Target Deal of the Day: Jane Austen Bookends

These JA bookends were on clearance for less than $5 at Target today!! The best part was that I wasn't even looking for them :) I love finding deals on things I love! 

-- A Victorian Cowgirl

For my first set of stays; My true love gave to me...

2 yards of muslin, and a new, working sewing machine ;)

When I was in Colorado visiting my fathers parents, my parents went to visit my mothers father for Thanksgiving and he sent two of my granny's sewing machines and a Serger home to me! Thank you Papaw!!!

 I really want to try and make a Georgian dress but need stays for that, even more than I do for my Regency dresses. I looked through my stash of patterns and found this one from McCall's. I am making it out of a plain white muslin, and eyelet's instead of grommets for lacing (since I am HORRIBLE at putting in grommets). I am almost done (but for attaching lining to corset once the boning is in). While waiting on the chance to get my boning, I  have decided that I will add a little decorative touch to one or two of the front panels. I started earlier today on the embroidery and will post a pic as soon as I have one. Though I fear my stitches are always very poor I think it will be all the more lovely knowing that I did it with my own hand, and hopefully one of my children can enjoy my toils many years from now when it gets passed down from myself to some dear little girl... 

If you have any tips for corsetry (yes, it's a "new" word :P), please share them if you can spare a moment here. I am very new to this, and though I am using a modern pattern for my stays this time, I hope to learn from it and make a set of 18th Century stays somewhere in the near future. (Hopefully with the help of your tips, and also a little guidance from the quick hands of my dear friend Laura at Tryon Palace...)

-- A Victorian Cowgirl

My New "Holiday" Hairstyle

LOVE!!

In Color

In Black & White

I think my hair looks like Kate Winslet's... but without her gorgeous color ;)

-- A Victorian Cowgirl

Dancing is Awesome... via Emma :-)

I recently watched the newest version of Emma online at PBS Masterpiece theatre. Funnily enough, I watched it with a friend of mine, Justin, and we commented back and forth on a very long thread on Facebook about it...more than 60 comments...lol. It was probably one of the most interesting "movie nights" I have ever had! If you have never watched a movie with a friend this way, you simply must :-D


This dance sequence is one of my favorite parts of the movie and I wanted to share it on my blog. Many thanks to Justin for providing me with the screen stills! He has promised to do a review of the movie on his blog soon. Maybe this post will be the prodding he needs to get to it ;-)

-- A Victorian Cowgirl