The Lady of Portland House

New Pictures of the Girls…

2012-01-16T10:51:00.001-08:00

*Warning: These pics are a bit disturbing. Rosie is extremely underweight and you can see every bone in her little body. I’m posting them to document their progress and to educate in the process.*

We spent most of the weekend out at the barn working with Rosie and Beezus. We are learning more and more about these sweet girls’ personalities. Rosie is definitely head of their mini herd. Beezus looks to her for everything. Due to Rosie’s position, she has been on super high alert and was on a bit of a hunger strike the first few days she was at the barn. We had to shave both girls, due to the rain rot and the results were pretty shocking.

It was shocking to see just how skinny she really is.

It appears that their previous owner would feed them together and Rosie would give Beezus the majority of her food. We suspect they weren’t on grain of any kind and maybe a bit of hay. Plus, they are both infested with worms, which contributes to the emaciation.

As I said earlier, it’s been difficult getting Rosie to eat any food. I finally was able to get her to eat out of my hand, on Saturday, and she ate almost a whole scoop of grain. Audra, our instructor/ barn owner, told me she started eating more yesterday morning and evening. She also finally started drinking. So, hopefully she will be gaining weight as the weeks go on.

Here she is with, Anna, a 9 year old student who is in love with Rosie. When she is up to health, Rosie will be the perfect child’s horse.

This is Beezus and I riding yesterday. This was before we shaved her. I, unfortunately, did not get any post shave pics yesterday. I hope to get some tomorrow. Anyway, Beezus is doing very, very well, she’s eating and she’s settling in a little faster than Rosie. However, she has separation anxiety when Rosie is not in her sight.

We have been working each horse on the ground for a few minutes and then I’ve been riding Beezus for about 15 minutes, only walking and trotting lightly. She is extremely out of shape and has little muscle tone; so much so, that she pants and huffs after a few laps of trotting. However, she is trying hard and has a lovely smooth trot. We’ve been riding her in Western because that’s what she knows and she is a bit unpredictable with her cues. I’m hoping to get her into an English saddle once she settles in more.

Well, that’s all for today. I’m sure I will have more for you as time goes on.

God Bless!

Love Lauren

The Rescue Babies…

2012-01-14T09:51:00.001-08:00

Aaron and I had a wonderful day at the barn yesterday. He is advancing quickly with Jazz and he definitely has the horse bug! The horses love him and he is really enjoying them as well.

Most of our day was spent working with the two new horses, Beezus and Rosie. We already have an Appy at the barn named Ramona, so of course, our new Appy had to be named Beezus :) Both girls are in pretty pitiful shape, butI think they will be great once they are rehabbed. Here are a few pics!

This is Miss Beezus. She is a 20 year old, 15.3 hand Appaloosa Mare weighing in at 1049lbs. She is a few hundred lbs under weight and lacks a lot of muscle definition. We think she is infested with worms and she hasn’t been worked in a long time. However, she does know her cues and was so respectful when we were lunging her. I love how she stayed out of my space and gave her full attention, once she settled down from the excitement.

I’m not thrilled with this pic of me, I’m wearing tons of layers and I think it makes me look huge. But anyway, I love how you can see Beezus’ pretty face and her personality in this pic. She is very sweet and wanted reassurance that everything will be ok.

Here we have Miss Rosie. She is a 20 year old Arabian mare standing at 14 hands and weighing in at 617 lbs.This little girl is several hundred lbs under weight and exhibits signs of malnutrition and worm infestation. She has a long dull coat covering a very ribby body, but she is still spunky, friendly, and cute. She is the “pack leader” of the two and Beezus looks to her for direction. She is very respectful on the ground as well and she really loves to be rewarded with love. This horse loooved to be cuddled as her reward for working hard. I think she will settle in much faster than Beezus.

Here you can see her rain rotted coat. Poor thing is getting shaved and medicated today. We think we are going to have to clip her main and tail as well. They are just clumps of matted hair.

Both horses will need their hooves done as well. The bad angle is much more apparent on Rosie than Beezus. You can really see it in this picture, in my opinion.

Everyone was teasing me yesterday saying “hey, finally a horse that’s Lauren’s size!”

This is my favorite pic of Rosie. This was when we were free lunging her. She is very spunky and cute.

I hope to keep you all updated as they’re progress improves. It’s such a blessing to be working with animals in need. I have a passion for it and I am learning so much. I really appreciate Audra, my instructor, for including me in the rehab processes. It is amazing!

Have a lovely weekend!

Love Lauren

Stays Progress and Gratuitous Pet Pics

2012-01-13T09:39:00.001-08:00

Hello All!

I hope you are doing well and enjoying the lovely winter weather. I , personally love winter, it’s one of my favorite seasons. Anyway, I have been slowly plugging away on my stays and I’m pretty happy with the progress thus far. Although, I haven’t had as much time to work on them as I would like and have only managed to get two days of sewing them so far. Next week will probably be just as busy, so I doubt I will finish them in the time I prefer. Luckily, I don’t have a deadline to complete them, so I can take my time on them.

I also thought I would walk you through a bit of my own process for adjusting patterns. I’ve been getting a lot of questions, lately, on how I go about fitting patterns. I hope this gives you a bit of insight on how I do things. Enjoy!

I always make at least one mockup. This is the most important step for me. If I can get it to fit in muslin, then I know it will work in my fashion fabric. I usually pin the pieces together and adjusted them to fit my form, as best as I can.

I can tell, based on where the top of the back piece hits, that it will need to be cut down a bit. I also know that the shoulder straps are too wide. I know this because I have sewn enough garments to judge where the straps and back should fall.

I like to use my sheerest gown to test the stays. It allows me to see where the stays will fall beneath the dress and easily adjust the pattern. (Note the bust cups are not part of the stays, they’re just extra padding for my dress form.

It may be hard to see, but the stays stick out of the dress about 3 inches in the back. The straps also stick out. So, it’s time to cut the pattern down so the stays are not shown outside of my gowns.

I basically take a pencil and draw where the seams should fall on the neck line. I like to do it to only 1/2 of the pattern. That way I know the other half will be identical when I redraft it.

I then take my traced pattern and lay it over the muslin and transfer or cut the changes. Sometimes I need to do a full redraft because things need to be added or taken away, ect. This time, the original pattern fit so well, I only had to take the back and straps neckline down.

So, that, in a nutshell, is how I draft and fit my patterns.

Here are the stays so far. I have bound the bottom taps, sewn the boning channel, and started the eyelets. I wanted to hold off on binding the top edges until the eyelets are sewn, just in case I have any last minute adjustments that are needed.

Here you can see a close up of the binding. As always, everything is done by hand. I prefer it that way and I find that my pre-sewing machine era projects go together more quickly and precisely by hand than by machine. Plus, it keeps the dying art of 18th century clothing construction alive.

Gratuitous Pet Portion

On a totally non-related note, I have a few gratuitous pet pics that I’ve been needing to post. Enjoy!

Mrs. Cartwright and I playing horse soccer with Bob and Jazz yesterday. They loooove this game and Jazz is quite good at it! Mrs. Cartwright and Jazz totally beat Bob and I 3 to 1. Although, Bob is only 5 and still very new at this game. Jazz is a seasoned veteran and is quite competitive.

Aaron on Jazz for his first riding lesson last week. He did very, very well and I’m thrilled I finally got my man on a horse :) He will eventually be riding English, but we don’t have stirrup leathers long enough for him. So, he’ll be riding in a Western saddle with an English bit until the stirrups come in.

My big baby, Bob, and me. He’s doing so well and learning so much, as am I. He surprisingly jumped over a cone and the soccer ball this week, which was exciting and unexpected. So, we’ve decided it’s time to teach him how to jump. I’m very excited about it.

And finally, a picture of Leila and Gico konked out on the couch together. Gico and Leila have a history of teasing each other and Leila has a healthy fear of this little bird. She doesn’t usually let him sit with her. However, lately, they have been sleeping like this for an hour or two in the afternoons while I sew. It’s just too cute!

Well, m’dears, I am off to the barn to work with a new pair of rescues we brought in last night. They are both in their twenties and are in pretty bad shape. Today is going to be shaving and cleaning rain rot sores, cleaning hooves, de-worming, vaccinating, and a little ground work for the new kids. I hope to have pictures up soon.

Love Lauren

Time for New Stays

2012-01-05T09:23:00.001-08:00

It’s a new year and it’s time for a new pair of stays. You may remember my current pair that I made back in 2009.

These stays have served me well over the past few seasons, but it’s time for a new pair. My body has changed the bust area and this pair just doesn’t do their job well anymore.

So, I have been researching and pouring over my books to find a new pair that I think will suit me. Corsets, by Jill Salen, seems to have the perfect pair for my body shape.

This pair. They are classified as jumps, due to minimal boning, but the pattern and shape are exactly what I am looking for.

The exciting thing about this particular pair is that they are already my size. The pattern will only need minor adjustments. I have found that using historical patterns are much more successful for my body size and shape than using modern patterns, like JP Ryan and S and S. Hopefully this set of stays will prove to be similar.

On a side note, if you don’t already own Corsets Historical Patterns and Techniques, you need to get it. It is AMAZING!!!! It is full of stays and corsets from multiple eras as well as patterns taken from each pair. There are also detailed instructions on a few pairs that walk you through how to construct them. I can’t praise this book enough!

That’s all for now! I hope you have a lovely day :)

God Bless!

Love Lauren

Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T12:36:00.001-08:00

I hope you all had a lovely and blessed holiday. This year we had a low key 18th Century Christmas with the Cartwrights. It was very nice and quiet. I also had a chance to use some of the lovely dishes I inherited from my late grandparents. I am so happy that these pieces have new life.

We started the morning by giving the chicken babies their stocking. Yes, all of my pets got stockings and they LOVED the contents.

The house with the stockings for Max, Leila, and Gico. I was thrilled to find stockings that had their initials on them!

Sir Thomas built a lovely roaring fire for the occasion.

The spread.

The 18th Century Cake

And the most important part, the guests, with two sweet doggies that actually sat still for us to take a picture.

God Bless!

Love Lauren

The Crazy Bird Lady…

2011-12-21T10:14:00.001-08:00

Yup that’s me, and apparently the birds know it too. Monday morning I went out to our yard to let my chickens out of their fortified run when I found this….

Yup, that’s a chicken, and she’s not mine. Notice the green ball? Yeah, my dog Leila shares her ball when she accepts a new member into the pack. She immediately gave the chicken her favorite toy as a “Hi will you be my friend,” gesture. I have really sweet animals.

