about two hours later than planned…)!

On Friday I went shopping for fabric together with Jules at one of the biggest open-for-public fabric stores in Germany. I sadly didn’t find the fabric I want for a planned dress, but instead the fabric I imagined for the pirate swap I’m in at the moment (it’s very cliché) and a green cotton I originally wanted to order via aethernet. Plus, some sequins border for the aforementioned dress, and five really pretty buttons of which I don’t know what to do with yet.

Aren't they great?

After we were back in town (fabric store is set in the periphery) we went to the mall, as it’s some kind of very girly tradition of ours. I wanted a new straw hat ’cause my old one isn’t that pretty anymore and going to fall prey to my project frenzy soon, anyway, but wasn’t able to find something flattering, so I’ll have to rely on Marburg for that.

Instead I ended up with 400 champagne-coloured faux pearls from the deco store, a small pouch for ma camera or such which I mainly wanted because of the cute, steampunk-esque motif of dancing mice on a gramophone and finally a t-shirt with something that looks like a cuter version of a skelanimal rabbit (even my grandmother thought it cute!) which will be perfect for the take on Punk Loli I’m planning.

Saturday I spent mainly playing A Vampyre Story (and finished it, too. Part two, here I come!), and in between game sessions went to the museum at Johannisburg Castle together with my mother. They had a small exhibition about celtic artefacts found in the local area, but I spent most of the time there taking pictures of the wonderful re-arranged princely rooms stuffed with the most exquisite furniture from ca. 1800 (which might qualify for a post of its own).

After a bath (with real light! Yay!) and breakfast with my mother I drove back on Sunday or better was brought back to Marburg which was quite necessary as I brought some things with me from my old room. And by now I’ve got two new book shelves! But I’ll save them for another post, I think.

Coming close to the end of this post I wanted to apologize for the lack of updates lately. I was so buried in projects and the beginning of the new semester that I had no time (and sometimes nerves, too) left to write much. I hope that it’ll change to better now. I still have projects galore but am eager to document them as well as finally fulfill some of my Daring Deeds!

So, you’re going to hear from me!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Just as I promised: Photos of Jules’ and my snow adventure.

There aren't so many photos of the sledging, actually, but here's a Jules for you.

This one was shot two weeks ago when I was here at my mother's house for the Coppelius concert.

 

Another two-weeks-old picture.

I guess the sledge is about twice as old as I am. At least.

Outside it’s still snowing. Yesterday, the snow was even too deep for real sledging as it was as high as the sledges themselves. But we found a nice, steep hollow way that was completely surrounded by trees so that the branches formed a tunnel which stopped a part of the snow and it was just right for us! And it was fun indeed. If I find the time between my appointments tomorrow, I’ll go sledging again.

Give-Away Results

I told you I hadn’t forgotten about the give-away, and that is absolutely true.

When I came back from my mother’s house where I went right when the give-away entry deadline was set, I indeed found some lines there from several kindred spirits who wanted to participate – three, to be exact.

I think I mentioned it before that this rate dampened my enthusiasm and self-esteem a little, but there was no point in being sad about it. I’d rather take it as a chance, and it gave me the opportunity for my final decision.

Which is: I’ll take all three.

Reason is that I couldn’t just decide which hat to pick, they all held a certain challenge for me! But to illustrate that I think it is the best thing to let you read the descriptions yourself (note: I translated two of them from German, so if one of the original authors isn’t okay with this, please tell me!):

Wolfskind

[...] A really dreamy exemplar! Not romantic but rather wildly moony, a hat that by design would not be worn by a human but maybe by someone from the “fair folk”,  a leprechaun, pixie, gnome or even a dryad. The colours probably be earthy which means brown, maybe darker green but also spots of other colour just to match the wee folks likings, whether  violet or bordeaux or what ever they like best at the moment.
The hat would never grow boring, one would always spot small details that had been “lost” there, whether faded writing or buttons that were found somewhere else. Maybe one of the creatures once got lost in a workshop and purloined a coppery shimmering piece of metal as it seemed to the creature like a real treasure although it’s only scrap to the humans.

I really could feel what Wolfskind meant by her description, and immediately my thoughts formed pictures of this hat. I simply had to do this, and if it was only for the challenge of the variety of possibilities!

