I have been kind of quiet here lately, but I have been living my life behind the scenes, and one of the things I did was make a mid 1790’s outfit for a Birthday Tea for Jane Austen’s 249th Earthstrong.
It felt kind of serendipitous: I’d already bought some fabric and several period patterns and had just completed the first and arguably most intimidating piece, short stays, when I was invited to the tea.
It was just the motivation I needed for six weeks of paced sewing to create a look worthy of Jane Austen.
I used a combination of resources, which I link throughout, along with fitting and construction notes. And if you’re just here for the pictures, that’s fine, too.
A few years ago, I wrote a post about a high school classmate of mine and what our friendship had meant to me.
This fall, that classmate passed away.
He wasn’t the first of my graduating class to cross over, but he was the first that I knew well enough to feel the loss.
He had married outside of our friend circle and most of us didn’t hear about the ceremony that was held in his honor until after it had taken place. Grief circled around me with no place to land.
My habits are pretty deep trenches right now. I’m home almost all the time. I do the same thing every day, even when I don’t really want to. Changes to the routine are difficult to make, especially when I’m the only one who wants the change.
I have hope, because we made a positive change this year by adding Morning Announcements to the roster. Since this has become a part of our routine, I come downstairs, wait until there is a critical mass of awake kids in the room with me, and then we start.
Last year, I shared a book at this time of year that fit perfectly with the moody, cool, often damp world that is November. This year, coincidentally, I have another book that fits that category. It’s spooky season, but this book is more in the haunting category.
What makes this one special is that both of my daughters have been telling me to read it for quite some time. This is of note, because they rarely like the same books. When I finally started reading it, I finished in less than two days because I couldn’t stop.
Halloween has come and gone again, and as I woke up the next morning, I was again thinking, is this all there is? Is Halloween really the only local event where adults can shamelessly dress up and go out?
I’ve seen costumers around my area from time to time – a couple in 19th century garb swirling through city streets on Troy Night Out, a woman in an interesting cloak at the annual lantern parade at a local park, a few women at the Victorian Strolls in Saratoga and Troy. Reenactors at historic landmarks in the area.
I went to a local craft store the week before Halloween, only to find they were completely out of the supplies I needed because New York City’s comic con had just taken place. Is that the closest place to go if you like to dress up? How is that possible?
Yet every time I search for costuming events in my area, I come up empty. Albany Museum of Art and History is nearly the only hit (mainly for its collections). Depressingly, the only other link was what looks like a con in 1989. It was such an old reference I didn’t even click on the link.