Anyway, after a long and crazy day, I learned that she had been hanging out in my neighbor’s yard and they assumed she belonged to me. So, they put her in my back yard. I have a sneaking suspicion that she has been in my yard before. I have been finding chicken poop in places my girls do not have access too. I have also noticed the treats that I give my girls have been pushed thru the chicken wire to the other side. So, I suspect they have been feeding her thru the wire. Also, they all acted as though they knew each other. Anyway, she looked as though she had been on the lam for a while.

I emailed Out to Pasture, the same rescue that took in Muppet, and they happily took her for me. I wished I could have kept her, but I don’t have a place for quarantining a new chicken and I’m already at the limit for chickens in the city. Plus, she is not tame. It took hubby and me almost an hour to catch her and get her into a safe place. Once I got her to Out to Pasture, she calmed down and let me pet her for almost an hour.

Here she is at Kit’s office. Kit is the woman who owns Out to Pasture. They named her Lucia and she’s fitting right in with the other hens at the sanctuary.

So, that’s my crazy bird story of the week.

Love Lauren

Exercise…

2011-12-21T09:46:00.001-08:00

So, I posted this this morning but something with screwy and I had to delete it. Here it is again.

Ok, so something I rarely share on my blog is my real life, beyond my family. I tend to focus on history and things I enjoy. Well, a huge part of my life is exercise and keeping active. I’m always on the lookout for new ways to challenge my body and keep it as healthy as possible. I, unfortunately, suffer from fluffiness, despite how active I am. Anywhoo, enough of that. I’m always on the lookout for new workouts to challenge me and keep me interested, besides my usual hours on the elliptical at the gym. Anyway, now to the point of this blog post… I found a new site, and it has lots and lots and lots of workouts and super healthy recipes. I thought I would share it with you, for those of you who like to workout at home, like I do :) It is a little on the immodest side, they show off the bodies of the trainers, but the workouts are AMAZING!!! Totally kicked my butt! So, if you are interested, you can check it out. The best part, in my opinion, is that it is totally free. Here’s the link…

http://www.bodyrock.tv/category/daily-workouts/exercise-challenges-daily-workouts/

I promise, we will be back to our regularly scheduled costume programming soon :) I hope to be starting some new projects after the first of the year.

Finished Dress!

2011-12-11T13:07:00.001-08:00

Here it is…

Lady Devereux and I in her parlor. She is wearing her beautiful 1870’s reproduction that she has been working on most of the year. Her gown was stunning.

1910’s Dress Plan

2011-12-05T10:08:00.001-08:00

I started on my 1910’s dress yesterday. I finished the pattern draping and I started roll-hemming the chiffon. Here’s the plan, thus far…

The gown is going to be a bit of a hybrid between the first gown, from the Kyoto Costume Institute, and the Lady Maude gown, from Janet Arnold.

I’m using Sense and Sensibilty’s 1910’s Tea Gown as a base for the pattern and then building it from there.

Here’s the fabric. Gold silk taffeta for the main body, black chiffon for the overlays, and black silk taffeta for the sash.

I have 5 days from today to complete it. I think I can do it, we shall see :D

Love Lauren

Finished 1910’s Corset

2011-12-05T10:00:00.001-08:00

I’m very happy with how the 1910’s corset turned out. It took me about four days, from pattern drafting to sewing, to complete it. I will probably make a second one in the near future, because, as always, there are a few changes I would make. The first, is that the original pattern was closure to my measurements than I had realized. I ended up adding a little too much to it, and now the corset has about 1” in the back when it’s laced. I prefer to have close to 3” left when laced. Also, I would probably use a heavier fabric like canvas or coutil. I used a couple of layers of muslin, which is very comfortable, but I think a heavier fabric will wear better for more use. Other than that, I’m very pleased with the results. Here are the pics…

I scaled up this pattern from Nora Waugh’s “Corsets and Crinolines”.

A New Project!!!

2011-11-27T09:03:00.001-08:00

Yes, I finally am allowed to sew, with moderation and lots of stretching in between. So, because I’m crazy I have decided to tackle a completely new era and I have two weeks in which to complete my craziness. My dear friend, Lady Devereaux, is participating in Christmas Parlor Tours in Oregon City. She will be dressed in a lovely Victorian bustle gown as she opens her beautiful 188o’s home to the public. She has graciously allowed me to help by greeting people and keeping them from wandering throughout the house. She also has granted me permission to wear whatever I chose, as long as it was around in the lifetime of her home. So, basically I can wear anything from 1880’s on. Now, why on earth would I want to wear modern clothing, so boring, right, when I have over 120 years of fashion to chose from. I could wear one of my 1930’s or 40’s ensembles, but that would be too easy and practical. So, because I’m crazy, I want to wear something from the 1910’s. Yup, why would I pick anything that I currently own, and why on earth would I pick an era I’m familiar with?!? Apparently, I’m a glutton for deadlines and punishment. :D

So, this means that I need a few things that I do not have, which means lots of sewing…

1. A new corset

2. New undergarments (chemise, drawers, ect.)

3. A dress

I’m not 100% sure on the dress style, but it will be something along these lines.

And, hopefully I can do it all by December 10th. Now, I know enough about fashion from this era to be dangerous, but my knowledge of the 1910’s is not even close to that of the 18th century. So, this will be not only an adventure in sewing speed, but an adventure into a new time period. If all else fails and I can’t finish everything in time, I have a lovely silk 1930’s evening gown to fall back on. However, if I can sew a frock coat by hand in 5 days, then I should be able to complete this in two weeks. So, let the craziness begin.

The "Pemberley" Regency Shoe Pre-Sale

2011-11-25T11:05:00.001-08:00

American Duchess has done it again. The newest shoe in her historically inspired shoe line is here. Hop over to American Duchess to pre-order them.

Mom and Dad!!!

2011-11-11T07:40:00.001-08:00

They came to town for 6 days and we had a wonderful, wonderful time. Here are the pictures!!!

Mom and me

Dad and me

What I’ve Been Doing…

2011-11-11T07:34:00.001-08:00

Hello All,

I hope you are well and enjoying the beautiful Fall weather! I’ve been a busy beaver, even though I am still not sewing. Instead, I have been filling my time with horses!!!

My riding instructor has been letting me work with her 5 year old Appy-Thoroughbred named Bob. Bob, is a special horse. He’s still young and has major baby brain. He also is a lazy, lazy boy and prefers to cuddle rather than work. This, of course, presents a huge problem, because when one wants him to work, he bucks and kicks to get out of it. This behavior comes from his last owner who let him get away with it. So, we have been doing lots of lunging and ground work to build his respect. Followed by riding him and continuing to enforce the respect. The results have been amazing! I’ve been working with Bob for a month and we have gone from a horse that wanted to kick me to this….

He is my buddy, follows me everywhere, does whatever I ask him and looooves his after ride cuddles!

I seriously loooove this horse. I go out to the barn almost everyday to work with him and he is doing soooo well! I’m so proud of his progress.

Duchie Award!!!

2011-10-19T18:56:00.001-07:00

Well, I received the Duchie award from Munich Rococo, Mme du Jard, and Kleidungum 1800!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you :) You ladies are awesome!

When you receive a Duchie; post on your blog in no particular order…

Five things you love about historical costuming/wearing vintage clothing
Three (or more) blogs to pass the Duchie Award onto
A link back to the blog who awarded you the Duchie

So, here it goes :D

1. I love the lines of historical clothing. I have never felt comfortable or flattered in modern clothing. Historical clothing takes all of the imperfections and disguises them, if you do it right.

2. I am history obsessed! Historical clothing gives me a taste of what life was like for our foremothers. I love learning about how people expressed themselves through clothing. So much can be discovered about culture and civilization based on the current fashion. Historical fashion is my window into the lives of the past.

3. I love watching skeptical husbands graciously allow their wives to dress them and then find out they actually love dressing up. It’s so neat to watch them go from, “you want me to wear what?!?” to, “honey, I need more frock coats, waistcoats, ect. I don’t have anything to wear.” That is the best!

4. The construction of historical garments is so fascinating to me. It can truly make or break a costume.

5. I love the costume community. I have met so many amazing and kind people through this hobby. There are just sooo many talented costumers out there and each one brings something new to the table. We definitely have the best hobby!

There are so many wonderful blogs out there it is hard to choose three. These three have been inspiring to me as of late. Enjoy!

Before the Automobile- All I can say is wow! Beautiful clothes, beautiful technique, beautiful lady…

Diary of a Mantua Maker- A lovely and talented costumer. Her costumes focus mostly on mid 18th century to late Regency.

Romantic History- Sarah’s blog has a mix of her lovely costumes and her family. It is always a delight to read the adventures of my dear friend.

Connie’s 10th Annual Halloween Party

2011-10-16T13:08:00.001-07:00

Last night was Connie’s amazing vintage Halloween party. Every year it gets better and better and this year was no exception. Now, as you read from my previous post, my evening began with my bird flying away and then, to everyone’s surprise and joy, returning. By the time the party was nearing, I had already cancelled. Luckily, birdy boy decided to return in time for Angel and I to make it. We quickly dressed and made our way to Connie’s home.

It was most important that we were there, because we had a little act of sorts we put on for the group. I went as Madame Cleo, a gypsy and fortune teller. Angel was our “sprit”, Alice, and hid under our table for the “séance.” (Now, please note, this was a comedic act, it was not real. I am not into spiritualism and would never dabble in such things. So, no negative comments please.)

We had a blast and our little “séance” and tarot reading was a big hit. The whole party was in stitches. I love making people laugh, and it’s always so much fun to relive my theater days with a little improve. The evening turned out to be just what I needed after the horrible, horrible afternoon with birdy boy. Here are some picks that Aaron took after the party. Enjoy!

The parlor… We decorated it as a Victorian Mourning room. In the top left corner is Mary, the grieving sister of our “spirit” Alice. Mary is a full-size Victorian doll that we dressed in Connie’s Civil War mourning clothes. She was very creepy.

Here you can see Angel peeking out from under the table!

Our lovely hostess, Connie, in her 1930’s vintage witch costume.

Have a lovely weekend!

Crazy, Crazy Day!!!

2011-10-16T12:51:00.001-07:00

You all probably know my little parrot, Gico. Well, yesterday, he about gave me a coronary. You see, our vet advised us to allow his wings to grow in the fall while he has his fall molt. So, we left his wings unclipped for a time. I was going to have Aaron help me clip his wings that evening, but Gico apparently had other ideas. Around four o’clock I went to check the mail and left Gico on the couch with the dogs. Within seconds of opening the door, a neighbor started up a lawnmower, which terrified my bird, and out the front door he flew. Now, when his wings are clipped he’s allowed outside with me and he always stays on my shoulder. Because we had been leaving him unclipped, I have been ultra cautious with him and have not allowed him to go outside. This, of course, was a total fluke and before I knew it, my bird was gone.

