Regency Fashions

Some of you have asked me to post the dresses I made for the JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America) Convention last month…sorry for putting if off.
This dress is aqua and green in a non-descript print that looks a bit like a watercolor wash.  Gathers galore… at the neckline, waist and sleeves.  It’s so comfy, though, that I wish I could wear it all day.
Sorry for the lack of regency setting.  I took these photos in our western room.  I just had to remove the arrows  that were hanging displayed on the light fixture.
  This is my “this old thing…?” dress.  Printed deep lavender floral on a lighter lavender background.  I made it for a Jane Austen challenge I took a couple of years ago.  Earlier this year I wore it to host a Jane Austen tea party we had after reading Sense and Sensibility.
I love it because it is so cool and comfortable.  You’ve probably guessed by now that I strictly avoid all the other regency trusses, corsets and folderol.


This is the cut-away dress coat I added for the ball.  I made it out of an old skirt and blouse that had been hanging in my closet ever since my sister talked me into buying it a few years ago.  I remade this purple crushed velvet with small tucks and a thin purple satin ribbon in the back and 3 pewter buttons fastened with self-fabric loops in the front.
I’m still not fond of this coat though.  I nearly went into a swoon after a few sets of English country dancing.  Where is Darcy when you need him?
This is my favorite (except for my gothic nightgown which is clearly visible in an earlier post as part of a true gothic adventure) dress of all.
It features a small yellow flower in diamond patterns on peach cotton fabric.  The empire waist is accented by yellow grosgrain ribbon and the bodice  is fastened with dainty yellow buttons and peach satin loops.
How I wish I had worn this to the ball!   How I would have enjoyed the lively music and frolicking dance without becoming so overheated!!

Gently Falling Snow

The snow has been drifting softly down all day long, bringing a peaceful, quiet feeling., so I decide to create (finally) my Christmas tag for a little exchange with my creative daughters and daughter-in-law.  
The theme is music, and ever since I found out, the Christmas song “The Snow Lay on the Ground” has been playing itself inside my head.  Lovely, it’s one of my favorites.  Here is a sneak preview even though my tag is not quite finished.  I loved making it and want to share it on this beautiful evening.
I started by drawing my gnarled tree on the computer in “paint” and used Edwardian Script for the text.  Then I printed it out on white cardstock because I knew I wanted to use watercolor on it.  Next, I used white , brown and a bit of green crayons for the tree and snow.  Lastly, I painted blue and purple watercolor over the whole tag.  I love where the watercolors puddled and didn’t penetrate the crayons.
I still have embellishments to do, but I’m excited about the treble clef charm I made out of a small bead and a head pin from jewelry findings.
I’m a bit behind on these.  They should be received by December 1st.  Luckily, I can hand deliver a few, but the rest will not  be mailed until tomorrow night or Tuesday at the latest.
I’m feeling so peaceful and contented, and I hope you are too.  If you’re in on our Christmas tag swap, you have a sneak preview, but shhh…….  don’t tell anyone else. 

Trauma Today

Today at school, during silent reading, we heard the loudest crashing sound.  The students looked at me and asked, “What was that?”  One of the boys said, “Oh, I just dropped a book.”  Really?
It was only a few minutes before their music class, so I dropped them off, and on the way back to my classroom, I saw that an airplane had just crashed across the street from my school.
Of course, no emergency crews had responded yet.  I watched as they arrived and pulled out the red tarp.  The plane was small—used for flight training.

Here you can see the proximity to the school  The  kindergarten children had left only minutes before—their parents pick them up in the U-shaped driveway.  There were no students on the playground you see as the large grassy area on the right.

More and more emergency personnel respond with sirens blaring.  By now the students know something dramatic has happened, but we quietly and calmly assure them that everyone at school’s OK.
Here they are extracting the bodies of the male pilot and his female trainer.  Both were in their twenties.  By now all access to the street are closed.  Because the children have not been told of the entire tragedy, they are mostly concerned about how to find their parents because the road has been closed.
This is how things look as I leave school.  Our hearts and prayers go out to those who have lost their loved ones, and we are deeply blessed that no home is destroyed with people inside and that our school and the children are safe.