Osterley Park Country Fair

Right at the beginning of September I attended my last reenactment event of the year. :(

No one in my group wanted to attend so I thought I wouldn't be able to go, but a friend's group kindly let me tag along. :)  We were the only Napoleonic group there so it was a small reenactment, but it was fun all the same. :) The annoying thing is that I seemed to have been absolutely rubbish at taking photos of the camp! It was partly because, as we were the only Napoleonic group we did have visitors wandering around most of the time so there wasn't much opportunity to whip out my camera, but also I just kept forgetting to take photos. I sincerely apologise as what is a reenactor's blog post without lots of photos, so you can imagine being at the event!!? :)

Our small camp. Rosie and Sarah working very hard sewing some of the soldiers' clothing.

Apart from us there were lots of animals - owls, horses, dogs, ferrets, goats, and a wallaby!

These were our neighbours. :) So adorable but there were about 20 of them and 2 kept escaping and trying to eat our tent ropes!!! 

There were also a few fairground rides, but I think the highlight of the weekend for the public was the jousting tournament. It was recreated by a group called 'The Knights of the Damned', and was pretty much a recreation of the jousting tournament seen in the film 'A Knights tale', down to the music and the participants names's (which were slightly changed).  

I have to admit that it was great fun to watch. :)

As well as the fair there was also Osterley House itself. A beautiful, mainly 18th century, historic house. 

I didn't take a photo of the exterior of the house as I have taken many on previous visits. So borrowed this one from the National Trust website.

Beautiful wall and ceiling decoration in the basement front entrance hall. 

The stewards office

The housekeepers Parlour

Sarah and I decided to take some silly photos in the kitchen, pretending that she was a maid working at the house. :) We got a few strange looks from the room steward! :)

Sarah washing up

The kitchen

Off to collect the eggs from the farm. :)

the larder

The dining room all dressed up to recreate what it would have looked like during a ball in the 18th century.

During the weekend the Covent Garden Minuet Company (a London based 18th century dance group) were doing dance demonstrations in the entrance hall.

We were also allowed to join in for a couple of dances, which was fun but I think I prefer Regency dancing. Georgian is much slower and more sedate - probably owing to the cumbersome clothing. 

They also talked about fans and fan language (getting some of the audience to join in with the demonstration)

I learnt that there was never any official fan language - that groups of friends each made up their own.

I loved this lady's gown.

The weekend started off with hideously wet weather, but by Saturday afternoon the weather had really improved, and Sunday was beautifully sunny. Overall it was a lovely relaxing weekend, and the perfect event to round-off this years reenactment season. :) Oh and I also got to try my hand at archery, which was so exciting as I have wanted to try archery for as long as I can remember!! :)

My First Muff

I have always wanted a muff, but I had no idea where I could get one from or how to make one. That was until I came across Katherine C-G's fabulous posts on her blog The Fashionable Past. The first shows you how to make a muff, and the second a cover for said muff. I lost no time in attempting to make one.

Here is the result:

 It is rather simply decorated, but I like it.

The cover is made from silk that I had left over from when I attempted to make a 1910s evening gown for a Titanic ball.  I never finished it as I found it rather hard to make, and the ball sold out before I could buy a ticket. :(

The trim I bought a while ago from a lovely little shop off Regent Street. I can't remember the name, but it is a very unusual place. It is located in the basement of an office building so you have to ring a buzzer at the main door to get in, and then work out which unmarked door leads to the basement!! All a bit bizarre but it is anything but a let down. The place is stuffed full of every kind of trim you could imagine. There were so many things I wanted to buy but I was determined to be good, so only bought the one trim I couldn't not buy. :) I have been saving it to use on something extra special, and thought my first muff was the perfect thing. :)

The lining is the one bit I seriously dislike. In her tutorial Katherine used wool for the base of her muff, which I think is much more historically accurate, but I didn't have any wool in my material stash. I was determined to use material I already had, so I raided my stash, and settled on this rather ugly orange cotton. I am hoping that no one will be able to see it when I have my hands in the muff. 

For anyone who has ever wanted to make a muff I really recommend Katherine's tutorial. :)

Jane Austen Festival 2012: Part 2

The following day we went on a second promenade, the Mini Prom. As the name suggests it was shorter than the one the day before and there were less people, but it was great fun. It was really a history walk around part of the city. Our guide was the Centre's meeter and greeter Martin, and the tour ended at the Holburn Museum where the intention was to have a picnic in the garden. 

I love this lady's pelisse.

The entrance to Laura Chapel, where Jane Austen worshiped. Sadly the church is no longer there.

Jeanette and Aylwen 'rummaging through their reticules'. :)

Really want this riding habit. 

Taking photos outside Jane Austen's  house, 4 Sydney Place. 

This lady's outfit was amazing. She made everything. So want this outfit.

The Holbourne Museum. The weather wasn't great, so after having a piece of lovely quiche with some friends, I went inside to the museum to join Aurora and Aylwen in the cafe.

After lunch we set off for Queen's Square to attend an embroidery class. It was run by the very talented seamstress, Charlotte Raine, who gave the reticule class I did at last years festival. As with the last class, it was great fun, though I do feel there were too many people, and that the 2 hours allotted for the class wasn't long enough. In the reticule class there were only about 8 of us and we all had such fun chatting about all things regency, sewing, drinking tea and eating biscuits. This year there were too many people to chat to everyone and it was less cosy and sewing circle like. However, it was very well taught and I did enjoy it.

A few people staring at the ceiling before the class started :).

Aurora and Jeanette

Other attendees

The ceiling-staring people hard at work

Sadly soon after the class I had to leave the lovely regency world and catch a train back to London as I had work the next day. But happily I was able to go down the following weekend for the balls. :)

Pink and White Sleeveless Spencer

When I was 12 my mother bought me a summer nightie. I thought it was absolutely beautiful and I just loved the material -white with pink roses. I loved it so much that I still had it, squirreled away in the back of a draw, over 10 years later! Recently I came across it and decided that it was a waste to leave it languishing in a drawer, and that I should try and make something out of it. Buoyed up with the recent partial success of my blue and yellow regency gown, I thought that I could attempt to make another article of Regency clothing. I chose to make a sleeveless spencer, and used the Sense and Sensibility Spencer pattern and lined it with the same material that my white gown is made out of. 

After I finished my blue and yellow gown, Sabine (who has a fabulous blog) recommend completely hand sewing a garment. I decided to take her advice and made the spencer by hand (except for a little cheating when sewing the lining and fashion material together!! :) ) It took quite a while but it was a much less stressful experience then using a machine  - no shouting and hitting the machine!!!  Here is how it turned out. I am quite pleased with it :) (well most of it).

The pink trim was on the nightie so I just removed it and restitched it onto the fabric. 

I am not crazy about the fact that the armholes are quite a bit wider than the actual dress. It looks a bit strange but I think the S&S spencer jacket pattern has wider armholes than the gown pattern. I am not sure if it is historically accurate. If it isn't than I might just add some sleeves.

I am wearing my white gown and petticoat underneath.

Goofy photo of me . :) I seem to be a trifle lopsided!!