I searched for about twenty minutes, fearing the worst, when Angel arrived, followed by her husband and Aaron. We spent the next couple of hours searching the neighborhood, calling for my bird. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. I was distraught, shocked at first, and then caught by a wave after wave of uncontrollable crying. I “knew” my baby was gone. By now it was nearing seven o’clock and the sun had started setting. I had pretty much given up hope.

Angel and Brad were in the front yard listening for any sounds of him. Aaron and I were in the back putting Baron and the chickens to bed, when I heard Gico do his “I’m ready for bed” squawk. At first we all thought we were hearing things, but then he continued. We all raced towards his squawk and found him on our neighbor’s roof. Aaron was my hero! He leapt over their patio furniture onto the railing of their porch and shimmied partway up the roof so he could reach my bird. He told Gico to “step up” and he hopped onto Aaron’s hand. Then he flew down to the porch railing and stepped onto my finger. I am amazed we found him!!!! He had flown around the neighborhood for almost three hours and returned home to roost. We immediately took him inside and clipped his wings. It was the most horrible and wonderful experience ever.

I am sooo thankful for my friends’ and husband’s help in bringing birdy boy home.

My little escape artist! I still can’t believe he came back. Thank God!

I’m Still Alive

2011-10-13T07:52:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

Yes, I am still alive :) I just haven’t had much to post about. I’m still going to physical therapy and it is going quite well. I have my evaluation this Friday to see what progress I have made from my first appointment and to see if I need to continue my therapy, which I suspect I will. On the plus side, I have seen some marked improvement in my hands and my therapist is confident we will get it fixed.

Since I am on a sewing hiatus, I have had time to research, dream, and drool over some lovely gowns. Here are some of the beauties I hope to sew, once I’m allowed.

I need to make a new riding habit. I have some bright red linen and matching deathhead buttons, from Mrs. Cartwright, that are just asking to be made up into this beauty.

One cannot have too many open robes, right?

I love this frock and I have some patterned sheers that would work quite well for this style.

I have always loved the frock on the right.

And it is time to make a new pair of stays. Mine are still passable, but they are dying. I’ve used them for three seasons and they have definitely seen better days. I’m really liking this pair from the V & A. I love the little skirt supports on the back.

Well folks, that’s all for now!

Have a lovely day.

Love Lauren

P.S. To all of my dear friends… Thank you for all of the well wishes and inquiries on my hands. You guys are awesome!!! I sincerely love the costume community. Everyone cares about each other and helps each other. We certainly have the best hobby, in my humble opinion.

The Saga of Muppet

2011-09-26T11:50:00.001-07:00

Yes, the saga continues. Mr. Muppet the rooster, formerly known as the Duchess de Polignac, has returned to my home for a short time. The poor guy was badly injured by roosters on Thursday and I took him back in to nurse him back to health. I must say, it has been quite the experience having a rooster living in the house, but he’s so sweet and unobtrusive that it has been a bit of a blessing in disguise. He follows me around like a dog and sits on the couch, on a towel of course, while we hang out in the evenings. I almost thought about keeping him, except he, happily, is feeling better and has started crowing again. Unfortunately, I live in a part of town that does not allow roosters; so I have found him a new and permanent home at an animal sanctuary in Estacada called Out to Pasture. It is a sanctuary for abused farm animals as well as city chickens that turn out to be roosters. This place has been a huge God send, and I am so happy that my little Muppet will finally have a safe place to call home. Apparently, they have a group of white silkie roosters, just like him, that only accept other white silkie roosters into their flock. I think he will fit right in, once he gets through initial meeting phase. I have been assured that he will be kept in a pen where he can see and smell and talk to the new flock, but be safe from them, until they accept him. To top it off, the farm is owned by vegans, so he won’t become dinner! So thank you, Out to Pasture, for taking my little guy. Mr. Muppet, I will miss you and you have been such a joy in my life. I hope you finally get the home and space you deserve.

Muppet the day after he was attacked eating yogurt on my lap. He loves his yogurt, which I’m convinced is one of the things that has helped him heal so well and quickly. We’ve also been giving him organic “Gatorade” to help with his electrolytes.

Chillin’ with Max on the couch. You can see the scab on the back of his head where he was attacked.

Here he is this morning, watching documentaries with me as I catch up on emails and blogging

Hope you all are having a lovely start to your week!

Love Lauren

P.S. I am not allowed to do any sewing for at least three weeks, per doc’s orders. I have been having problems with my hands, and I am seeing a physical therapist for my issues. So,hopefully my physical therapist can help me out and I can get back to projects soon.

An Outing to the Menagerie

2011-09-26T09:46:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, we decided to don our finest and head out to the Oregon Zoo. It down poured on and off most of the day, but it was nice to get out in costume again.

Mrs. Cartwright in her new gown.

Watching the ducks.

The King of the Jungle. He was posing for us.

That’s all for now!

Goodies from Ohio

2011-09-15T09:23:00.001-07:00

Ok, at least one more post today :) I thought you would enjoy my spoils from the Fair at New Boston. I made off like a bandit and thoroughly enjoyed shopping in period clothing in a period setting. It was amazing!

Brass ink well and quill from Daniel Boone. I do a lot of writing and I am always trying to hone my 18th century handwriting, as well as have beautiful writing implements to use.

Cobalt inkwell. I actually purchased two of these. They are so pretty and handy.

Portable writing box from Daniel Boone.

It is an ingenious little box that folds away to reveal little storage compartments for pens, pencils, and an inkwell.

Another portable writing box. I originally purchased my antique box with hopes of taking it to events, until I discovered it is an original. So, I’ve been looking for a box I can travel with and not worry about destroying or losing my precious antique box. This one fit the bill.

This box is from Spencer’s Mercantile.

Painted silk fire screen/ fan. I can’t remember the name of the shop I purchased it from. I plan to paint Sir Thomas’s silhouette in the center.

Sewing box, also from Daniel Boone.

I love all of the compartments. I still need to “move” into it.

Block printed silk shawl from Regency Revisited.

Linen and velvet for Sir Thomas, from WM Booth Draper. Yes, my husband picked these out himself. I think a summer suit will be made out of the linen and a waistcoat out of the velvet.

Chintz, also from WM Booth Draper. I put my hand in the pic so you get an idea of scale. I have no idea what style this will become, but I’m excited to create it. I’m thinking another open robe will be in its future.

Block printed sheer cottons from Regency Revisited. I love these fabrics and I have nothing like them, so that makes it more exciting.

The End :)

Pics of the House

2011-09-15T08:25:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends and Readers,

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the last few days of summer. Things have been quiet here and I have been enjoying decompressing after sewing so much in preparation for our trip. However, I do plan on starting some new sewing projects very soon.

Many of you may recall my parents’ visit back in June. They came with a U-Haul full of pieces that I had inherited from my late grandparents. I finally have everything to my liking and I have received tons of requests for pictures… So, here you go! Enjoy!

The Victrola. It has a ton of records from the early 20th century and it works like a dream.

My late grandmother’s first piano. The mirror is late Victorian and the over the top candle sticks are Rococo reproductions.

The Dining Set. It is not antique, but it is beautifully built mahogany and is modeled after early American styles.

The china hutch that matches the dining set. It is filled to the brim with china, crystal, tea pots, coffee pots, silver and the like.

The Victorian Room. Every piece in here is a family heirloom and antique.

I love the Victorian dresser. It has always been one of my favorite pieces.

The Blue Room. This room is my little heaven. It looks into the chicken run; I know most people wouldn’t like this, but I love my girls.

We are still working on making the chandelier plate stay put, so please excuse the exposed hardware.

This hutch is not antique, but it makes for great storage.

Well, that’s all I have for now :) Have a lovely day!

Love Lauren

Fair at New Boston Day Three

2011-09-08T16:33:00.001-07:00

Our third and final day in New Boston was greeted by the wonderful and beautiful rain. I awoke early and sat on the front porch just enjoying the thunderstorm and the pouring rain.

It instantly cooled the land and I was grateful for a reprieve from the previous day’s oppressive heat.

We arrived at the fair to find that not every appreciated the rain. The storm had been quite severe for many of the people who had camped there.

The oxen cart.

One of the oxen. I believe his name was Henry.

A few of the vendors were closing their shops and leaving. However, there still plenty of shops for us to peruse and items to purchase.

We once again met up with my dear cousin and the Doctor. It was a bittersweet day, for we knew it was our last day in the Ohio Territories.

Cousin Emily, in her lovely new riding habit, and I.

However, we did our best to enjoy the few moments we had remaining there. Much of our day was spent chatting, perusing the shops, purchasing beautiful fabrics and wares, and trying to keep our appearances from becoming too disheveled in the rain. I confess, my poor hair did not stand up to the extreme humidity and the hem of my gown was soaked in mud.

Captain Cartwright at the Tavern

The Doctor, Cousin Emily, and two of the Doctor’s dear daughters.

Later that afternoon we all decided that we needed to have our silhouettes taken. The artist who created them was extremely talented and only used scissors to capture our likenesses. It was amazing to watch her work so quickly and precisely.

Miss Lauren Muney cutting my silhouette.

Before we knew it, it was time for our goodbyes. Our time had gone by so quickly and neither Cousin Emily nor I were ready to part our ways. We nearly burst into tears as we bid adieu. We then proceeded to our carriage and returned, once again, to Eppley House.

The Parolor of Eppley House

Sir Thomas in the dining room after the Fair.

Despite the inclimate weather, the Fair at New Boston was magical. I fear we have been spoilt by the caliber and quality of this amazing event. The people were so kind and accommodating, their mannerisms were very kind, and their clothing far surpassed any event I have attended. It was truly sad to leave and I sincerely hope we will be returning in the years to come.

Fair at New Boston Day 2

2011-09-06T22:25:00.001-07:00

We awoke early on Saturday morning, filled with excitement for our first day at the fair. Our servants prepared a hardy breakfast, and before long we made our way to the town of New Boston.

Arriving at the fair.

The fair was very crowded with all sorts of people. There were young and old, wealthy and poor, military regiments, and even a savage encampment. We slowly made our way through the throngs of people towards the coffee house at the center of the Fair. My dear Cousin Emily and her friend, the Doctor, were waiting for our arrival. It was so wonderful to finally see my dear cousin; we both nearly burst into tears as we embraced. My cousin’s friend, the Doctor, was a kind and well mannered gentleman, dressed as well as any country gentleman in England. Soon after our meeting, the opening ceremonies began, and the shops were open for the day.

