The Blue Dress

"Ooh! What shall I wear? I wonder?" - Mrs. Howell, upon news of being rescued off a deserted Island.

"Why don't you wear your bleu dress?" -Foreign news reporter via radio

"Oooo, my blue dress, splendid!

Wait. How does he know I have a blue dress?"

~ Gilligan's Island

I loved that scene in Gilligan's Island. The legendary blue dress. They say every closet needs a little black dress, and I agree, however nothing quite suits as a blue dress. In my last post I lamented the fact that I did not have a picture of the blue dress in the castle. Well, my sister surprised me, and here, is the blue dress.

Memories of the Past

I loved this portrait. Recently, we took a visit to Castle Kilbride in Baden. Not exactly a castle, the grand Italianate house is large ornate masterpiece. High, painted ceilings, dark carved wood, a heart shaped drive: the house takes your breath away. However, out of the house, a ball gown in an upper room caught my eye.

The pale blue dress was delicately edges in embroidery. Eye and hook clasps held the dress together at the waist, a wire cage bustle supported the skirt of the gown. Yes, the gown was in two pieces. I wish I could have taken a picture of the dress. But if you are ever in Baden, be sure to visit the Museum, admission is only 6.50 a person! :)

~Ashley

The above photo is of a previous owner of the house, the photo was taken in the late 20s. I love her scarf.

Consider the lilies how they grow:

they toil not, they spin not;

and yet I say unto you,

that Solomon in all is glory

was not arrayed like one of these.

Lk 12:27

Sewing can take so much time. Ripping out takes longer. I was mending a few pieces and couldn't help but think how handy those mice in Cinderella would be about now. In light of my toilsome buttons and tares, I enjoyed the above thought. The picture is borrowed from my sister's photography.

How refreshing the lilies are!

~Ash

Golden Sunbeams of A Grecian Style

Representative of a sun bursting forth, a large irregular sunburst decorates the top.

Somehow, to me, the design of this parasol reminds me of ancient Grecian artwork. I have been working on a few projects , this is one project. Instead of my usual lace & ribbon,this is made with paint, sequins, plastic decals, and glue.

This parasol was a bit of an experiment for me, working with an entirely new technique--paint.

The spindle is painted gold, a little golden sun flower accents the top.

The sunflower is plastic with

just enough golden ribbon to form some foliage.

Small golden flowers accent each spoke along the edge.

There were a couple times when I applied too much paint and it chipped when dry, I had to re-paint a couple areas.

The color of these pictures is a little dark, not true to reality. Below is a overview of the parasol folded and a true-to-life color picture.

Golden Reflections

I couldn't help putting up a post of a dress my friend Rachel designed. The combination of coppery and gold tones is incredible. I love her outfit.

One of the parasol collection was designed for her outfit. The result was a surprise to me, as I had only her brief description to go on when making the parasol. More pictures to come in "The Dresses:Live."

Fuchsia Daydreams

September, 1892, Toronto, Canada...

"Today was a luscious afternoon. Nanny served tea in the Parlor for the Ladies' Society.

Naturally, I served. Of all the ladies, Mrs. Winston's dress was the most extravagant. Today's chatter was again of the typical idleness, who was seen with who and the activity on Queen's street. This city is booming, large enterprises, many immigrants. Silks and Paris fashions are abundant. Perhaps, I see the world through rose-colored glasses, or maybe the pink glow is reflecting off my sash, but I believe ours is a world of wonder and prosperous."

*****

The dress we call Fuchsia Dreams mainly consists of donations from Amy. Besides the parasol, this dress was assembled late Friday afternoon. Willow oversaw the last minuet details.

We had little sewing to do for this dress. The blouse and sash were contributions from Amy's wardrobe. Two skirts made up the rest.

We aimed for an early 1890's era dress. The above pictures are current to 1892, and the reflection of Fuchsia Dreams. I was amazed to find this drawing of a pink and white dress. We didn't trim the hemline in pink, but rather added the little bows for effect.

<=click on this picture to enlarge.

Flowers from the Meadow

September, 1837, Upper Canada...

“The journey of my dear cousin to visit the Colonies has indeed been revealing. England and Canada stand worlds apart, quite literally. She speaks of Queen Victoria as an ensample to all. A young queen, a large responsibility, and a regal wardrobe! My dress is plain beside her gowns, I have the latest conventions, but mine is a country dress. A dress from the meadow.”

****

1835 Winter Dress, painting. 1838 Spring Dresses, catalog.

Credit for this dress goes completely and entirely to Willow. She surprised me with this dress upon my return home from work one day. I had left the dress on the Sewing Lady (see before picture). When I returned she had the finished design all pinned on the Sewing Lady, she had designed it to match my yellow evening gloves.

To achieve the yellow puff sleeves, she took out the inner seam, and rolled the sleeves up. She also made a hoop and included an underskirt as well. As you can see, the dress falls within the 1835-1838 era. I had limited resources for this early period -- at least picture wise. We have dated it 1837 because this is the first official year of the Victorian Period. Many thanks to Auntie Margaret for the gift of her bridesmaid dress!