The masked ball at Kalmar castle

I had a great time at Kalmar. The castle is lovely with beautiful baroque rooms, the food was excellent and the company great. Perhaps some of the costumes weren’t the very vest 18th century clothes I have seen, but there were enough truly beautiful ones to make up for it. Unfortunately neither I nor my darling felt we wanted to lug around our big camera, so we only took a few pictures of each other before the actual ball begun.

Admits defeat

I have been sewing on my robe de cour. And sewing. And sewing. And started to feel that I didn’t want to go on a masked ball because I felt so rushed and stressed and that even if I sew every waking moment, I still wouldn’t be able to finish it in time. Either I would have to resort to sloppy sewing, or I could retreat. I choose the last. I have spent so much time on it now and I don’t want to rush it, I want to make it properly. So I fall back to what I have and will go in this gown instead.



I’m very pleased with that outfit too, so I’m sure I won’t regret. Clearly I couldn’t make a robe de cour in six weeks without going crazy. I think, though, that I will be able to finish it quite sanely after the ball.

Some more 17th century ladies

This is my last batch of 17th century pictures. I hope you'll enjoy them!

I like the "buttons" that alternate down the front.

A 17th century society without compare

Yesterday we had a first informal gathering of 17th century enthusiasts and I must say that it was a success. We had all provided to the table, so we ate from a table loaded with various kinds of food, which felt quite right. We were 12, but there were quite a few who wanted to come but were unable to. After much talk and laughter we decided to give ourselves a name, “1600-talssällskapet Makalös”. Which, translated to English, would be The 17th century society without compare.

How to make a robe de cour in six weeks and hopefully not go crazy, part 5

At the moment I feel like all my waking time is spent sewing. It’s little more than a week to the ball and I have to make a white domino for my darling as well. What I have done so far is this.

Hour 14-17 Stitching extra boning channels down the front and across. Linen canvas and inserted boning made it quite a hassle.

The real century of the décolleté?

Everyone who has ever worn a pair of stays knows that it’s the best push up bra in the world. However, if you turn to the world of art, the fashion in the 18th century seem to have been all about ignoring what happens to the female chest when its pushed up and compressed instead just treating it like a smooth expanse of flesh.



When it came to the 17th century I had the notion that it was all about high neck and cartwheel collars by the beginning and those straight over the shoulders neckline by the end of it. You know, you carry an image in your head, but the more I look, the more I find that in the 17th century, breasts were not something you ignored if you were an artist. Did that nice low-cut gown show the chest, then, by all means, pain the chest.

A blog you really should take a peek at

I really, really have to point you toward this blog; Before the Automobile . Absolutely stunning 18th and 19th century clothes made by a Finnish lady. The only problem with it is that it gives me an acute inferiority complex… :D