Mr. Minnis, in the background, and the Doctor, in the foreground.

My dearest Cousin Emily and her young charge.

It was not long before the gentlemen began to play cards in the Tavern while the ladies chatted about the latest fashions and gossips from England. We learned that sometime during the game, the Doctor had been insulted, and a duel was to commence at five o’clock on the dot. We did not stay long at the Tavern for we wished to see the sights of the fair.

Captain Cartwright and Mr. Ramsey at the tavern card tables.

I fear, the heat and humidity was extreme that day. My appearance became more disheveled as the day wore on.

However, there were so many amusements and shops, that the weather did little to dampen our spirits. Mrs. Cartwright, Cousin Emily, and I spent much of our time perusing the shops and purchasing some lovely treasures.

As the afternoon marched on and the heat rose, we decided it was time to make our way into the forest to see the Indian encampments. I must admit, I was nervous to venture into their camp for fear of the unknown.

However, once we arrived, my fears melted away and we quietly chatted as we observed the natives. To my surprise, many of them spoke English and were very polite and kind.

Relaxing at the Indian Encampment

I would have liked to stay longer, but the five o’clock hour was quickly approaching and it was time for the Doctor’s duel.

We made our way back to the fair grounds and found a seat at a safe distance from the duel, yet close enough to see the event.

The Doctor’s shot, with Mr. Ramsey, his second.

The Doctor took his paces, and fired at his opponent, but the bullet missed the intended victim.

The Doctor’s opponent then took aim and attempted to fire, but the gun miss-fired leaving both men unscathed, although disappointed. I believe it was decided that honor had been served, and the duel was ended.

After the duel we made our way into the forest, led by the Doctor, for a nature hike.

It was still extremely hot, but we could see clouds building on the horizon and the smell of rain was in the air. We made our way through the forest to a small stream with a waterfall. The scenery was very lovely indeed. As we made our way back to the fair, the clouds finally broke and a beautiful cooling rain cooled the land. It was a perfect end to a lovely day.

That night, we crawled into bed, falling asleep to the sounds of a thunderstorm. We were happily exhausted from the day’s events and we anxiously await the next day of the fair.

Fair at New Boston Trip Day 1

2011-09-06T14:39:00.001-07:00

Dearest Friends and Readers,

We have at last returned home from our journey to the Ohio Territories. It is hard to believe that our long awaited journey is at an end. It was an amazing adventure and one of the best holidays I have ever experienced. The people, the places, and the history were more amazing than I could have imagined. I fear I have been spoiled by the caliber and quality of the Fair at New Boston.

We arrived very late on Thursday last, hired our coach and horses, and made our way to Eppley House, the cottage we had leased, at Howell Farm, for our stay.

Eppley House

The Dining Room at Eppley House

The farm fields, looking out of the front door.

The house was lovely and very quaint. The farmlands surrounding the little home were filled with the sound of crickets and tree frogs and so many other animals, yet the farm was also very quiet in its own way. I believe Mrs. Cartwright said it best, “I have never been so surrounded by life, yet felt so devoid of life at the same time.”

The fields surrounding the house.

Our first day in the Ohio territories was spent traveling around the surrounding countryside and towns, exploring and soaking in the history of this very young land. I confess, the weather was much warmer than I am used to and my appearance remained quite disheveled throughout our visit.

The first town we visited was Lebanon, Ohio. It was a very quaint and charming little village with a small tavern and inn at the center of town, called the Golden Lamb. It was newly established and had already become quite well known to the surrounding villages. The interiors were much more rustic than Sir Thomas and I are accustomed to, but they were still very lovely.

The lobby at the Golden Lamb Inn (*Mrs. Cartwright is wearing her first gown she has sewn.)

Following our luncheon, we made our way to the Glendower Mansion for a visit and a tour. It was a beautiful mansion, and its decorations reminded me of many of the homes in England.

At the Glendower Mansion

Captain Cartwright

My dear Sir Thomas in his new suit.

Mrs. Cartwright and I

In the Parlor of Glendower Mansion

After our tour of Glendower, we returned to the Golden Lamb for ices and Shaker sugar pie. Then, we returned to Eppley house to prepare for the following day’s events.

In the parlor of Eppley House

Finished!!!!

2011-08-28T22:04:00.001-07:00

That’s right, I finished everything for our trip with three days to spare. In one month I made a pair of breeches, two waistcoats, a frock coat, nightshirt, and banyan for Aaron. For myself, I made three chemises, a nightgown, night robe, Janet Arnold open robe, and a round gown. I’m officially tired and I plan to take a little sewing hiatus after our trip. I’m also going to torture you all and make you wait until after we get home to see everything. Hope you have a lovely Labor Day!

Finished Waistcoats

2011-08-14T19:22:00.001-07:00

Yup, they’re done! Two waistcoats in three days; entirely hand sewn. Whew, I’m tired :P Tomorrow I will be starting on hubby’s new frock coat. I hope to have it finished by this weekend. We’ll see how far I get.

Mrs. Cartwright’s amazing buttons! She made them for both waistcoats, the breeches, and his yet to be constructed frock coat.

Have a lovely rest of your weekend!

Love Lauren

Busy Beaver…

2011-08-12T12:45:00.001-07:00

Yes, I have been a busy, busy, busy beaver. In the past two weeks, I have knocked out two shirts, a night shirt, and a banyan for my hubby. I’m currently working on a pair of breeches, that just need their buttons and button holes sewn, and two waistcoats. And yes, everything is entirely hand sewn. The goal is to finish the waistcoats and breeches today. Then tomorrow start cranking out a frock coat. I am down to the wire, and as a result, I will be offline for the next few weeks. I promise to have more pictures of everything when I’m finished. In the meantime, here are some pics of the finished garments. Enjoy!

First shirt with ruffles.

The buttons are from WM Booth Draper.

The second shirt. I made the cuffs larger on this one. The nightshirt is exactly the same, except it is quite a bit longer.

His banyan.

My handsome man :)

The breeches. I still need to work the buttonholes and attach the buttons. So, I will have final pics of these when I’m finished. I’m very excited about the buttons, they are being made by my dear Mrs. Cartwright.

In other news… Guess who went to the puppy ER on Saturday night? Yup, that would be miss Leila. She ripped off her toenail and now has to wear the “cone of shame” for the next three weeks. She’s handling it pretty well, although she hasn’t quite figured out how to navigate the house with the “force field” around her head. She keeps crashing into everything.

Well, all, have a lovely weekend!

Love Lauren

Historical Interiors…

2011-08-04T20:12:00.001-07:00

Some inspiration…. I have a thing for historical interiors too ;)

I think my dreams would be very sweet in this room.

I could go for this entry and the lands outside of it.

This room is just amazing. The bed looks so inviting.

Well, that’s all for now! Enjoy :)

Love Lauren

Standards (as written by Sir Thomas)

2011-08-04T07:44:00.001-07:00

Greetings! This is Sir Thomas Sully, Lady Sully’s husband. My wife has graciously allowed me to use her blog to say this.

Life is a funny thing in many ways. I would like to expound upon one of those ways…standards. Standards, when set high, are the means to greatness. One cannot achieve good things with out high standards. If there are no standards, if there is nothing better to shoot for then why do anything? Regarding costuming there are two camps: Costuming or Historical Reenacting. Either of them are fine as long as you understand each of their own standards and expectations. Some people just want to dress up and “feel pretty”, that’s great! But please don’t call yourself a reenactor. A reenactor strives to meet the standards of the time they are trying to portray. This is basic common sense, if you want to reenact then you must do extensive research so you know how they dressed, spoke and carried themselves. You must (and I cannot emphasize this enough) use fabrics that they used. One cannot use synthetic fabrics and then expect those with standards not to criticize you for it. I understand cost can be an issue, but if you want silk but cannot afford it do what they did in the time you are trying to portray…don't get silk! Use other natural fibers. I could continue with each individual item i.e. hair, buttons, skin art etc., but I will refrain.

Yes, we all just want to have fun, but do not be offended when some of us have the most fun only when things are be most accurate we can be. With out standards nothing would get better, there would be no goal to shoot for, there would be no excellence. And sorry to say where there is excellence there must be the poorest quality. Just like there cannot be good without evil and there cannot be light without darkness.

Standards give us all something to strive for and if you want to be better, more accurate, honor our ancestors, and help the world understand history then shoot for the high standards, do your research. Reach, strive, achieve, you will feel much more fulfilled and proud of what you have accomplished when you reach for those standards.

The Devonshires

2011-08-03T06:43:00.001-07:00

I suspect most, if not all of you, know about Lauren Reeser’s latest shoe pre-sale. The leather version of the Georgianas is now available. I looove my G’s and I plan to order my Devies asap :) Great job Lauren!!!

The Cpt.’s Silk Frock Coat

2011-07-31T20:03:00.001-07:00

I finally have the pictures :D, courtesy of Mrs. Cartwright.

Here you can see Mrs. Cartwright’s lovely death head buttons. Her work is amazing, and it adds the perfect finish to her husband’s coat.

Next week I will be sewing shirts, night shirts, chemises, and banyans. Not super exciting, but I plan to post pics anyway :D

Love Lauren

Pittock Mansion Picnic

2011-07-31T16:08:00.001-07:00

This afternoon we went to the Oregon Regency Society’s annual Pittock Mansion Picnic. We had a lovely afternoon of eating, card playing, chatting, and strolling the beautiful grounds and interiors of the mansion. Here are a few pics, enjoy!

The spread.

The Cartwright’s, in their new creations. Yes, this is part of the reason I have not been online much. The Captain has a second frock coat, that I do not have pictures of yet.

Here we are… I finished the new robe in time too, I’m very happy with the results.

Lady Devereaux, Mrs. Cartwright, and I in the house.

Where’s Mrs. Cartwright… :P

That’s all for now :) Have a lovely rest of your day.

Love Lauren

Something for Me

2011-07-29T20:58:00.001-07:00

Today I finally had a chance to make something for myself. I had a good 5 hours, or so, this afternoon to draft and sew my new little creation. Here’s the progress so far. I should have it finished in a few more hours tomorrow.

This was the inspiration. However, as usual, I’m changing it a bit.

I fell in love with this fabric at Fabric Expo a few months ago. It’s so light and floaty.

I decided to leave it unlined and flat fell the seams. I’m very happy with the results so far. I also constructed the back pleats in the same fashion as the infamous Janet Arnold Open Robe.

All that is left is hemming the robe and attaching the sleeves. I plan to do capped sleeves like the inspiration robe.