Jules

A chocolatier top hat.
Spirally striped in mint and lemon.
At the hat band made of raspberry coloured silk taffeta and white tulle, looking like raspberry cream and sugar frosting, one can find polymer clay pralines and matching forks.
Everywhere on this top hat there is a shimmering and sparkling… Everywhere there’s  something new to discover, and everything is edible (or at least looks like it was)!
I want Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory on my head. ^^

Even though Jules will get a top hat anyway someday (he has this incredibly ice prince project at the moment, and the idea of making a hat for one of his costumes appealed to me in the very same second), I liked his idea so much that I took the challenge, too. Apart from that, the hat is (as far as I know) obviously meant for his Steampunk character Dorian Siskins who is in fact the eternal foe and rival of my yet-to-be-named “sweets, pies and fairy cakes” girl. Again, it’s a case of “I simply have to do this!”, at last because of the spiraling.

Lilibeth

A hat for the Peacock Queen

A hat for the Peacock Queen would have a black base. The adornment would consist of black cock’s plume gleaming in shades of iridescent green and peacock’s feathers.
In the front a filigree brass colored emblem would catch the eye. A hatband of dark green taffeta would be draped around it and fall down in two long ends at the back of the hat.

Lilibeth’s idea was totally different from the other two. Very classical and – in comparison – minimalistic, it is the total opposite of Jules’ and Wolfkind’s hats and every bit as sophisticated as my dear pen friend herself. And I know how hooked up she is with peacocks, at least since her splendid birthday party. Somehow I think this hat is the hardest challenge here as it is the most precisely described of the three. I’m thrilled of the thought what I can make of this setting!

You see, the decision wouldn’t have been easy if I had made one. So, the fact that I had only three participants gave me this chance – with at least four or five I would have been forced to pick a winner. But as it is, I’ve got three winners, which is somehow even better, I think.

Working on the hats will be grand, I know it. And you can be sure that I’ll keep you informed about the progress, as well!

So, off to be a mad hatter once again,

Yours truly

Hedgefairy

P.S.: The blogs of the three winners can be found here:

1. Wolfskind
2. Jules
3. Lilibeth

Worn-Out Gold And Roseleaf Hues

At the weekend I went to my favourite haberdashery together with Jules to get some lace and buttons for Honoria’s outfit. Finally, I had to buy some other buttons yesterday again, but the shopping was definitely worth it – surely I’ll find another purpose for the spare ones.

The quarry is as follows:

1. A group picture. I love how the colours of the things match though it is complete coincidence!
2. Four coat-of-arms buttons with a jesters cap.
3. A pair of flowery print tights I’m definitely going to wear at the Steampunk con as, if all goes right as I want it to, it will match my dress perfectly.
4. Three gilded buttons. Two of them will be made into earrings, I just need some stud bases.
5. Eight and a half meters of bobbin lace in a very light greyish hue.
6. Five Coraline-or-shomewhat-else-cliché-ish buttons.
7. A necklace from Claire’s. It was on sale, and even though I’ll never wear it in this shown form I’m going to tear it apart and make some new jewellery out of it. Two of the pieces even match the earring buttons from #4 so they’ll most probably end up in my Steampunk attire.
8. Another two and a half meters of linen bobbin lace. Isn’t it wonderful? I don’t even know what I want to make of it, but I had to buy it.

The yarn in the first picture I only got because I liked how the colours looked together (something I definitely inherited from my mother). That’s quite unreasonable, but not that insensible when one spool is on the bargain price of 10 cent.

Top Hat Plans and Fairy Shirts

As I said before there are no pictures of me during the weekend I could show you. But what I can show you are pictures of Bambi and Jules and the shirt I made for the latter.

Bambi, spending the weekend pirately. Arrr.

During the festival, Jules and the Scoundrel came up with the idea of top hats with drawers – and instantly looked at me. Being seen as someone who is able to craft about everything is really flattering sometimes. ^^
Somehow, I liked the idea, and as I wanted to sew a felt top hat for myself this late summer anyway, I’ll surely try.

Jules is in sepia for a reason. First of all, he wore his justaucorps, which nearly forces me to use an effect on the picture, and second, the turquoise of his shirt didn’t match the blue of the jacket in my opinion (but I’m not very fond of turquoise at all). I think the picture shows Jules exalted and flamboyant demeanour pretty well. He’s definitely more laid-back than four years ago.

On the festival day itself – Saturday – he wore not shadows but black shorts, a white shirt, combat boots, the justaucorps and a t-shirt I made for him. It’s somewhat like a coming-out on fabric, and he loved it although I really had to hurry to finish the stencil to the date.

Picture taken by Jules

It’s silver on a white base with pink corners and accents, glittery spots-on-purpose-to-make-it-look-artistic and bright raspberry coloured wings with extra glitter. I really like the symbolism the shirt bears, but that’s a hobby of mine, anyway. Light the way out of the closet with a paper lantern of fairy festivities, ring the bells for radical self-love and announcement of a new era of your life and turn to break new ground!

I also made a top for myself but as it is part of a series I don’t want to show you until the whole project is finished.