A Dinner a la 1812

This weekend was a blur of activity. I sewed, and delivered my latest commission, a black and white voile dress for Mrs. Roll.

Mrs. Roll in gown

Side look....

bottom detail

sleeve detail

other sleeve detail

 We spent the weekend staying at Casa de Phillipa...a very awesome lady of refinement, and Spode. Wow..the lady has some epic Spode. We drank tea, and had tea...and than, on Saturday, after watching Tom Jones (and my epic sewing to get the dress done) we started to get ready for the Gala affair.


We arrived at The Jacob Smith House and where escorted in by the help.

Lady Philippa, Miss Tara and Mrs. Gentry, Lady Monroe,

the ladies and gents before the dinner. I love Amanda, Lady Monroe's face!

Mrs. Cartwright, Lady Victoria, Lady Jersey (as I have been known to go by)

We were seated to a dinner resplendent with Duck in the salad, Salmon and Pork of a grand proportion not to mention the other small dishes.

the salad with duck. THE BEST

Than, after an appropriate time, the gentlemen repaired to the card room with Brandy, and the ladies danced. I called the dance for the first time and it was wonderful. I did also dance as well.

Miss Tara and I dancing with Lady Phillipa

Lady Monroe on the right

more casting off

Lady Phillipa leading the dance, Mrs Gawne, aka Lady Cowper calling

Than, we drank and talked and had a great time. The evening closed much too early, but 2am was approaching.

Thank you to the sponsor, our own Lady Ruth Haring

I have come away with two new clients and more projects than one can shake a stick at.

If you are new to this and want more information on Regency Society in your area, please go to Regency Society of America. We are out there, and we party like its 1812!

Your Servant
Mrs. Nora Azevedo, Modiste and a Baronet's Daughter

Let me begin my blog post with begging your pardon. I have been busier than a bee and have had neither time to put into my dressmaking or my daily life. If only I didn't have to go to the silly modern day job......Id be a wonderful housekeeper, as apparently, I can handle multiple irons in the fire. I digress.

So, August was a blur. The retreat was amazing, and the push at the end there to sew was as usual, a marathon. I had help by my niece Sarafina to get the pieces for my patroness Mrs. Roll, and I made it happen, even though I was hand sewing the hems at the retreat, I did my best and my patroness was so happy, I have a pile waiting for me. :) She will looks a fashion plate of elegance once I'm finished with her, though, I am not entirely certain she will be finished with me!

Here she is in candlelight in the red dress

Just lovely.

To prepare for the retreat, we had a few get togethers, including a picnic co-hostessed by Lady Sully of Portland House and her particular friend Mrs. Cartwright and we had a great time. I debuted the new trimming on my chip bonnet

Wearing my retrimmed Bonnet

Charlotte, Lady Cunningham wearing my retrimmed Bonnet

Don't we both look fetching? Indeed. I think she needs one of these shaped chip straw bonnets..Maybe for her birthday, which is coming up. :) shhhh


The main event was what everyone expected, Tea, picnicking, archery, dancing, eating, drawing and promenading. The white dress I am wearing seems to be the only dress I was photographed in, and I am more than happy as that is my favorite dress....EVAR! Made by Aria. I watched her sit there and use my pattern and in like...two hours she was done, with everything except the pintucks on the bottom. It is amazing, and the cameo I wore was a gift from the lovely Agnes, who is also known as The Dowager or Lady Cowper....depending on how we feel as well as how much Cliquo has been consumed. Fair, right?

Here are the pics. Pardon if you were there and already saw them, but here they are. Emjoy!

Lord and Lady Sully

Mrs. Robinette Kowal dressed as Justice

Megan, with arrows in her hair. There needs no other explaination

Mrs. Cartwright in ALL her loveliness....her dress is based on a fashion plate. She looks much more fetching in it that the plate did.

The Pemberlies, on the illustrious Mrs. Johanesen, also known as The Duchess.

