Tag Archives: sewing
Such a good idea in my head: my Belle gown
Sometimes a project seems like a really good idea in your head. Then the reality turns out a little different. After last year’s ball, I came to the conclusion that I really needed another ball gown. Not needed as in “I really want another dress.’ but needed as in (1) Whoever thought trains on a dress were a good idea was wrong. Very, very wrong. (2) Floor length skirts are totally the wrong length for … Continue reading →
Schoolgirl Embroidery in Regency Britain
by Julie Buck As we look at schools in Jane Austen’s time, and the role of needlework within that schooling, I think it’s important that you understand two things. First of all, you need to know what a sampler is. And secondly, you need to see how girls’ schooling developed from earlier centuries to arrive at what Jane Austen found when she was sent off to boarding school. A sampler is an example or sample … Continue reading →
To be an Accomplished Lady
Regency women strove to become an accomplished lady, but what did that mean? During the Regency era, a proper education was crucial to a middle or upper class young lady’s future. Since a woman’s only ‘proper’ aspiration was to marriage, her education focused on making her noticeable to potential husbands. Her accomplishments enabled her to display cultural distinction and set herself apart from women who were merely ‘notable’—those who could only manage a household but … Continue reading →