1894 Tailor Gown

My very good friend Kacie made this dress for me quite a few Christmases ago. It has gotten MUCH use as I simply love wearing it! It makes me feel confident and ready to conquer the world! It is the picture of confidence and sophistication.

The inspiration for the dress came from this pattern. Although she so cleverly drafted her own pattern just by looking at the picture.

 I simply adore the leg o' mutton sleeves! They have tulle gathered inside the top part so they will stay as poofy as ever!

The military style trim is made of crochet thread, I believe, and sewn on with regular sewing thread. A very good idea!I have always loved this style of trimming!

 The bodice and skirt are separate so they can be worn with other things. The skirt is pleated more in the back then in the front to achieve the 1890's walking skirt look. Also note there is no train so when walking down the street the hem will not be soiled. This is most practical.

 From the side...

 And here are the underpinnings worn under this dress.

For now I am using my 1860's era underpinnings. Perhaps one day I can make some authentic 1890's ones! But for now they'll do.

Chemise, drawers, corset, tournure (or bustle pad) and under and over petticoats.

 The tournure goes under the petticoat and helps hold the skirt out.

It is made of cotton muslin and stuffed with cotton (you could also use down).

 This is what it looks like under petticoats.

It holds the skirt out marvelously too! (See above pictures)

So, there you have it. My 1894 Tailor Dress. Isn't it splendid? Thank you so much my dear Kacie!

If you'd like to see more of her creations, please go visit her blog Kacie's Knitting Adventure. It is simply charming! Here is a link to a post she did about her doll Ophelia showing some of her many beautiful things!

Fare you well!

Emaline

Christmas presents

Good afternoon ladies! I seemed to have forgotten about these pictures from Christmas! What silliness! Well, I suppose they could be inspiration for birthdays too. ♥

Here we are with our sleepy morning faces and warm wraps.We drank hot cocoa and ate Monkey Bread! Mmm...

Here are the lovely gifts I received from my cousins.

 Mabel gave me this adorable little slate! It is perfect for jotting down recipes, reminders and practicing my drawing.

 Olive gave me this fabulous cast iron skillet. It is the perfect size and just what I need in my kitchen! Thank you dearest cousins!

Thank you all for following the little adventures of our "Circle"!

I will be posting about the dress I'm wearing in these pictures next! So, please have another slice of cake and allow me to warm your tea!
I hope you have a lovely day!

Love, Miss Emaline

an adventurous month

 I am very fond of the month of February.  Because it is the month in which I was born and also because it is so very unpredictable. One day it is sunny and 58 degrees and the next everything is frosty and sparkling. And the next day it could snow a whole foot! So, some might call it fickle or changeable or say that they are "SO ready for spring!" But as for me, I should not like to waste a whole month or even a moment of the time I am given.. So I shall call it an adventurous month and enjoy every bit of it! 

Here is a poem I would like to share with you. It is one of my favorites.

To the Daisy

by William Wordsworth

 In youth from rock to rock I went,
From hill to hill in discontent
Of pleasure high and turbulent,
Most pleased when most uneasy;
But now my own delights I make, -
My thirst at every rill can slake,
And gladly Nature's love partake
Of Thee, sweet Daisy!

Thee Winter in the garland wears
That thinly decks his few grey hairs;
Spring parts the clouds with softest airs,
That she may sun thee;
Whole Summer-fields are thine by right;
And Autumn, melancholy wight!
Doth in thy crimson head delight
When rains are on thee.

In shoals and bands, a morrice train,
Thou greet'st the traveller in the lane,
Pleased at his greeting thee again;
Yet nothing daunted,
Nor grieved, if thou be set at nought:
And oft alone in nooks remote
We meet thee, like a pleasant thought,
When such are wanted.

Be violets in their secret mews
The flowers the wanton Zephyrs choose;
Proud be the rose, with rains and dews
Her head impearling;
Thou liv'st with less ambitious aim,
Yet hast not gone without thy fame;
Thou art indeed by many a claim
The Poet's darling.

If to a rock from rains he fly,
Or, some bright day of April sky,
Imprisoned by hot sunshine lie
Near the green holly,
And wearily at length should fare;
He needs but look about, and there
Thou art! -a friend at hand, to scare
His melancholy.

A hundred times, by rock or bower,
Ere thus I have lain couched an hour,
Have I derived from thy sweet power
Some apprehension;
Some steady love; some brief delight;
Some memory that had taken flight;
Some chime of fancy wrong or right;
Or stray invention.

If stately passions in me burn,
And one chance look to Thee should turn,
I drink out of a humbler urn
A lowlier pleasure;
The homely sympathy that heeds
The common life our nature breeds;
A wisdom fitted to the needs
Of hearts at leisure.

Fresh smitten by the morning ray,
When thou art up, alert and gay,
Then, cheerful Flower! my spirits play
With kindred gladness:
And when, at dusk, by dews oppressed
Thou sink'st, the image of thy rest
Hath often eased my pensive breast
Of careful sadness.

And all day long I number yet,
All seasons through, another debt,
Which I, wherever thou art met,
To thee am owing;
An instinct call it, a blind sense;
A happy, genial influence,
Coming one knows not how, nor whence,
Nor whither going.