So, there you go, finally a normal post :D Hopefully there will be more like it to come.

Have a lovely weekend.

Love Lauren

The Chicken Formerly Known as Little Po

2011-07-28T09:25:00.001-07:00

Some of you may remember this little fluffy fuzz butt, whom I decided to call Little Po, after the Duchess de Polignac.

Well, turns out this little duchess is actually a duke, and has been rechristened Muppet. So, my riding instructor kindly took him in and he is currently living on her ranch with her 11 chickens. Now, while he was with us, he was convinced he was a dog and would follow Leila around the yard. Now, that he is surrounded by horses, he thinks he is a horse.

He currently favors this beauty, Derby, whom I also work with on a regular basis. In fact, he even sleeps in his stall at night.

Audra, my riding instructor, sent me this picture the other night. Here he is, hanging out with with Derby. He has his own little spot and Derby really likes him.

Long Overdue Blogging Soon to Come…

2011-07-28T09:10:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

I know, I know, I have not been blogging, commenting, or reading blogs like I used to as of late. I do have some very good reasons. I have been sewing like crazy for our trip to the Fair at New Boston for the past several months. As a result I have been spending all of my extra computer time cranking out two full suits for our friend the Captain and a gown for his lovely wife. I just finished the last of the suits over the weekend, and I’m almost finished with Mrs. Cartwright’s gown. As soon as I am finished, I will have a long post with lots and lots of pictures :) In the mean time, I finally received a picture from Sir Michael in his new suit that I made for him earlier this year. Have a lovely day :)

Love Lauren

Sir Michael and his lovely Lady Devereaux

Bastille Day Party

2011-07-17T12:45:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the Fifth Annual Bastille Day party. It was a nice gathering with good food and good company. I didn’t bring my camera to the actual event but here are a few pics of what I wore as well as Mrs. Cartwright’s lovely ensemble.

Definitely not the best picture, but considering I took it by myself, with my phone in the mirror, it’s not too terrible.

Mrs. Cartwright, Gico, and I after the party relaxing under the pavilion.

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

Love Lauren

A Quiet 4th

2011-07-05T21:05:00.001-07:00

We had a nice and quiet Fourth of July with a little bit of pizzazz. The Cartwright’s and Thomas and I decided to have a small bbq in our vintage 1940’s wear. Afterwards we went over to the banks of the Columbia River to watch the fireworks. It was a lovely day.

Mrs. Cartwright and I before I changed into my dress. The playsuit is also and original from the late 40’s and early 50’s.

Mrs. Cartwright and I are wearing original dresses we picked up in a few local shops.

I love this picture of Mrs. Cartwright and Max, after he pulled the pillow and blanket on the floor.

Fireworks show over Fort Vancouver. It was a great spectacle.

I hope you all had a lovely 4th.

Love Lauren aka Georgiana ;)

Sauvie’s Island Picnic

2011-06-26T22:04:00.001-07:00

Today Mrs. Cartwright and I joined the Oregon Regency Society for a picnic on Sauvie’s Island. It was a delightful event and Mrs. Cartwright and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was a very lovely and peaceful afternoon.

Mrs. Cartwright picking strawberries.

Sea Bathing in the Columbia River

Relaxing on our little blanket after our sea excursion.

Well, I must be off to bed now. Have a lovely evening.

Yours,

Lady Georgiana Sully

My Family!

2011-06-26T21:40:00.001-07:00

As you read in my previous post, my parents and step grandmother came to see us for a few days. It was so mice spending time with them and showing them the sites around town. Here are a few pictures from there stay.

My dad enjoying the pavilion.

My mom snagged a pic of the babies cuddling before bedtime :)

Baron enjoying his bath.

Gico Baby

Maximus, aka Moose Dog with his ball.

Leila Lu, aka Baby Girl Doggie

My mom in front of the carriage house at Pittock Mansion.

My grandfather’s lovely bride, Mary.

Mr.s Cartwright and I at our riding lesson. My parents came out to watch us and enjoy the countryside for a few hours.

Trucker and Bob in the marshy area of the field.

Molly, our instructor’s doggy, playing in the water. She is one goofy girl.

The amazingly beautiful Oregon Coast!

Mrs. Cartwright and Mary enjoying the views.

Picture of hubby taking a picture :)

The whole gang at Pittock.

Finally, here is a pic of our dear friend’s little girl playing dress up in the blue room. They came to visit us yesterday, after living in Virginia for a year. It was lovely to see them and I just had to include this pic. She is such a cutie!

Have a lovely evening.

Love Lauren

A Huge Thank You!

2011-06-26T21:03:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends!

I hope you are all doing well! My parents just spent a wonderful 5 days with us and have safely returned home. The main purpose of this trip was bringing the furniture I inherited from my late grandparents. It has been like Christmas! I have been organizing for a week and, thanks to my wonderful friends, am almost complete.

I owe a huge thank you to Mme de Valois, Sir Michael and Lady Devereux, Cpt. and Mrs. Cartwright, and my wonderful parents and step-grandmother for all of your help! Finally, and most certainly not least, my wonderful husband, Sir Thomas, has been putting up with a flood of very feminine furniture and accessories! I’m so glad he has his man cave/ basement to gain some masculinity back in our house :)

I also have a huge post coming down the pike. As soon as I get everything organized I promise to post pics. There are a number of amazing treasures. Here are just a couple teasers ;)

I have loved this brass bed since I was a little girl! It’s so exciting to have it in my home.

My secretary desk. It’s in the “blue room” and the room is looking quite lovely. I will post full pictures when I’m finished with it :)

Part of the dining room set with the china dishes and crystal ware.

There will be more pictures to come as soon as I get things the way I want them.

Love Lauren

The Cpt.’s New Frock Coat

2011-06-13T07:19:00.001-07:00

Yes, I finally have some pictures of the coat I just finished for our good friend, Cpt. Cartwright. Now, keep in mind that this is his last fitting, and he’s not in his full attire :)

The Collar

The pleats on the tails. Mrs. Cartwright made the lovely deathhead buttons for her husband’s frock.

The Cpt. is being silly here :P

I hope to get some final pics of him in his full attire soon.

Have a lovely day!

Love Lauren

Baron and Other Craziness…

2011-06-01T11:42:00.001-07:00

So, life has been wonderful and just plain crazy busy lately. I’ve been working on a number of sewing projects in preparation for our trip to Ohio, upping my horseback riding to three days a week, and caring for our own little menagerie.

To add to the slight insanity, we are taking care of a new feathery friend for the next few months until his owner can find a new place. His name is Baron and he is a 28 year old blind goose. So far he is fitting in very well and is very sweet.

He will be staying in the back yard during the day and sleeping in his own space, complete with straw bedding, in the garage at night. Last night he stayed in our basement bathroom to see if he could be indoors at night. He did well, but my goodness, he is one MESSY boy! So, we both think the garage will be the perfect place for him at night.

Baron in the backyard for the first time.

Taking his bath! He looooved this so much. He spent a good 30 minutes splashing around.

Meeting the dogs. Max seems to really like him. He just laid down next to baron and sat there.

Well, I must be off to work on pattern drafting. Have a lovely day!

Love Lauren

A Visit to the Chinese Gardens

2011-05-31T07:58:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday, the Cartwrights, Sir Thomas, and I made their way to one of the cities hidden treasures, the Chinese Gardens. The garden conjured images of far away lands to the East and it’s beauty was breathtaking.

Following the gardens, we made our way to Portland House to dine under our pavilion.

While my feathery friends played around us.

It was a lovely day!

The Captain in His Ensemble

2011-05-24T21:47:00.001-07:00

Here’s the wasitcoat and breeches on the good Captain. I’m quite pleased with the results!

The Pavilion!

2011-05-24T07:52:00.001-07:00

Hubby finished the pavilion on Sunday and we are both super excited about it. I’m thrilled at how it turned out! He did an amazing job. He even sewing the curtains and the roof himself. What a talented guy I have :)

Here is is with the curtains/ walls closed.

And with the curtains open. You can also see the make shift fire pit and the moose dog :)

I had to include this picture of little girl doggie! Aaron snapped this and it has to be one of the best pictures we have of her. She looks so pretty! Love my Leila Lu.

Cpt. Cartwright’s Breeches

2011-05-24T07:39:00.001-07:00

I finally have some sewing pics for you. Last week I finished up the good Cpt’s new breeches. I am currently finishing his new waistcoat and should have pics for you soon.

They are entirely hand sewn :)

Hopefully I will get a pic of the good Gpt. wearing his new duds soon.

A Rainy Picnic

2011-05-17T07:14:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, a small group of us convened at the Peninsula Rose Garden for a small picnic. We took shelter under the large, and stunning gazebo overlooking the gardens as the rains continued to pour. It was a lovely afternoon full of good wine, good food, and lovely company.

Sir Thomas and I, Mrs. Cartwright, and Cpt. Cartwright

Now he’s just being silly

Fair at New Boston

2011-05-14T07:09:00.001-07:00

Hello Dear Friends and Readers,

I hope you all are doing well and are having a lovely start to the weekend. I’m currently sitting in the chicken run with my laptop watching the girls run around and explore. They are seriously too cute for words.

Anyway, hubby, the Cartwrights, and I will be making our way to Ohio this September for the Fair at New Boston. I am soooo excited I can hardly stand it. Not only will it be our first reenacting trip together, but we’ll hopefully get to meet some of you bloggy buddies out there. :)

Of course, this means that I have my work more than cut out for me over the next 3 and 1/2 months. I will be turning out two suits for Cpt. Cartwright, a new dress for Mrs. Cartwright, as well as other items for Sir Thomas and myself. I hope I can get it all done in time.

And because I’m just not busy enough, I’m going to be bumping my horseback riding up from two days to three days starting in June. So yeah, I’m slammed and loving it.

Well, that’s all for now, friends. I have sewing to work on. Have a lovely day!

Love Lauren

As you can see, I had help. Miss Henrietta decided she needed to see what I was working on. Apparently, she likes American Duchess too :)

Love my Girls!!!

2011-05-11T08:35:00.001-07:00

First day in their coop and run. They love the coop but aren't so sure about the run yet. So it was chicken pile on mom. We are also dealing with a jealous parrot who thinks the coop should be his too. He jumped up there right as I was taking the picture.

P.s. I did this post on my phone, so it may look weird.

