All posts filed under: 19th Century

Steampunk Afternoon Tea

A few weekends ago I attended a lovely Steampunk themed afternoon tea organized by the fabulous Emily of Ever So Scrumptious. I didn’t make anything new outfit-wise for the the tea, but it was the perfect opportunity for me to wear the 1883 in Every Way pleated skirt myself for the first time. Some people did manage to make new outfits – Sarah had just finished her fantastic striped Victorian ensemble.  I own some of the same fabric.  It’s fascinating stuff – silk cotton, green in some lights, blue in others, and distinctly brown in others. Afternoon tea was held at the Wellesley Hotel, a fantastic old hotel with great staircases, a beautiful atmospheric lobby, and a fascinating collection of art – and taxidermy. Every time I’m at the Wellesley I discover something new.  This visit’s find was their records of the atmospheric measurements in Wellington, including the record for the day of the Wahine  disaster. Check out the plummet in atmospheric pressure.  They say it was the worst extratropical cyclone in New Zealand’s history, …

1813 Kashmiri dress – evening ambiance

On Monday I travelled up to Palmerston North to give a talk to the Rose City Quilters – always a lovely time.  I talked about the Indian influence on Western textiles, and wore my 1813 Kashmiri Dress, now with a bit of extra neck trim, and suspended sleeve drapes. After the talk I ended up doing an impromptu photoshoot. My photographer did an excellent job, really paid attention to lighting and angles (and was my computer bag reflecting in the mirror behind me). We got an amazing set of images, particularly as we only had a staircase and the corner of a bedroom to work with, and night lighting. I particularly like this one.  The blur makes it look like an antique painting: Aren’t the shadows fantastic? And the reflections in the mirror? To finish off, after all the serious period poses, an obligatory smiling shot: I still wish the back of the dress didn’t dip so low, but I’m thrilled with the rest of it.

Rate the Dress: Aqua and Yellow by the Sea in 1866

Last week proved that when it comes to bridesmaid’s frocks, there is no pleasing everyone!  Some of you rated the orange and beige bridesmaids dress a 10 and said “swoon”, and some of you rated it a 1 and said “ghastly”!  The biggest complaints were about the colour (always such an issue with bridesmaids frocks), and the massive 1890s sleeves (which were clearly their eras version of the butt bow, or the pick up skirt – such a trendy must-have, and so awful for some time afterwards!).  The dress rated a 6.9 out of 10, which is pretty good, all things considered. For the record, I think it is divine and I want to go back to 1896 so I can be a bridesmaid and wear it, or be the bride, and wear the wedding dress that went with it (thank you Liz for locating it!). I’ve been in a bit of an aqua and yellow binge lately, sparked by my Seersucker Sherbet dress, and culminating in the hat to go with it.  So when …