Jubilee

In April I started sewing a new summer style Sámi Costume for myself. It's been ready for few weeks. Today is the big day for it. At work we have the 80th jubilee of foundation. The feast start at 2 pm with coffee & cake and continues with program at 3 pm. So, the dress code is not evening dress, neither cocktail, but not to mention casual. It needs to be festive but not too much. 

That's why I chose unformal Sámi summer costume style. It is a great option for very occasion from concerts and birthday parties to more formal moments where your traditional woollen or silk Sámi costume would be too official for the dress code.

Anyway, I wanted to use traditional fabric because it is 80th jubilee feast. That is why I chose Flemish style flower printed fabric with modern touch because I used tricot/jersey for the costume and satin for the decoration. Woollen fabric I used only for the front shield.

At this corner of the world Flemish fabrics are usually mistaken to be called Russian because they arrived to Finland mostly via Russian trade routes. But they are as Flemish as other similar fabrics used elsewhere in Europe. Manufactured in Flemish region of Europe.

Actually, I chose the final print for my costume fabric because of this traditional woollen shawl I have inherit almost two decades ago. The new costume needed to match with this scarf. Now it has got new fringe of 100% wool (tex 28 x 2). It has taken for hours to get it done but every minute was done by love and patience for the craft making, but also with the love and respect for the past generation. If following the tradition, it is important not to place too thick fringe even you'd like to add some extra with modern touch. 

Also this style of shawls are often called Russian but actually the print and design comes from Ukranian and Slavic regions/nations. Over 100 years ago there was an awakening of collection national costumes and nationality idea. Folk costumes were not used by the upper class. They collected samples and ideas from lower social class (farmers, artisans, serfs) and appropriated them. That was when happened (again) the cultural appropriation, which -unfortunately- is not a modern phenomenon but has appeared every now and then during the fashion history. That's why also Ukranian, Slavic and Flemish elements are nowadays -at least somewhere- celled Russians even they are not.

So, why I then have Flemis print in my Sámi costume and Slavic print in shawl? Because my ancestors didn't make printed fabrics but when it came possible, they bought them from peddlers and at fairs, and started to sew prettier & lighter summer costumes and shawls. That's how they turn out to be part of summer dressing among Easter Sámi nations living in Kola peninsula region.

Jeweler is a part of feast dress code. I do have my traditional silver and bronze items. But I have also something else. Because the feast is not "evening dress coded" I am not going to wear my Sámi head wear (=hat) I still need to tie up my hair because I am married woman who is also a granny. That's why I am going to use this tie made of leather, mallard's feathers and silver thread. (We've eaten the mallard already long time ago.)

Traditionally my Sámi tribe has used organic materials for jewelry because they were poor but very skillful craft makers. Only nowadays silver has became more popular in our jewelry when the wealth has increased since the wars.  

Around my waist I am going to tie up this new tablet weave band I recently made.

LongLand

We spent past 4 days in Turku. It is amazing how long country Finland is. We traveled from frozen sea to blooming cherry trees!

Turku was European Capital of Culture in 2011. To make something permanent they plant 222 cherry trees, different pieces so the blooming season lasts longer around the city. I have never seen so many, not to mention so big blooming cherry trees despite I know they get much bigger aboard when being older. I do have few tiny cherry trees in my garden but they are nothing compared to this. 

Today when we arrived home the sea is still frozen up here. My garden has made a great progress and it is now almost 100 % snow free zone.

Past two nights all around the world they've seen Aurora Borealis even there where they usually don't appear. I am happy so many of you -hopefully- were able to enjoy about them. Here you can read my traditional story of Aurora Borealis / Northern Lights: The Fires of Fox.

In 2023-2024 it has been unusual long snow season. It is because of the climate change. When the Gulf Stream begins to weaken it doesn't warm us so much anymore and we get colder over colder seasons and hotter over the warmer seasons. I can cope with the cold but am such a cry baby when it is warmer than +24C.

The trees never grow straight by the sea shore where it is always windy.💚

Frozen

It is 8.5.2024 and the sea Gulf of Bothnia is still frozen. Today the morning temperature is -5C. The day light time is today 18 hours and 13 minutes. The sun rises at 4:12 am and sets at 10:25pm. We are travelling to MidSummer.

The ice is getting so weak that none should go there anymore. But the ice doesn't go away yet. The world is not ready and us people need to be patient. We can't rule the nature.

Sometimes people ask me how come I can be so calm and patient when something stressful happens or nothing happens at all even it should. I always try to explain. This is the reason. When your roots -the genetic code- is buried so deep into this arctic area the ones who can't wait, be calm  and patient have died and not been able to share their genetic code forward in the path of evolution. They have made fatal mistakes or the nature has tame their character. 

At the stream side of the bay is the boat harbor. The stream is so strong that despite of long hard frost periods last winter it didn't get frozen. That's why the harbor is open already despite the sea is not. The stream runs at the back ground of the pic. It is mainly a dangerous "under surface" stream where Näkki and Iku-Turso hide. They are sprites of the waters and have taken many lives also in this stream. That's why we need to wait. No going on ice anymore otherwise they pull you through and provide eternal underwater life. Waiting is quite difficult for modern people. To learn to wait is a good practice also for your mental health. That is what the nature teaches us.

AtExpo

At work we participated in Rovaniemi Craft Expo 2024. We had a workshop there. I designed and made this Sámi tablet weaving band for the workshop to show what tablet weaving is all about. It was succeed and all the visitors were lovely and interested about it. 

Did you know that tablet weaving is the oldest weaving technique and origins all the way back to Egyptian times 3000 BC. In Finland it was known at least 500 AD, perhaps earlier. Rigid heddle weaving arrived 500-700 years after that  which means 1000-1200 AD.

HappyDays

I stitched Springtime getaway luxury card kit that came with Cross Stitcher Magazine (May / 2022, issue 382). Instead of making it to be a card I made a pouch of it. The pouch is my own design.

I used a beautiful bicycle fabric I received from a friend and have used it also for BackToSchool-bag. I also used labels specialized for me that I have received also from a friend of mine.

It has lockers inside and velcro fastening so it can secure small items in like credit card, coins, meds or anything small you need to carry with you.

I re-designed the card that came with the kit.