A glut of projects

I'm realizing that the blogosphere is rapidly becoming obsolete in the face of social media like Instagram, but this is still a great place for me to keep an intermittent diary of what I've been doing, just to look back on in the future. So much has been happening lately! Since I don't think anyone else is reading this anymore and since I don't care about releasing stuff little by little in carefully curated, themed posts, here it goes! *backs up the dumptruck*


First up: The "St. Louis Georgians" Tea Party, at the Ritz-Carlton, and it was SUCH a delight. There were even photographers there -- the talented Janis Shetley owns some of the ones I am posting below.

(This is one of my absolute favorite photos ever taken of me and my husband...I was so grateful that Janis posed and snapped us here!)

 Much silliness mimicking Rowlandson's "Exhibition 'Stare' Case" satirical print!

 Man-clothes are not my thing at all, but I was pleased with how his suit looked, even if the fit wasn't great.

A couple of small and mundane projects were completed, like a new shift:

And progress on my little IKEA art doll who went from this:

To this, with the help of some sculpy "Quik Wood" for creating facial features, and an antique weft of hair:

She's starting to look really cute, and when I slow down on making clothes for myself (if ever) then I can build her a tiny wardrobe for show-and-tell at an event some time.


I also sewed a basic cotton English gown and am very pleased with it because it can go both lower-class or middlin' depending on accessories.

 This past weekend I wore it to a 'pirate-themed' day at the local Renaissance Festival, with a tricorn made of a placemat. I didn't get any good pictures there, was feeling quite under the weather after a migraine set in, but I took a few in the backyard later.

My bigger ongoing project has been transforming our guest room into an 18th-century-inspired sewing room/project backdrop. We have a tiny house, and if I don't go outside to take pictures, I had nowhere with a non-distracting backdrop to do it. So I painted over the leaf green (seen above in the blue cotton gown pictures) with a light grey, and have been slowly adding accessories, like this mirror on clearance from Walmart:

Which became absolutely beautiful when spray-painted gold!

A local swap-n-sell search yielded a tiny chandelier, and on Amazon I found many amazing ceiling medallions from which to choose, so I ordered this one for just $20!

Very pleased with the bit of fanciness it adds to the ceiling!

So after picking up and restoring an antique secretary and double-chairback settee, and finding a pretty rug on Overstock, I think it's starting to look really fun.  You can't see in this photo but over the bed against the wall is a small canopy box my husband built, and I'll be adding drapery coming down from it in the French day-bed style. I need to find a different spread for it as well. Next to hubby's coat on display here, there are double doors to a weird-shaped closet, but I started thinking about it and I can pick up more of that gorgeous millwork on Amazon, spraypaint it gold as well, and have my very own Versailles door to pose against. That's the next home project in the works. Eventually it would be nice to have a chair rail and faux paneling and crown molding in this room, but that can wait.

And lastly, I'm currently working on a cotton sacque. I won't try to claim this print is accurate, it's probably better suited to curtains or bed-hangings, but this is a trial-run for a MUCH more expensive and stunning Lee Jofa floral cotton that I'm scared to cut right now. So I'll work out the kinks with this gown first! It'll be self-trimmed with a compere stomacher.

Till next time, whenever that may be!