Ida's Regency Ensemble
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I bought the Sense and Sensibility patterns for a Regency Gown and the Spencer Jacket (which I turned into a pelisse by following your instructions). My inspiration came from the book Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I could identify myself with Elinor and picked the scene where she goes out for a walk in Kensington Gardens on a Spring afternoon. I did a fair amount of research about that particular time and what people exactly wore. Obviously, they did a lot of hand work in those days. I decided to make it as original as I could. Therefore all the seams are french seams and sewed by machine. All the other work is hand stitched and embroidered."Elinor" is wearing an afternoon outfit consisting of a spotted muslin dress with a chemise underneath and fichu tucked in. For a walk in Kensington Gardens, she needs a pelisse to keep her warm and a reticule for her money and handkerchief. A fashionable hat completes her outfit. Elinor has spent many mornings and nights sewing her own outfit. She has spent countless hours to embroider her dress and especially enjoyed making the buttons using curtain rings. She has dyed the white cotton fabric for her pelisse in tea and coffee. After that she embroidered all the borders using browns and a thread of gold. Her reticule is crocheted and lined with the dyed fabric, embroidery thread is twisted and makes a nice closure. Her fichu is made from a very thin muslin, which she manipulated by pulling threads to form a checkered pattern. Many thanks for your support and very helpful patterns!Kind regards,Ida de B.
This is a wonderful story, and I love the fun details! In another letter, Ida writes, "This work lies close to my heart; I have spent so many hours enjoying making it and finding out the historical issues. It has even been on display in a street gallery from the Auckland [New Zealand] University of Technology (Art and Design department)." Beautiful work, Ida!Ida won a $15 gift certificate for having her photos and story featured in my e-newsletter! Consider submitting clear, well-lit photos in JPEG format (the more, the merrier!), along with a short (500 words or less) story. Remember that it's the personal details that make these stories so much fun. And if you're featured in the newsletter, you'll win a gift certificate!
