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Felicity has a new trick…

It’s called ‘how to disappear and throw your people into an absolute panic.’

And she’s REALLY good at it.

It started last week Friday. I headed off to teach my evening class, and had just finished setting up and was just about to welcome my students when my phone started getting text messages. Mr D & I have a rule that he is only to call me when I’m teaching if it’s an emergency.

So I ignored the texts, assuming that he was just asking me to pick up bread on the way home, or something else.

But the texts kept coming, every few minutes. And I started to get worried. Finally I stole a moment to check my phone while all the students were on their machines, happily sewing away.

The first text message said “Did you see Felicity today? Can’t find her anywhere”

The next one: “Are you sure you didn’t lock her outside? She is NOT in the house”

Then:

“Not coming when I call”

“Really starting to panic”

“When did you see her last?”

Cue major panic on my part as I frantically cast my mind back to when I had last seen Felicity.

And then I remembered. I’d seen her just before I left the house, as I locked the back door from the inside. She was sitting by it, giving me the aggrieved look of a cat who has been locked inside and is about to be deserted. She was definitely inside the house.

And Felicity comes when you call when she’s outside. When she’s inside, she doesn’t bother. She knows she’s already where she’s supposed to be, and doesn’t see what all the fuss is about, and it’s not her fault you haven’t noticed her tucked behind a cushion or lying on the floor next the guest bed.

I was just about to call Mr D and tell him this when I got another text message. This one said:

“Found. Shut inside linen closet.”

Inside the linen closet? How is that possible? It wasn’t even open when I left the house, much less shut with her in it.

Now Felicity is notorious for her ability to open doors. She hooks and pushes and bangs until she gets them to open.

But closing doors? That’s a whole ‘nother step!

But I certainly didn’t shut her in the linen closet…

So it was a mystery until yesterday, when I was cooking dinner. I can just see the linen closet door from the stove, and I noticed Felicity stroll down the hall, stop at the linen closet, and begin tugging at the door.

I kept as quiet and unobtrusive as I could while she worked it open just enough to slip in. Then I watched as she disappeared behind the door into the closet. There was the soft sounds of a bit of rummaging around, and then a faint thump as she jumped up to the first shelf.

And then I saw one little white paw reach around the side of the door, and hook it almost shut – so that to a casual glance it would look properly shut.

The little minx!

A few minutes later I crept up and threw open the linen closet door, to expose Felicity, cool as a cucumber, curled up on the sheets. She looked up at me, so innocent butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. “Oh, were you looking for me?”

My cat is too bloody smart for her own good!

Rate the Dress: Chiffon, stripes & tucks ca 1900

Published by The Dreamstress

Last week I showed you an 1880s dress, with a skirt that had been re-made from an 18th century petticoat. You were almost unanimously in favour of the petticoat – though not necessarily remade into a 19th century gown, a bit of re-use which frankly, horrified some of you! The more recent additions to the ensemble got mixed reviews. Some of you REALLY didn’t like it (it’s hard to get past our modern sensibilities that see quilting like that as a home furnishing look, rather than a clothing look), and some of you REALLY liked it. The dis-likers brought the score down to a still very positive 8 out of 10.

This evening dress by obscure French designer Raoul Lafontan features the soft, romantic, slightly transitional 1900s silhouette, with the bodice moving from the more fitted 1890s style, towards the full pigeon breast of ca. 1904.

Evening dress, Raoul Lafontan, 1900—1903, French, silk, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009.300.3308a, b

The bodice fullness may be slightly restrained, but the colours, fabrics, and other design details are heading intp full-blown Edwardian mode. The dress is made from fabric striped in chiffon and eu-de-nil satin, with the chiffon sewn together in tucked pleats for most of the skirts, only releasing to its fullness near the hem.

Evening dress, Raoul Lafontan, 1900—1903, French, silk, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009.300.3308a, b

The dress is trimmed in eau-de-nil chiffon and a gauzy ecru fabric, looped round the neckline in asymmetrical swags, and bound around the arms in a style that evokes Greek & Roman drapery.

There is a slight suggestion of fading and darking in the fabrics of the dress, so it may have been slightly lighter and brighter originally, though the golden ecru and palest eu de nil were certainly fashionable shades in the first five years of the 20th century.

What do you think of the dress? I think we can all agree that Lafontan displays exceptional technically mastery in this dress. But does that make it a good design?

Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10

The HSF/M 2015: Favourites for Challenge #7: Accessorise

Published by The Dreamstress

Some of the challenges we choose for the Historical Sew Monthly are meant to ask you to really push yourself, some just call for something big and spectacular, and some of them provide the opportunity for a little breather: the chance to do something small and simple, while you gear up for the next big challenge. Or not! Sometimes people make the most phenomenal, amazing, detailed, elaborate things for the challenges I thought would be small ones.

Accessorise is definitely designed to be an easier, breather challenge, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a whole range of fascinating, fantastic, creations: some simple, some very elaborate indeed.

I made four items for Accessorise, but they were mostly on the simple end of the spectrum (and two of them were rather late too…). First there was a set of Baroque pearl accessories: a necklace (not in baroque pearls) and earrings (in baroque pearls – so they are Baroque, baroque pearls 😉 ). I started my medieval circlet and veil during the challenge, but didn’t get them finished quite on time, but they are done now!

For my favourites I select items that really represent the spirit of the challenge: to complete a period look with the right accessory, to research, stretch yourself, learn more, sew better, and get something made.

There are always amazing things that I can’t show you (because almost all the submissions were AMAZING) I do recommend you check out the comments under the blog post and the photos in the FB album (yep, you do have to be a member to see it, yep, if you ask to be a member we’re going to ask you some questions, and yep, it might take us a few days to answer, but if you are really interested in the HSF, as a participant or active cheerleader, we’d LOVE to have you) to see the rest of the fabulous things that were made.

And now, my favourites! Entries with photos link to FB, entries without link to the blog post of the maker.

Anna’s medieval aprons: I love that these aren’t pretty but yet they are so beautiful, because they make the whole picture of the outfit look so right. They make me happy through and through (and I want my own!).
Hvitr’s paleolithic Natufian headband: Every time Hvitr makes something, I learn something. This headband is no exception – I’ve been introduced to a whole host of new techniques and a new culture.
Allison’s 1840s double night-cap: If you didn’t know, you’d never realise this is a period item, so it’s a great illustration of how little fashion and human needs actually change (and as far too many Kiwis can tell you, nightcaps like this are really useful in period houses without modern insulation and heating!)
Sharon’s 1780 cap: The details of this make me absolutely weak at the knees! It’s so exquisite! It really, really shows how much really paying attention to the period and recreating the details look make the period look.
Hana Marmota’s Fichu en Marmotte. Because guys, it’s a fichu en marmotte!