Child of the Year! that round dost run
Thy course, bold lover of the sun,
And cheerful when the day's begun
As lark or leveret,
Thy long-lost praise thou shalt regain;
Nor be less dear to future men
Than in old time; -thou not in vain
Art Nature's favourite.

Happy February to you all!

Emaline

a room with a view

Good day my fashionable friends! Here is something I've been wanting to show you for an age! It is my very own room. 

 

For my last birthday my wonderful and handsome brothers-in-law made for me this lovely wrought iron bed! Isn't it spectacular? It is just what I would wish a bed to be! 

My Darling eldest sister designed the bed and made me the feather down mattress and pillows! 

The most wonderful thing about them is that they are made out of my Great Grandmothers pillows and stuffed with the very same feathers too! Isn't that extraordinary? It makes it even more special!

All of it is so nicely made.

The mattress has piping around the edges and is tied in various places in the middle to keep it from becoming lumpy. She even made a bolster! 

I have not yet made the bed clothes for it, but to tell the truth, I was not ready to cover it up! I love the ticking and piping and the little wear spots! It makes it look so real and wonderful! 

I do, of course, have the quilt Olive made for me on it so it is nice and cozy.

However, I will (one day) make the sheets and covers for it. And it will be splendid! Oh, dear... I am sounding quite vain...

 I also have this nice bedside table also made by my Brother-in-law (although, he originally made it as a box and gave it to my family and I). Somehow it conveniently made it up to my room. *blushing quite guiltily*

 My room is quite nicely placed in a corner of my "seamstress's" room next to her "jungle". I like it quite a bit, although sometimes the plants drop their huge flowers right in the middle of my floor which makes for a lot of sweeping.

 I hope you've enjoyed seeing my room. One day I shall take some more photos and show you a few of my treasures!

Now, I am off to finish the sleeves on my 18th century dress! 

Auf Wiedersehen!

Emaline

a poem

 

“To sit on rocks; to muse o’er flood and fell;

To slowly trace the forest’s shady scene,

Where things that own not man’s dominion dwell,

And mortal foot hath ne’er or rarely been!

To climb the trackless mountain all unseen,

With the wild flock, that never need a fold;

Alone o’er steeps and foaming falls to lean;

This is not solitude: ‘tis but to hold

Converse with nature’s charms, and view her stores unrolled.”

-Byron

{1788-1824}

 

 ♥Emaline

A Headache of a Header

Well... I have FINALLY gotten this ridiculous header to work! -- Now that it's February. "Indeed!" I say to myself with the greatest indignation. Well... we may as well enjoy it for a while...

Because I REFUSE to take it off right away after if took ages to get right.  AGH!

.....*Breathing to calm down*

Ehem... While I am not sorry at all for the insults aimed at this HORRID header, I am truly sorry for my dreadful outburst of emotion which I will try to subdue in future.

I thank you all my dear companions for being so patient with me. 

With Love and utmost gratitude, 

Emaline

Babes from the Woods

Hello my darlings!

I thought I would just post this link while we're on the subject of 18th century dolls....

It is a blog called Babes from the Woods.

(I have also put a link to it on the left hand side bar in case we need instant inspiration.♥)

She makes the most lovely antiqued Queen Anne dolls as well as some beautiful replicas of other eras. Here is just one of her many exquisite dolls. If I could EVER choose a favorite (which I couldn't) it might be this one.

Have you fallen on the floor yet from sheer delight and amazement? If you have, please pick yourself back up and prepare to do it again because you must also look at this doll called Margie. So beautiful! I pray you, go look upon them. They are desserts for thine eyes! My pen cannot even describe what loveliness awaits you!

Lovingly, Emaline

p.s. Just so you know.. I have been trying to change the blog header to a more appropriate theme for winter but have not had any success. It is giving me grief. But nevertheless, I shall conquer!

January

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

I thought you might like these pictures from Edith Holden's 'Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady'. They are so lovely!

Happy January to you all!

-Emaline

18th Century Milliner's Shop

 I just stumbled upon this charming set of pictures when I was looking for 18th century dress inspiration. It is from this lady's lovely photography site  Fashionable Frolick's Photostream. She makes very pretty 18th century clothing and also has some wonderful pictures from Colonial Williamsburg which is where these pictures were taken I believe.

 These are pictures of a doll size milliner's shop which is a display inside a life size Milliner and Dressmaker's shop. Are they not delightful?

(If you click on the pictures they will take you to Fashionable Frolick's flicker account so you can see them a lot bigger.)

Isn't this dress gorgeous?

I am currently working on a mid 18th century dress for myself (Emaline), and I'm doing my best to actually finish a whole outfit including underpinnings, dress, hat, shoes, and accessories. I have completed the underpinnings and the skirt and I'm almost finished with the bodice. I've just started the shoes, and am dreaming up ideas for a hat! It is a dress for springtime so I'm hoping to have it finished before then. *smile* 

So, for right now, my fingers are sewing busily and my head is thinking dreamily while my heart is sighing contentedly. I'm having such fun! I hope everyone is having a lovely January. Our January, or Winter weather, is just getting here. So I'm looking forward to some nice long snowy afternoons of reading, sewing, playing my violin and drinking tea. 

*******

Please tell me of your past, current or future projects! I'm aching to know what you all are doing!

So, Happy days and pleasant evenings to you all!

Love, Miss Emaline