"For my part, I had already adopted as my own the device graved in bronze above the door of a certain mausoleum. They were a fountain rising above waters, and a ship volant, and below these a rose. "
"Her bitter blade was an ell in length, straight and square pointed as such a sword's should be. Man-edge and woman-edge could part a hair to within a span of the guard, which was of thick silver with a carven head at either end. Her grip was onyx bound with silver bands, two spans long and terminated with an opal. Art had been lavished upon her...The words Terminus Est had been engraved upon her balde in curious and beautiful letters, and I had learned enough of ancient languages since leaving the Atrium of Time to know that they meant This Is the Line of Division"
This is a modified Russian Settlers' Dress blouse from Folkwear, which I am ornamenting with my own designs pulled from my favorite book series of all time, The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe.
After one day of sewing, the Blouse of the New Sun is complete!
The pattern itself was stupid simple. I had to do the underarm gussets twice to get them right, but I'm no master seamstress. I also HATE gathering more than just about anything else sewing related. I might do future versions of this blous with either pleats or smocking instead. I zig zag stitched along all edges before assembly to finish the seams. Here it is assembled before adding the gussets :
The only part I'm not terribly astisfied with is the collar. We'll see if I end up liking it more after a few washes soften the linen, but I might end up tearing out the neckline, giving it a bit of a deeper slit, and adding a ribbon stay and ruffle to match the cuffs. The extra bit of velvet black would really tie the design together well, but that does depend on me busting out the sewing machine and gathering AGAIN. Ugh.
The embroidery looks great, though we'll see if I need to make any repairs after a wash or two. I don't expect it to be particularly fragile.
Overall, I'm super pleased with what I expect to become a wardrobe staple. It looks great under stays for a bit of waist definition fall - spring and will probably work well with short shorts and skirts for summer. I want to make a few more shirts sans enormous and time consuming embroidery to coordinate with a few different color schemes as well. I think it would work in lightweight cotton and maybe a gingham?
For anyone who wants to use these designs, feel free to use the pixel art I designed. Please don't sell commercially (though who in the world else would buy a BOTNS blouse???) and I'd appreciate credit if you share on social media!
WOO the embroidery is done! I nicked the fabric when I was cutting away scrim, but the repair job isn't too shabby either. I was able to pull some thread from the edges of the fabric to do it so it's a perfect color match and visibly quite similar in texture as well. I'm taking the night off to let my hands heal, then assembling this bad boy tomorrow. SOOOOO close to done after a little over a month of consistent work.
Started work on the second sleeve. I like the design a bit less but it is simpler to work and still cool? I'd trying it out on my scroll frame instead of the hoop and am finding the whole tensioning thing much easier with the scrim/linen sandwich. I'd love a frame holder so i could work two handed but this project is already nearing $200 and I really dont wanna spend more on a hobby that doesn't pay for itself, unlike painting.
FINALLY done with the sword sleeve. I pushed pretty hard the last few days to get in stitching whenever I had a free moment and got a lot more done that I do when I wait for big chunks of time to work. A few small mistakes, but nothing noticible enough to bother changing.
The scrim itself took about 2 hrs to remove and definitely required a good soak before that was even remotely possible. It wasn't a horrible process, but a bit annoying and I might experiment with some water soluble versions for any future projects. I didn't want to risk it for this one since I knew the embroidery would take several weeks and I was nervous about wayward spills in the meantime. It needs a poress, which I will do when I am ready to assemble the blouse, but for now, here it is!
I'll be taking a day or two break to work on my Hugo awards project (and stitch a bookmark for said project, then get back after it by Friday.
Slowly but surely, I've been getting the embroidery done. I'm well over halfway and hope to be finished with this sleeve by the end of the week since I don't have any knitting obligations. I'd like to figure out a way to transfer the X's in washable ink to the fabric directly for future projects instead of using the waste scrim and a chart (vintage cross stitch kits have this) but I'll do the other sleeve the same way I've dont this one for consistency's sake. Plus I don't want to go down some crazy problem solving rabbit hole when I do have a method that works fine. I'm a bit further along than this after a long trip to AZ, but I didn't get that much done in the car.
I've made a lot of progress in the last week. I got the pattern pieces cut from a lovely white linen I had in my stash. The drape and weight of linen feels so good in the hands and on the body.
Instead of learning to cross stitch evenweave with this huge project, I decided to buy some waste canvas instead and I'm glad I did. It only took about a half hour to get it aligned and basted down and it's already saved me so much frustration. I did not realize when I made the design that it would be a whopping 10.5 inches long on the 14 ct! I'm actually pleasantly surprised - I was concerned that the design would not be ~dramatic~ enough for my tastes but I definitely don't think there's any danger of that now. Now it's a matter of getting the embroidery done. I'ts a slow but enjoyable process without a lot of decisions to make.
I've had the idea for a fluffy sleeved blouse to wear under stays and vests with a Book of the New Sun motif for awhile, but today I finally picked a pattern and finalized the embroidery designs. The right sleeve will have an image of Severian's executioner's sword, Terminus Est and the right will have his arms from the tomb in the Necropolis. As with most historical patterns for the masses, the actual sewing should be an increadibly easy and forgiving assembling of a few large rectangles of linen, but the embroidery might be a bit more of a challenge as I'm only cross stitched a handful of times and never on evenweave. I'll need to be careful to make sure the designs are marked out and aligned well so that they end up centered on the shoulder. B
Even better is that this will end up being a stash busting project! I have several yards of white linen and plenty of black embroidery floss so I should be able to get started this weekend! I probably will attempt some basic embroidery on evenweave first just to get a feel for it though.