My Portable Writing Box

2011-05-06T21:06:00.001-07:00

My dear friend, Mrs. Cartwright, and I made our way to one of our favorite antique stores a few days ago. When we walked in the door Mrs. Cartwright spotted what appeared to be a writing box sitting on a table with a $65 price tag on it. Now, I have been looking for a box like this for ages, and the cheapest ones I have found run in the $120’s and a reproductions made out of cheap wood with little decoration. I about fell over when I found this lovely.

I took it home and showed Aaron, feeling quite convinced that it was probably from the early 1900’s, until today. I started researching and after a few hours of scouring antique writing box sites, I’m beginning to believe it might be an original from around the late 18th and early 19th century. I would love to hear your opinions and see if you agree with me. I’ll love it, regardless of its age, but it’s exciting to think it might be the real deal.

So, here’s a few pictures of an original dated box from around 1800….

This is the secret compartment on the original.

Ok, now for some pictures of my box.

The workmanship is really beautiful. Everything is inlayed and well fit.

The box opened revealing the writing slope.

Each side of the slope opens to a compartment.

This sticker on the panel made be begin to wonder if it could be original. So I did some research and found a reference to Elizabeth Gaimes’ shop in the UK National Archives. Here’s what it said

[no title] MS 11936/467/904379 23 February 1815

Contents:

Insured: Elizabeth Gaimes, 53 St Pauls Churchyard, jeweller and dealer in writing desks.

You can read more about the insurance that was purchased here… UK National Archives The Sun Fire Office

The pen holder is removable and there is a small compartment underneath it for storage.

The most thrilling thing I found was a small pigeon hole in the inkwell slot. I didn’t notice it until about an hour ago. After I had looked at tons of pictures of these boxes with secret compartments. I finally put two and two together, I discovered that pressing on the pigeon hole with a small pin reveals this…

The pigeon hole

It has a secret compartment with two small drawers. I literally squealed!!!

The tiny knobs are so detailed. I’m not sure what they are made of. Bone???

I love the delicate dovetails on all of the drawers and corners.

So, what do you all think??? Could it be the real thing???

Love Lauren

Finally… A Costume Post

2011-05-02T20:14:00.001-07:00

Hello All,

I finally had a chance to finish Mrs. Cartwright’s new gown and get some photos. I’m thrilled with how it turned out. Hopefully, you will get to see her in it at our next event in May.

Mrs. Cartwright embroidered her own buttons for the gown. They turned out lovely.

Well, that’s all for now.

Have a lovely week!

Love Lauren

Mrs. Cartwright’s Deathhead Buttons

2011-05-02T20:06:00.001-07:00

Hi All!

My dear friend, Mrs. Cartwright has found an interest in making death head buttons. She enjoys making them so much that she is considering selling them to those who do not either have the time or inclination to do so themselves. But before she embarks on this endeavor, we wanted to know if there was enough of an interest out there to warrant the effort.

So, my question to you, my fellow re-enactors is, would you be interested enough to purchase and/or contract Mrs. Cartwright to make these beautiful buttons for you? She can make both, the simple but elegant single color buttons as well as the multi-color, intricate ones as seen in the pictures below.

Her prices for silk threaded buttons would be as follows:
$3.50 for each single color button.
$5.50 for each fancy button.
Please comment on this post and let us know your thoughts! Any contribution will be appreciated!

Fancy Buttons

Plain Buttons

Thanks all :)

Love Lauren

More Chicken Babies and Pavilion Progress

2011-04-27T20:57:00.001-07:00

We had a splendidly beautiful weekend and most of it was spent in the back yard. Saturday was warm and sunny, so we decided to take the chicken babies outside and let them run around a bit on the deck. They had a great time and Gico bird enjoyed the sunshine as well, but he’s not quite sure what to think of the girls, especially now that they are much larger than him.

The girls!

Little Georgina thinks she’s a parrot. She perches on our fingers and sits on our shoulders. She’s particularly fond of Aaron.

They’ve grown even more since these pics were taken four days ago.

Aaron also spent a good part of the afternoon working on the pavilion. He framed it in about 5 hours and it looks amazing so far. I can’t wait till he gets the canvas up.

The “I’m too sexy for my work gloves” look :P

The finished frame.

Well, that’s all I have for now. I will have some costuming updates coming soon, I promise.

Love Lauren

Riding Tie!

2011-04-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

I finally had a chance to get some video of me riding. Be kind, I'm new and still learning. :)

Spode, Pavillions, and More Pics of the Chicken Babies…

2011-04-18T13:32:00.001-07:00

Warning… this is one of my random posts. Enjoy!

Yesterday, Mrs. Cartwright and I spent a bit of time browsing the gift shop at Fort Vancouver. Within a few minutes of our arrival we zeroed in on some lovely reproduction Spode dishes. We were delighted to find them and we learned they are no longer being produced so we snatched a few before they are no longer available.

The patterns range from 1806 to 1816 and they are taken from the original copper plates. I am quite pleased with them.

Aaron and I have been doing a lot of work in our back yard. Cleaning out a ton of overgrown plants and weeds and landscaping it a bit. One of the things I have always wanted is a pavilion where we can have dinners and parties with protection from the elements, if needed. So, Aaron is setting about designing our garden tent, and I’m sooo excited for it to be finished.

This is the general idea and inspiration. We plan to put our current dining set outside when we get our new set this summer.

And finally, more pics of the girls. They are getting so big and have a ton of new feathers. It’s been a joy watching them grow and learn.

Henrietta

Catherine the Great

And Georgina

Well, that’s all I have for you today :) Have a lovely rest of your Monday!

Love,

Lauren

Fort Vancouver

2011-04-17T21:57:00.001-07:00

Today Sir Thomas, Cpt. and Mrs. Cartwright and I made our way to Fort Vancouver to see the historic sites and enjoy each other’s company. It was a lovely afternoon and we were so pleased to meet a number of the staff there and see the history. It was built just shortly after our time period and housed some amazing sites. We also learned that the British were here in the 1790’s, which was quite exciting for our group.

Just before the Cartwright’s arrived.

Mrs. Cartwright and I on our way to the Fort.

Part of the Fort.

The gardens outside of the Fort. They were lovely!

The Captain had to find his bearings before proceeding.

He’s been too long at sea, we cannot take him anywhere ;)

Inspecting the jail.

Inside the Counting House (I think that’s what it was called) It was a lovely house with many artifacts.

The Cpt. inspects the latest maps.

Sir Thomas inspects the dresser.

The cannon passed the Cpt.’s inspection.

Mrs. Cartwright and I inspect the latest pelts.

The surgery. Sir Thomas was very the instruments and medicines on display.

The Cpt. and Mrs. Cartwright being silly

The ovens in the bakery were gigantic

The blacksmith was very informative and we thoroughly enjoyed his company.

The Hudson Bay Company Flag flying over the Fort.

Our visit to the Fort was delightful and we plan to come back very soon.

Love,

Lauren

Sir Michael’s Suit

2011-04-15T09:20:00.001-07:00

It’s almost finished! All that is left is button holes and buttons. I’m very happy with the way it turned out. It fits Sir Michael like a glove and I can’t wait to see the finished pieces on him. For now, you will have to be satisfied with pictures on my dress form. It does not do it justice, but you get the idea.

The waistcoat

The frock coat

The breeches

I hope to get a picture on their owner once everything is complete. The dress form just doesn’t show it well.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Chicken Baby Breeds

2011-04-14T19:52:00.001-07:00

I have had floods of questions about what type of chickens the girls are. Silly me forgot to tell you when I posted the girls’ picture.

So, the naked neck girl in front, Catherine the Great, is a Transylvanian Naked Neck. She’s a very, very old breed that they think originated in Asia. The two fuzz butts in the back, Georgina and Henrietta, are Chanteclers, a heritage breed from Canada.

We think miss Catherine will look something like this when she grows up.

And the fluff balls should look like this when they grow up.

They are such cute girls and so much fun!

Chicken Babies

2011-04-11T16:26:00.001-07:00

Yes, we decided to go ahead and get some chickens. Aaron and I picked the baby girls up today. They are just too cute!

On the far left we have Henrietta, the middle one with the naked neck is Catherine the Great, and the one with her back to the camera is Georgina, named after a cockatiel we had when I was a kid.

That’s all for today!

Love Lauren

Spring Tea

2011-04-09T19:09:00.001-07:00

Le Bon Ton and guests convened at the estate of Sir Michael and Lady Devereux, on Saturday last, for an afternoon of refreshment, polite society, and entertainment. The party was graced by the talents of Mme de Bordeaux, in a reading of the Rivals, as well as Professor D.R. Schreiber and his magical experiments. A wonderful time was certainly had by all.

Mme de Bordeaux and I enjoy fine refreshments before the entertainment begins.

Mme de Valois calls the audience into the parlor for the entertainments.

Professor D.R. Schreiber’s electricity machine awaits the conjurers experiment.

Professor D.R. Schreiber performs one of his demonstrations.

Mrs. Cartwright and Mme de Bordeax watch the Professor’s magic.

Mme de Bordeaux delights the audience with her dramatic reading from Sheridan’s The Rivals.

The enraptured audience, with our host, Sir Michael, watch in awe.

The lovely hostess, Lady Devereux.

Gentlemen enjoying their pipes after sabrage.

Col. Etienne de Valois describes the sabrage process,which is opening champagne with a sword.

18th Century Shoes!!!

2011-03-31T09:13:00.001-07:00

Most of you in the costume community know that Lauren R, of American Duchess, is producing 18th Century shoes! I, personally, have been following her progress since she first started toying with the idea of designing period footwear. Well, I’m excited to post the link to her new site where you will soon be able to buy said shoes. I firmly believe we need to support each other in our costuming endeavors. Best of luck, Lauren, in your shoe ventures :) I can’t wait to order my pair!

Image copyright of American Duchess

Official Blog Post
Official Website

Grief, Projects, and Robins…

2011-03-30T21:50:00.001-07:00

Today was, honestly, one of those hard days where the grief came over me like a huge wave. It was good, but still very hard. Grief is strange like that. One minute you’re smiling and feeling fine, and the next, you feel like the wound is brand new again. I loved my grandfather, and it’s becoming more and more real that I won’t see him again on this earth. I do believe with all of my heart that he is in glory with Jesus and I will see him again someday. I hang on to that right now and to my memories of him.

On the brighter side of things, I had a very productive sewing day. I am currently working on two projects. The first is a suit for a good friend and member of our group, Sir Michael. It will be a mid 18th century frock coat, waistcoat, and breeches.

The fabric. It’s actually black, but looks grey on the camera.

Nothing more exiting than pad stitching ;)

Pocket Flap

The second project is a robe l’anglaise for my friend, whom you all know as Mrs. Cartwright.

I love the fabric she chose.

