All posts tagged: Ninon’s dress

In the dressing room

The photographs from the dressing room from Saturday’s Grandeur & Frivolity talk demonstrate more than ever how indebted I am to all my friends for their wonderful help and support with these events. Sarah of Capital Adventures (e.g. Diana Villiers) was the official photographer and took the photos. Mrs C of the Hectic Eclectic did the amazing hairdos. And the poor sweetie wasn’t feeling well, so she didn’t even stay for the performance. Joie de Vivre and Shell were super wonderful and did a bunch of evil, evil handsewing, which I ended up not even using because my lovely mother in law and my sister, the Naiad, showed up in time with the backup dress. And then my mother in law sewed the last of the buttons on my 18th century men’s breeches. I owe those four majorly! Madame Ornata let me use both her pet en l’aire and her (barely!) finished polonaise, which she had to hem in the dressing room. Bianca the mezzo-soprano let me put her in a scratchy wig and stays …

What I’ve been up to

Published by The Dreamstress

I’ve been super busy in preparation for yesterday’s talk on Baroque and Rococo music and fashion, and consequentially ran out of time to blog. I always do that! I must remember to have blog posts prepared in advance for the four days before and three days after any talk or event, because otherwise I just don’t have time to blog (ergh). I’ve been doing lots of awesome stuff instead of blogging though: I made a 1770’s man’s ensemble (which I am super happy with), and a 1720’s Grand Habit (which I am not at all happy with, but oh well), and I started a 1690s mantua (which I am going to have to set aside while I finish all my other half-finished projects) and I helped Madame Ornata with her polonaise dress, and Ninon’s dress looks amazing. So now I have lots and lots of stuff to blog about! But first I have to run off up the country to give a talk to a quilting group. More madness! And now, for your entertainment and …

Ninon’s accessories

Published by The Dreamstress

I can’t really trim Ninon’s dress because I can’t get the right trim in Wellington, and I feel I shouldn’t make a special trip up to Brian Gaskin’s in Palmy because I have to go up there on business next week. So instead I’m researching what jewellery and accessories she should wear. It’s pretty easy actually: every-single-painting shows the sitter wearing a collarbone level necklace of large pearls, and large pear-drop pearl earrings. Some ladies went for simply the pearl necklace and earrings, and nothing else: Most sitters added a few more accessories of her own to go with the ubiquitous necklace and earrings. This one has bracelets: Brooches at the centre front holding the fichu in place are common, usually with pearl drops: And of course, I have Elisabeth d’Orleans as my inspiration for Ninon with her pleated fabric/shell with a bow and jewelled bodice trimming. There are other portraits that show the same pearls in the bun at the back of the head And one lady went all out to gain Louis XIV’s …