Antique Textiles Collection at Gawthorpe Hall

A while back, my family and I made a trip to Gawthorpe Hall. Whilst I didn't really find the house or the interior design inspiring, they had a textiles collection that really made up for that! It was a delight to browse through all the glass cases with gorgeous fabrics, embroidery and lace. I'll share some of the photos I took:

Isn't that yellow striking?

Waistcoat from 1780-1800, Spanish, silk embroidery on silk.

I love the embroidery here, it's so vibrant and looks stunning against the cream silk. I think it was remnants trimmed from an early 1800s dress.

Are there any pieces that stand out to you? Which was your favourite?

Maude's Summer Edwardian Day Dress at Botanic Gardens

My Dad and I went to the park for some photos and words can't describe how happy I am with the results! This is my best costume yet, and I actually have decent photos, some of which I'm smiling in - I usually feel so camera shy and uncomfortable wearing costume, but today I could hold my head high and talk to people and smile. Quite an achievement for me!

Testing shot to see if my hat was in the right place. Strange, but my hair looks brunette here - I'm blonde.

I'm wearing a belt and gloves with this ensemble, which really makes the outfit, I think.

My hat blew off at this point and I was laughing at what a spectacle I was making in the park! Some nice people asked me if it was for my communion, so I told them that it's for my costume portfolio as I made the dress. I also got some girls calling me Mary Poppins!

 The back view, at the lake. I'm not too fond of how my costumes look at the back, but here I think it's okay. Not perfect, but okay.

Maude's Summer Edwardian Day Dress

Yesterday I finished my Maude's Summer Day Dress project, using a Butterick pattern and inspired by Maude Fealey's Edwardian style! I think it came together very nicely and was relatively straightforward, so I've gained confidence for future historical projects! I don't feel like writing much, so on to the photos!

And the hat!

Maude's Summer Edwardian Blouse

It's been a while since I posted here, so I thought it might be nice to post an update on my sewing progress! Right now, I've finished one part of my Maude's Summer Edwardian Day Dress project, which includes a blouse, a skirt, a belt and a hat - the belt and the blouse are done!

Right now I'm working on the skirt and the hat, as well as my writing projects. What are you working on at the moment, readers? Feel free to tell me in the comments below!

Lyme Park

Here are some of the other photos I took at Lyme Park. As I said, it was a really great day, and I'd definitely go again as it's so big that there are some things I missed!

The room nearest the entrance. I love the splash of yellow with the reds of the room - it looks very bright and inviting.

I think it says "Dieu et mon droit" which may translate to "God and my right" if I remember correctly from Hampton Court!

Detail of the ceiling and wallpaper in the library. I wanted to live in this room!

Just some light reading...

You can tell I like the details in the ceiling. :)

This was my favourite portrait, along with this girl with a massive dog - though I didn't find anything out about it, or even what era it's from.

And costumes! I love this dress, and the photos just don't do it justice. It has lots of details and is a lovely shade of yellow with white stripes.