The front is still in half mock-up stage, so it’s not exactly pretty right now.

And lastly, I was ironing seam allowances on Sir Michael’s suit when I looked out the window and saw this little guy. He actually stayed long enough for me to grab the camera and snap a few shots of him.

He was so cute :) The photos aren’t the best, but you get the idea.

Well, that is all for today. Sorry for the discombobulated post today, but this is life right now :) God Bless!

Love Lauren

I’m Back Online

2011-03-27T10:46:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends,

I’m finally back online after my internet hiatus. I really needed some decompress time after my grandfather’s passing and funeral. I spent a week with my family, down in Arizona, cleaning out the house he had once shared with my grandmother. It was a difficult week, but it was needed and it was nice to see everyone again.

I am hoping to get some project pictures posted this week. I’m currently working on a suit for a friend and a robe l’anglaise for another friend. So, eye candy should be up soon, I hope.

In the meantime I’ll leave you with a pic from a party we attended last night. Mr.s Cartwright and I donned our Bals des Victimes attire for the affair. Enjoy!

Dedicated to My Grandfather

2011-03-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

I created a page for my Grandfather for family and friends to view. Feel free to browse.

In Memory of James David White, Sr.

Love, Lauren

Grandpa…

2011-03-11T00:54:00.001-08:00

I just got the call. The call that no one wants to receive. My Grandfather just passed away around 12:30 this morning. I am pretty upset, as imagined, but I take comfort in knowing that he loved the Lord. He risked his life for our freedom in WWII and nearly died at the Battle of the Bulge. He was a tough man and had loving heart. I will miss him. I love you Grandpa….

Here is is in early 1944, I believe, right before heading off to the War.

Grandpa and his wife, Mary

This pic was taken on their last trip to Oregon in 2008.

Blogging Break

2011-03-08T20:12:00.001-08:00

Hello Friends and Readers,

I will be away from the blogging world for a week or two. I am going to Arizona this weekend to visit my family. We, my side of the family, are going through a difficult time as my grandfather’s health is steadily declining. He seemed to be better last week, but over the weekend he took a turn for the worst. We’re not sure that he will make it till I get there, on Saturday. So, as you can imagine, blogging is not exactly my priority right now. I will be back around the 20th of March with some new projects to share. God Bless!

Love, Lauren

Mme de Bordeaux’s New Frock

2011-02-26T16:44:00.001-08:00

It’s finished, well almost. I still need to hem the ensemble, which will happen on Monday when Mme de Bordeaux comes for her final fitting. Here are the pictures, enjoy!

Her round gown.

The open robe. It’s completely adjustable with the drawstrings. It can be adjusted to show more of the bodice of the gown or less. It’s showing more of the gown’s waistline because it doesn’t quite fit my dress form.

The back is based off of Janet Arnold’s open robe from 1797.

Mme de Bordeaux requested a pointed sleeve. It sits right at the base of the middle finger.

Well, that is all I have for you this evening. God Bless and have a lovely weekend.

Love,

Lauren

A Visit to Portland Art Museum

2011-02-23T19:35:00.001-08:00

The weather was cold and blustery outside on Sunday last. Our small party made our way to town to visit the treasures at the Art Museum. The museum contains a number of American and European Art from the Middle Ages to the present day. One of the favorite exhibits for Mrs. Cartwright and I, was a collection of fine Silver from the Renaissance through the Georgian period. It was a lovely outing.

The Captain is puzzled by the man’s undressed appearance.

Mrs. Cartwright and I admire the fine silver.

Cpt. Cartwright, Sir Thomas, Myself, and Mrs. Cartwright.

And so concluded our delightful stroll through the Art Gallery.

Sincerely,

Lady Sully

More Projects…

2011-02-19T07:36:00.001-08:00

Here’s what I have been working on the past couple of days…

The back of Mme de Bordeaux's round gown. I do have more finished than this, just no pictures yet. I decided it would be fun to play with the layout of the fabric. I’m excited to see her in the finished product, of course.

And a new fan. This is the inspiration. It was a fan created to celebrate King George III’s first recovery from his madness.

Progress so far. It’s not that exciting yet, but it will be once the gold paint is added.

Well, I am off to see the dentist, aka my husband. I actually have a cavity. I have never had a cavity in my life before and I’m pretty bummed about it. Especially since I take good care of my teeth. Oh well, at least Aaron will be doing the work and he’s really, really good at what he does.

We also have an event tomorrow, and I plan to wear my new Chintz gown. Le Bon Ton is going to the Portland Art Museum. It’s a rather small museum, but they have a wonderful collection of 18th century silver and house wares as well as some lovely paintings from our time period.

Have a lovely rest of your weekend.

Love,

Lauren

Shameless Plug…

2011-02-19T07:23:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is Le Bon Ton’s trip to the Portland Art Museum. We hope to see you all there.

Join Le Bon Ton for an afternoon of fine art and fine company.

When: February 20th at 11 am

Where: The Portland Art Museum

Luncheon will follow: Location TBD

*Wear your finest day gharb from 1750-1816

Bareback Riding

2011-02-18T08:13:00.001-08:00

Yes, it was awesome! I love riding bareback and I didn’t die. I slid off of the horse once, but landed on my feet, which was fine. It was one of the best lessons I have had thus far and I feel like my seat improved a lot during the hour we rode. I was on a different horse this week, named Ayla. What a sweet, sweet girl! She is so gentle and kind and she is really in tune with her rider. If she feels you slipping she slows down until you catch up. She also gives great hugs and muzzle kisses.

Ayla

Jazz, the horse Mrs. Cartwright has been riding. Also a very nice girl. She used to be a trail horse, so she likes to get behind Ayla when we work in the arena.

Have a lovely weekend!

Love,

Lauren

LACMA Blog: How They Made Their Paper Wigs….

2011-02-18T07:39:00.001-08:00

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s blog has a wonderfully intriguing post about the creation of their mannequin's wigs in their Fashioning Fashion Exhibit. It’s a must read…. Enjoy!

Fashioning Fashion’s Paper Wigs: How’d We Do It?

One of the Fashioning Fashion Displays

Love,

Lauren

A New Fan and Other Random Goodness…

2011-02-17T07:13:00.001-08:00

I decided it was time to make a new fan for myself. I had purchased a cheap fan at an antique store last year. The leaf was in shreds, but the sticks were in great condition. So, I decided it was time to make a leaf to mount on them.

This was my inspiration…

Here is my version of it. It’s not exact, but I’m happy with the results.

I went with gold for the back to add some glitz!

In other news… I have started on two projects for customers. I will do some documenting, once there is something to show. I have the mock-ups finished, but they’re really not that exciting. I am working on a full suit for my friend’s husband and a round gown and open robe for another friend. I’m very excited to see how they progress.

Also, I have had a lot of inquiries on Facebook regarding my fans and when I plan to sell them. I am still planning on selling them, just not right now. I have been super busy with sewing lately and life; all of which I am thoroughly enjoying. I’m hoping that by April things will slow down again and I can have a chance to paint some fans and get them posted for sale. So, please bear with me.

Finally, I have randomness for you….

Someone in the produce department at New Seasons has a great sense of humor. The Gru lemon, for those of you who have seen Despicable Me.

And..

Doggie snuggles… I had a wretched migraine on Tuesday night. I ended up conking out on the couch with my fur kids. They are the best nanny nurse maids, as my mom calls them. Of course, Aaron had to take a picture. Here is further proof that I do indeed wear modern clothing in real life.

Well, I had better be off. I have my riding lesson today and I will be bareback for the first time. I’m super excited! Have a lovely day.

Love,

Lauren

My Newest Treasure…

2011-02-13T08:23:00.001-08:00

Yesterday the Cartwright’s and I made our way to Centralia, WA for some antiquing. The trip itself was a lot of fun, however, we were pretty disappointed with the lack of good antiques to be found. Most of the shops we visited were full of dishes and odd trinkets from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. The few pieces that I like were extremely overpriced and out of my budget. I was pretty convinced I was not going to find anything until I rounded a corner in the last shop we visited and found this…

She’s a reproduction, but I don’t know the original painting she’s taken from. If you know anything about the painting, I would love to have the info. She’s quite large, 2 feet wide and 2 1/2 feet tall, and I haven’t decided exactly where she’s going to live yet. I’m thinking she belongs over my fireplace; she definitely needs to have a prominent place in the living room. Mrs. Cartwright also procured a lovely painting, but I forgot to snap a picture of hers.

Have a lovely Sunday!

Love,

Lauren

Riding Lessons…

2011-02-12T06:29:00.001-08:00

Hello All,

Well, Mrs. Cartwright and I had a wonderful lesson yesterday with our teacher, Audra. She is a really good teacher, fun, and down to earth. We started posting yesterday, which is basically learning to force your body up and down with the horse while it moves while keeping your body in the correct riding position. Seems easy, but yeah, it’s not. Talk about a good workout, and I workout regularly too. It uses muscles that I rarely use, except in Pilates, and works them hard. It was a lot of fun and interesting to see how our seats differed. Mine was too tense and I kept trying to grab for a saddle horn which doesn’t exist in English riding, thank you Western riding for that one. Mrs. Cartwright was a bit on the loose side. So, next week, she will be using a Western saddle to help find her seat. I, on the other hand, will be going…. gulp… bareback. Audra says it’s to keep me from trying to grab the saddle and force my body to hold itself up and back. So, we are super excited for next week’s lesson, especially since I have never ridden bareback before. Well, dear friends, I must be off, hubby has Continuing Education all day long, so the Cartwrights and I are heading to Centrailia for antiquing. I shall leave you with a couple of pictures of Athena, my lesson horse. She’s a doll, and I’m a bit attached, hehehe. God Bless!

Here she is. I snapped this right before I started grooming her.

This picture is a bit blurry, because I took it myself, and neither of us can stay still.

Love,

Lauren

Mission Mill Museum…

2011-02-10T19:03:00.001-08:00

Mrs. Cartwright and I had a lovely little adventure today in the form of a museum tour in Salem, OR. We had originally set out to have our riding lesson, but unfortunately our instructor had to reschedule us for tomorrow. So, we decided we would have a fun day and go somewhere our husbands would not normally wish to go. We decided to check out the Mission Mill Museum in Salem. What a wonderful treat it was! There are five acres and a number of buildings, including some pioneer houses that were moved to the site after the museum was established. Here are a few pictures and if you want to learn more, visit their website, Mission Mill Museum.

The Mill Creek with the mill in the background.

The missionary house. It was built in 1840 and housed missionaries and their families until the late 1840’s.

One of the one room apartments in the missionary house. This particular room was the home of a husband and wife and their four children. Three of whom were conceived and born here.

