As someone who transplanted from the US to the UK about nine months ago, there have been some things to which I've had to adjust. I figured that the vocabulary differences wouldn't be an issue... after all, half of my extended family lives in the UK, and everyone already knows about basic things like sweater/jumper, truck/lorry, crisps/chips, sidewalk/pavement etc.
What I didn't know was that in the UK they often use different words for various fabrics, notions, or sewing terms than are used in America. So for all the sewists out there looking to hop the pond in either direction, here's what I've run across so far:
Cheesecloth = Muslin
Muslin = Calico
Burlap = Hessian
Mock-up = Toile
Seam-ripper = Unpicker
Stitch Witchery = Bondaweb
To baste something = To tack something
Serger = Overlocker
Snaps = Poppers
If anyone has any more words to add to the list, please let me know! I'd love to have a comprehensive list going!
I'm also trying to get better at working with the metric system... having 1 or 1.5 cm seam allowances have at least begun to seem somewhat natural, though it's a work in progress!
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
I have a mighty need... for 1900-ish beauty.
In the middle of all sorts of mad dashing about recently, I paid a brief visit to my brother in Bury St. Edmunds during my Uni Easter break. My sister-in-law is working at Ickworth House not far from Bury, and as I'm always more than happy to see historic houses (especially neo-classical and/or victorian) we spent an afternoon there.
Ickworth was lovely, but it was one of the few costumes they had up on display which really captured my heart. There was no placard or any information on hand, but it looks like a fairly typical evening gown from about 1900-1905.
It's been absolutely ages since I last made myself something, and I think this dress just shot straight to the top of my list. I want it so badly you have no idea. I took a ton of photos and would have been happy to spend the rest of the day just staring longingly at the gown.
Ickworth was lovely, but it was one of the few costumes they had up on display which really captured my heart. There was no placard or any information on hand, but it looks like a fairly typical evening gown from about 1900-1905.
It's been absolutely ages since I last made myself something, and I think this dress just shot straight to the top of my list. I want it so badly you have no idea. I took a ton of photos and would have been happy to spend the rest of the day just staring longingly at the gown.
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