100 Years Later...

Newspaper headlines from just a few days after the Titanic Disaster...such a tragic event....my husband never ceases to amaze me with what he pulls out of the archives....

It's only been 6 months since I last was here, and lost my lovely wall paper.  One of these days I will figure out how to get Minima background back and restore that...

I've just finished constructing a cream puff of a dress for a pending local Titanic Tea Event sponsored by The Great Basin Costume Society....I am pretty excited, I LOVE costume events!  Old friends, making new friends, I think it will be a lovely time...SO!  Here we have a skirt and bodice made from the remains of an antique cotton and lace coverlet I picked up in Astoria some time ago.  Soft and buttery, somewhat lumpy looking on my antique dress form , it's comfortable and very tea-like... I've just got to set a few more hooks, find my gloves and I'm all set.  I made a panel at the bottom of the skirt out of silk velvet in the most marvelous green, with a matching silk charmeuse sash, from new fabric acquired from Michelle Mahler of minidolls.com.  I also used yards of silk satin ribbon in a darker shade of olive green on top of the three tiers of antique lace, that I purchased from Michelle.  The velvet is so incredibly vivid, but there was absolutely no way I was going to tea stain such gorgeousness....

Lined with a lemony silk noil I had in the stash, it helps to bring some more color to the soft faded cotton.

Fastest thing I've whipped up in a long time, but I've got other projects in the wings to get to.  No, it's not seriously accurate, but the silhouette is fairly close, shhhh, don't call the costume nazi's. 

I think I will wear a hat I made with silk roses, to echo the roses in the dress and the beaded purse as well.  Silly, I know, but kind of romantic, yes?  I put some vintage green flowers and a ridiculous old green feather to bring the green charmeuse and velvet color up above.

Does the green spray remind you of any particular Dr. Seuss character?

I may wear my antique Irish crochet coat as well.  Why ever not?

I just wanted to share some of these newspaper clippings, so very very sad....

Seriously, how often does an (ahem) older lady like me, get to dress up in tiers of antique lace, velvet and silk, to flounce around, take tea with family and friends, whilst looking much like the lemon crumpet on the top tier of the cake plate??  Not often enough, I say.