After finishing the petticoats it was time to start working on the underskirt. I fell in love with the Sea Salt silk taffeta from Silk Baron earlier in the year and knew that I wanted to use it. They're not stocking it any more so I'm so happy that I managed to purchase some before… Continue reading Pretty Princess Dress: The Underskirt
Pretty Princess Dress: First, The Foundations
My Big Project for this year is my first foray into the First Bustle Era. I've been wanting to make a new ball dress and to challenge myself by making something 'pretty' (if you've seen my earlier dresses you'll note that I'm not big on frills or froth and opt for colours one might not… Continue reading Pretty Princess Dress: First, The Foundations
Happy Birthday Queen Victoria
May the 24th this year marked 200 years since the birth of Queen Victoria. A milestone definitely worth marking in some way and, fortunately for me, I was also on leave and visiting Oamaru that weekend. And, as we all know from the Victorian Heritage Celebrations held there every November, it is the perfect place… Continue reading Happy Birthday Queen Victoria
A Lovely, Low Key Easter Part II
Continuing on from Part 1... Once we returned to the boat sheds Edan and I said see you later to Lily, Arthur, and Bob. We walked through the Gardens to Cunningham House, which is a Victorian conservatory with lots of plants that made me feel very small! We hadn't walked very far when we happened… Continue reading A Lovely, Low Key Easter Part II
A Lovely, Low-Key Easter Part I
Unlike last year, this year's Easter in Christchurch was a quieter affair with only a handful of us taking part in various activities. That's not to say that it wasn't a great weekend, of course, I had a wonderful time. A low key long weekend was just what I was needing after months of stress… Continue reading A Lovely, Low-Key Easter Part I
Oops, I Did It Again Part II
This post was supposed to go up a couple of weeks ago but then, in true Miss Temby fashion (I've got to stop doing this), I was sewing right up until the night I packed for my trip for Easter. So, better late than never, right? You would have seen from my last post that… Continue reading Oops, I Did It Again Part II
Oops, I Did It Again Part I
I got distracted by the 1890s. Actually, let me rephrase that - I fell for the 1890s again. And in a big way. It started out innocently enough, with the decision to dress in the 90s for Easter instead of my original plan which had been utilising my 1880s tartan capsule wardrobe. It should have… Continue reading Oops, I Did It Again Part I
Curiosity In Costuming
One of the 'buzz words' at my work is Curiosity. How can we make things easier/better for the customer and those employed by the organisation? What can we change or stop doing? It has occurred to me that curiosity is such an important aspect of historical costuming. Creativity and curiosity are linked and curiosity leads… Continue reading Curiosity In Costuming
The Aubergine Part II
I really should have written this post last year but I found that I neither had the time or the motivation to do so. But, this is a new year and I am in a much better state of mind so here we go. If you can't remember Part I, here it is. Last year… Continue reading The Aubergine Part II
Pursue Your Passion
Recently, I addressed a hall full of people. My friends have estimated anything from 200 to 300 people were in attendance for the historical fashion show that I organised and presented as part of the Oamaru Victorian Heritage Celebrations. This may not seem like a big deal to some of you but, for me, I… Continue reading Pursue Your Passion
