![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.evildressmaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/inenglish.gif?resize=214%2C100\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhen cars weren’t still popular transportation and people used horses, travelling might have been quite chilly. Carriages and sleds were quite often open, and I don’t think cabins had any heating either. Only rich people could afford cabin carriages and I don’t remember ever seeing closed sleds. How did people stay warm?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Especially here up north, where Winters are long and harsh, essential part of travelling was to stay warm. Rich people had special travel wardrobe, which included warm, covering and comfy clothes. Furs, fleeces and covers were needed to protect the travellers against wind and cold. Sled blankets were common item to have. Those were made as decorations even when cars started to take over from horserides. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sled blankets were so important here, that special style of decoration started to form in late 1700’s, which is called blanket embroidery. Colourful embroidery was used for other things too, like table cloths, tapestries, blanket covers etc. Usually it was made on black wool fabric, but other colours were used too, depending what was available. I inherited my grandmothers black jugendstil-style sled blanket with green and orange embroidery and tassels. I made a cushion to match it, but they are both now lent for exhibition so I can’t take any photos of them. However I have another “blanket embroidered” item. It is gorgeous table cloth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This green wool table cloth, which I got from my friend, has seen better days. It is eaten by moths, but embroidery is gorgeous and quite well preserved. It works fine as our armchair cover. Most traditional embroidery has a bit slavic influence, I think. Circles, squares, triangles, hearts, flowers and leafs, embroidered with wool and all sort of stitches, create complicated patterns. Of course, fashion influenced on the patterns too. Later on Jugend style patterns were popular too. My Jugendstil-blanket, is made later than actual Edwardian era, I think. So it’s not authentic Jugendstil, even though embroidery is. Flowers on that blanket are formed from triangles and stems are just arches which barely touch the flowers. If real sled blankets were lined with fleece to make them warm, then table clothes were optionally decorated with fringes. This table cloth has factory-made green silk or viscose fringe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Silloin kun autot eiv\u00e4t viel\u00e4 olleet yleisi\u00e4 kulkupelej\u00e4 ja matkustettiin hevoskyydill\u00e4, saattoi matkalla olla v\u00e4h\u00e4n vilakkaa. K\u00e4rryt ja reet olivat usein avonaisia, eik\u00e4 niiss\u00e4 umpimaleissakaan kaiketi mit\u00e4\u00e4n l\u00e4mmityst\u00e4 ollut. Vain rikkailla oli varaa umpivaunuihin, enk\u00e4 muista koskaan edes n\u00e4hneeni umpinaista reke\u00e4. Miten sit\u00e4 oikein pysyttiin reess\u00e4 tai k\u00e4rryiss\u00e4 l\u00e4mpim\u00e4n\u00e4? Etenkin t\u00e4\u00e4ll\u00e4 Pohjolassa miss\u00e4 talvet ovat… <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.evildressmaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/rekipeittokirjonta1.jpg?resize=800%2C1332\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.evildressmaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/rekipeittokirjonta2.jpg?resize=692%2C1024\")
Used stitches: stem stitches, blanket stitches and bound satin stitches (I didn’t find
any proper translations for this particular stitch)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.evildressmaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/rekipeittokirjonta3.jpg?resize=800%2C1251\")
This shows how much colour has faded on the right side, reverse side is almost non-faded.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.evildressmaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/rekipeittokirjonta4.jpg?resize=700%2C1024\")
Moth damages and patched areas are hiding under. This also shows typical way how moth eats fabrics. It starts by eating the fibers on the very surface of the fabric, and then works it way on, often all the way through. Sometimes when fabric is very thick there isn’t any holes through, but just very precise worn out areas on the surface. Those are also made by moth. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"