"Her bitter blade was an ell in length, straight and square pointed as such a sword's should be. Man-edge and woman-edge could part a hair to within a span of the guard, which was of thick silver with a carven head at either end. Her grip was onyx bound with silver bands, two spans long and terminated with an opal. Art had been lavished upon her...The words Terminus Est had been engraved upon her balde in curious and beautiful letters, and I had learned enough of ancient languages since leaving the Atrium of Time to know that they meant This Is the Line of Division"
This is a modified Russian Settlers' Dress blouse from Folkwear, which I am ornamenting with my own designs pulled from my favorite book series of all time, The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe.
April 20, 2025
After one day of sewing, the Blouse of the New Sun is complete!
The pattern itself was stupid simple. I had to do the underarm gussets twice to get them right, but I'm no master seamstress. I also HATE gathering more than just about anything else sewing related. I might do future versions of this blous with either pleats or smocking instead. I zig zag stitched along all edges before assembly to finish the seams. Here it is assembled before adding the gussets :
The only part I'm not terribly astisfied with is the collar. We'll see if I end up liking it more after a few washes soften the linen, but I might end up tearing out the neckline, giving it a bit of a deeper slit, and adding a ribbon stay and ruffle to match the cuffs. The extra bit of velvet black would really tie the design together well, but that does depend on me busting out the sewing machine and gathering AGAIN. Ugh. The embroidery looks great, though we'll see if I need to make any repairs after a wash or two. I don't expect it to be particularly fragile.
Overall, I'm super pleased with what I expect to become a wardrobe staple. It looks great under stays for a bit of waist definition fall - spring and will probably work well with short shorts and skirts for summer. I want to make a few more shirts sans enormous and time consuming embroidery to coordinate with a few different color schemes as well. I think it would work in lightweight cotton and maybe a gingham?
For anyone who wants to use these designs, feel free to use the pixel art I designed. Please don't sell commercially (though who in the world else would buy a BOTNS blouse???) and I'd appreciate credit if you share on social media!
April 18, 2025
WOO the embroidery is done! I nicked the fabric when I was cutting away scrim, but the repair job isn't too shabby either. I was able to pull some thread from the edges of the fabric to do it so it's a perfect color match and visibly quite similar in texture as well. I'm taking the night off to let my hands heal, then assembling this bad boy tomorrow. SOOOOO close to done after a little over a month of consistent work.
April 13, 2025
Started work on the second sleeve. I like the design a bit less but it is simpler to work and still cool? I'd trying it out on my scroll frame instead of the hoop and am finding the whole tensioning thing much easier with the scrim/linen sandwich. I'd love a frame holder so i could work two handed but this project is already nearing $200 and I really dont wanna spend more on a hobby that doesn't pay for itself, unlike painting.
April 9, 2025
FINALLY done with the sword sleeve. I pushed pretty hard the last few days to get in stitching whenever I had a free moment and got a lot more done that I do when I wait for big chunks of time to work. A few small mistakes, but nothing noticible enough to bother changing.
The scrim itself took about 2 hrs to remove and definitely required a good soak before that was even remotely possible. It wasn't a horrible process, but a bit annoying and I might experiment with some water soluble versions for any future projects. I didn't want to risk it for this one since I knew the embroidery would take several weeks and I was nervous about wayward spills in the meantime. It needs a poress, which I will do when I am ready to assemble the blouse, but for now, here it is!
I'll be taking a day or two break to work on my Hugo awards project (and stitch a bookmark for said project, then get back after it by Friday.
April 6, 2025
Slowly but surely, I've been getting the embroidery done. I'm well over halfway and hope to be finished with this sleeve by the end of the week since I don't have any knitting obligations. I'd like to figure out a way to transfer the X's in washable ink to the fabric directly for future projects instead of using the waste scrim and a chart (vintage cross stitch kits have this) but I'll do the other sleeve the same way I've dont this one for consistency's sake. Plus I don't want to go down some crazy problem solving rabbit hole when I do have a method that works fine. I'm a bit further along than this after a long trip to AZ, but I didn't get that much done in the car.
March 21, 2025
I've made a lot of progress in the last week. I got the pattern pieces cut from a lovely white linen I had in my stash. The drape and weight of linen feels so good in the hands and on the body.
Instead of learning to cross stitch evenweave with this huge project, I decided to buy some waste canvas instead and I'm glad I did. It only took about a half hour to get it aligned and basted down and it's already saved me so much frustration. I did not realize when I made the design that it would be a whopping 10.5 inches long on the 14 ct! I'm actually pleasantly surprised - I was concerned that the design would not be ~dramatic~ enough for my tastes but I definitely don't think there's any danger of that now. Now it's a matter of getting the embroidery done. I'ts a slow but enjoyable process without a lot of decisions to make.
March 14, 2025
I've had the idea for a fluffy sleeved blouse to wear under stays and vests with a Book of the New Sun motif for awhile, but today I finally picked a pattern and finalized the embroidery designs. The right sleeve will have an image of Severian's executioner's sword, Terminus Est and the right will have his arms from the tomb in the Necropolis. As with most historical patterns for the masses, the actual sewing should be an increadibly easy and forgiving assembling of a few large rectangles of linen, but the embroidery might be a bit more of a challenge as I'm only cross stitched a handful of times and never on evenweave. I'll need to be careful to make sure the designs are marked out and aligned well so that they end up centered on the shoulder. B
Even better is that this will end up being a stash busting project! I have several yards of white linen and plenty of black embroidery floss so I should be able to get started this weekend! I probably will attempt some basic embroidery on evenweave first just to get a feel for it though.