Here you can see the original construction of the walls. They were eventually covered with plaster in the 1850’s.

The part of the mill where the fabric processing begins. It all starts with washing, cleaning, and drying the raw wool.

The carding machine with bags of cleaned wool.

A salesmen’s carding machine. This is basically a small version of the large machines for demonstration purposes.

The spooling machine. The tour reminded me so much of North and South, the Gaskell novel and BBC series.

This part amazed me! This is the warp loom. Each thread had to be counted and threaded into the metal rings based on the pattern for the fabric. They usually made 3 warp patterns per day on one machine. Pretty amazing!

The weaving loom. This is where the weft is woven between the warp and fabric is made. There would have ben up to 10 of these machines in the factory. They are extremely loud and would have been managed, two at a time, by one person.

The finishing floor.

Those wheels on the ceiling would have been run by a massive crank that was powered by the mill creek. This gave power to the machines as well as the lights. It also meant that the machines could not automatically be stopped. If an emergency occurred, the belt from the wheel was removed and they had to wait for the machine to come to a stop. This could be quite dangerous if someone was caught in the machinery without immediate stopping capabilities. However, our guide told us there were only 2 fatalities and 3 injuries in the records of the mill.

And, of course, one of my favorite prints in the exhibit and the only 18th century piece they had.

Well, dear friends, hopefully I will have a horsey related post for you tomorrow. Figures crossed!

Love,

Lauren

1795 Chintz Round Gown

2011-02-08T17:52:00.001-08:00

Here it is! It took about 10 hours of sewing, by hand, to complete. I am quite pleased with the results and I can’t wait to wear it at an event. Enjoy!

I also finished the voile gown, but I’m not going to post it’s own pics because it’s not that exciting and you can see it in the previous post. God Bless!

Love,

Lauren

The Bach Cantata Choir…

2011-02-08T09:45:00.001-08:00

Dear Gentle Readers,

On Sunday last Sir Thomas and I attended a concert with our dear Le Bon Ton Society that lifted the soul and delighted the senses.

Mme de Valois, Mme de Bordeax, and Myself

Captain and Mrs. Cartwright

Sir Thomas

The Bach Cantata Choir of Portland performed four lovely pieces ranging from Handel to Vivaldi, and of course Bach. The performers were stupendous and the director delighted us with his wit and charm.

The Choir and their illustrious director, Mr. Ralf Nelson.

After the concert, the director and a number of performers came out to the audiences specifically to meet us. It was a wonderful honor.

Mme and Col. Etienne de Valois

Following the delightful performance, we took our carriages to the Peninsula Rose Garden for a stroll in the outdoors.

Our merry party: Cpt. and Mrs. Cartwright, Sir Thomas and Myself, Col. and Mme de Valois, and Mme de Bordeaux

The weather was overcast, but comfortable and there was no rain to hinder our stroll.

Myself, you can see the new voile gown under my robe.

My handsome Prince in his new frock coat

The flowers were in their winter state, but the shrubbery was quite green and lovely. The event was a lovely start to the Season.

Well, dear friends, I must conclude for today and put away my pen. I must away to the estate of Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright for tea and sewing.

Your Most Humble Servant,

Lady Georgiana Sully

Changing My Mind, Cause I Can :D

2011-02-05T07:29:00.001-08:00

I know, I said I was going to make the spencer, but I changed my mind. I just don’t have the right trimmings for it and want to hold off until I find the right kind. I finished the voile gown yesterday and I plan to whip out a chintz gown today. We’ll see how far I get!

Have a great weekend!

Love,

Lauren

A Great Day!!!!

2011-02-03T16:43:00.001-08:00

My head is still buzzing with excitement. I can still smell the sweet smell of horse on my clothes. My day was indescribable. The horse I was paired with, Athena, is a beautiful Arabian mare with a kind nature and a little spunk. All I can say is that Mrs. Cartwright and I are on cloud nine and horse drunk! I can’t believe we have to wait a whole week for more.

I didn’t get a chance to get pictures today. Hopefully next week I will remember to dig my phone out for a few pics of Athena.

The Spencer Wins….

2011-02-02T17:31:00.001-08:00

Well, the gorgeous red spencer was my favorite along with the majority of you. So, the red spencer it is… As many of you guess, I have to make the voile gown worn under the spencer first. I started on the gown today and should have it finished tomorrow or Friday. Hopefully, Friday I can start the spencer and have it finished in the next week or so. I promise to post pictures as the projects take shape.

And for those of you who loved the chintz, no worries. They will be coming next.

Love,

Lauren

P.S. Tomorrow is the start of my riding lessons. I can’t wait to share how it goes.

In Between…

2011-02-01T17:53:00.001-08:00

I’m in a very rare spot right now; I am actually in between projects. I have some rather large projects for clients coming down the pike in the next week or two. But, right now, for the rest of this week, I am project free, well for other people. Which means, I think I need to make something for myself.

Here comes the dilemma… I have a full stash of fabric with lots of dresses in mind for each piece. However, I don’t know where to start. I also need to replace my white muslin gown. I have literally worn the hem to shreds and have had to alter it to hide the rips on multiple occasions. I plan to use the poor old gown for outdoorsy events that involved dirt and the like. But, it will no longer suit for finer indoor and evening events. So, a new one is in order, whether that is the next project or not, I’m not sure. I also, can’t decide if I want to make some new day gowns, or open robes, or what I want, exactly. I know, it’s not a terrible problem to have, I just don’t know what I want…Le sigh…

So, here is some of my inspirations with pics of the fabric choices. I would love to hear your opinions please…

The Fabric Stash Options…

Peach Silk

Burgundy Silk

Chintz

And More Chintz…

My favorite late 18th Century staple… Cream Voile

The Inspirations…

Another open robe. This would work for any of the fabrics. However, I’ll need to make that new voile gown to go with it too…

Any of the chintzes will work for this gown. However, I think I would use the green leaf pattern.

This gorgeous spencer. Again, the voile gown would have to come first.

My favorite wardrobe staple… The voile drawstring gown, or gualle. I will make mine with 3/4 sleeves instead of full length. It’s much more versatile that way.

So there you have it. This gal has Costume ADD in spades today. I’ll let you know what I decide tomorrow.

God Bless!

Love,

Lauren

Finished Frock Coat

2011-02-01T13:39:00.001-08:00

Well, I finished the coat today. I’m pretty happy with the result. You’ll have to be satisfied with pictures of it on my dress form for now. We have an event on Sunday, and I suspect you’ll get to see it in action soon after.

Have a lovely rest of your day!

Love,

Lauren

Swapping Chickens for Horses…

2011-01-28T07:41:00.001-08:00

Yes, I know, I have had a shameful lack of sewing posts lately. Honestly, I just haven’t done much work on Aaron’s frock coat since last week. I have just been busy.

Well, as you know from a previous post I was getting geared up for chickens. However, another childhood dream of mine started coming to fruition at the same time. My dear friend and I found a very affordable stable that teaches English riding lessons. So, instead of using my extra funds on chickens, I’m going to learn to ride and care for horses. I am beyond excited about this and can’t wait to be back on a horse. I rode a little bit when I was growing up, but I really want to become a good horseman. The eventual goal, of course, is to have my own Equine companion, but in the mean time, riding once a week will feed the craving.

I do plan to do some serious sewing this weekend. I have the sleeves sewn together; I just need to work the cuffs and attach them to the coat. So, progress is being made, just not enough to really show.

Well, I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Love, Lauren

My absolute favorite movie as a child. Yes, my inner little girl still wants to be Velvet and have my own Pi horse. Hehehehe. I never really did grow up.

Gratuitous Pet Post

2011-01-25T17:13:00.001-08:00

This is what Gico does when he isn’t getting 100% undivided attentions. Silly boy!

Le Bon Ton Events

2011-01-24T21:07:00.001-08:00

Ok, I’m doing a shameless plug for my reenacting group. We have lots and lots of events in store for 2011. For any of you who are interested in the Georgian period and love historical clothing and live near Portland, OR come join us. We are always looking for new people to come an play.

Le Bon Ton Events

The Grotto, New Tables, and Other Happenings…

2011-01-23T08:06:00.001-08:00

Hello All,

I hope you are having a lovely weekend and enjoy your Sunday. We had a nice day yesterday just wondering around our neighborhood and the surrounding areas finding new sites and spending time together. One of those sites is a place we have wanted to visit for a while. So we went and I must say it was very beautiful. It is the Grotto here in Portland. It’s basically a Catholic chapel and park with stations of the cross and a very impressive alter. It reminded me of a place I visited in Malta, although this was much greener and lush.

After visiting the Grotto we drove around a bit and found a great lookout over Portland.

It was a sunny day yesterday and we could clearly see Mt. Hood, which is a rarity around here.

Yours truly. Further proof that I do indeed where modern clothing in real life. Although, since I left work, I have been rarely wearing makeup. It’s quite freeing and comfortable, actually. Aaron caught me off guard with this pic, but I decided I would post it anyway. It’s the real me.

Finally, I procured these lovely Williamsburg reproductions from a good friend, who also happens to be an antique dealer. I am so pleased with them and the craftsmanship that went into creating them. They are quite a work of art and they are more pieces in the puzzle of my quest to create more of the 18th Century in my home.

They’re quite tall!

Please excuse the chords. Unfortunately we can’t seem to find a good way to hide them, but I’m working on that.

I will be starting on a custom 18th Century suit for a client very soon. So, I should have some sewing posts again shortly. I also plan to finish Aaron’s coat in the next few days. I have sleeves and button holes left and then it will be finished. Well, I hope you have a lovely week.

Love,

Lauren

Aaron’s Frock Coat: More Progress

2011-01-18T12:21:00.001-08:00

I am very pleased with how quickly and neatly the frock coat is coming together. I was able to line the major pieces and sew them together. Hopefully I will finish lining the back, make the collar, and sleeves today. I think I can have it finished by the end of the week. We’ll see, though. Here are the pictures so far.

Oh, and in answer to a few questions I have had… It is made of blue linen, a very dark blue linen. My dear Sir wished for a summer frock this year.

The outside of the frock coat. I had to lay it on the floor to get the whole thing in the shot.

The tail pleats. You can see the stab stitch the goes around the edges. The lining and fashion fabrics are turned under at the seam allowance, pressed, and then stitched together.

The interior of the coat. I lined the front pieces and the tails on the back pieces separately. Then all of the pieces are stitched together.

I still have yet to line the back. That will be one of the last pieces to be lined.

Hopefully I will have more to show you tomorrow.

Love,

Lauren