The ever lovely Miss Bernsdorff, all the way from Utah and the ever brilliant Miss Robertson (rumor has it soon to be Mrs. Meier)

Dinner

Dancing. The lady in red was later outfitted by some of us ladies and the smile on her face in regency clothing was why we do this...and to wear the pretty clothes too.

the lethal ladies and Mr. Smith

Miss Amanda Rogers, has repaired to Virginia, but with the proper introduction, she will take Society by storm!

Ladies need to cool off too!

Picnicking with my particular friend Mrs. Gentry, Countess of Monroe

The Dowager, Lady Monroe, myself and Mrs. Carwright learning how to write with quill and ink.

Here she is Lady Cowper and I am Lady Jersey, the masque must have proper patroness' and the only waltzing or scandal partaken of at the masque was thoroughly approved by us. :)

Young Master Logan, the heir to Lord Cunningham and his lady, the elegant Charlotte, Lady Cunningham. We were discussing the company, he was scandalized.

And I leave you with Young Master Logan. Cuteness overload. As his mother says, if we can't get the men to come, we will grow them into it. :)

Adieu and good evening. I shall do my best to not go so long between posts. I promise


Yours,

Mrs. Azevedo, Modiste and a Baronet's daughter.

Franken-form

As many of you may know, I am not a small woman, in fact, some would say anything from Fat (oh the shame!) to Plus size to BBW. What ever way you call it, Im a big girl and there is not a dress form out there any where close to my size, much less my shape. I am one of those who has hips of doom, a much smaller waist and a medium size bust, comparatively speaking.

So, while reading the lovely American Duchess' post on franken-lillie I began to dream on how to make my old school, very unlike a female, dress form into something closer to my shape, in the very least girth.

Here I am at the ORS 5th Annual Pittock Mansion picnic in the Rose Gown. If you have seen what it looks like on the dressform, you see the difference once it is on me.

Yes, I did big feathers. Go big or go home is my motto sometimes. :)

So, as you can see, I needed a better dress size. Well, I searched far and wide, and ended up adding to my current dress form, using my older set of stays, a pillow, a king size sheet and various pieces of muslin.

it isn't elegant, but it fits the petticoat i have been working on that i know fits to a T on me. I needed a way to drape on something, even if it is not perfect, so that I would feel better about making things for myself. Now, I can. I have to say, the stuffing of the corset while on the dress form was not entirely my idea. I was definitely inspired not only by American Duchess but by Mrs. Amanda Gentry, my particular friend, who brought her things down and had a sewing marathon with myself and Aria on Saturday night. She is small, but she stuff plastic bags into hers to get the right proportions. No one, big or small is exempt. When will the industry get that they don't make anything close to real proportions?

sigh.
Anyways, I am airing out the trunk for the retreat, have a stack of regency clothes to make for myself as well as Mrs. Roll and so will not be taking anymore commissions until I get back.

Cheers!

Mrs. Azevedo, Modiste and a Baronets' Daughter.

Busy Bee

Allow me to apologize. I have been remiss in my blogging because I have been a busy busy bee!

I have made myself a round gown for the Pittock Mansion picnic

a pattern of my own.

and a round gown for Mrs. Cunningham for the Pittock Mansion Picnic

she gave me her measurements and the fabric..and POW!

And than, I was invited to Stitch and Bitch with Lady Sully, of Lady of Portland House and her particular friend Mrs. Cartwright. That was great fun which I hope to repeat in the future as I have a new gown planned for me and Mrs. Cunningham gave me the fabric to do it!

Dorset Buttons

RED FABRIC!!!!!

 

 

 

I have come across a lovely fashion plate I would like to recreate by hand....

I need this dress and the reticule!

I was gifted with the fabric. I will post my progress. I have made delivery of the fall front trousers to my Patroness at Wells & Verne and hope to have pictures soon. I also owe her 5 more pairs for her shop. WOW!


This past weekend I made a trip to see my lovely friends in Washington, all Charter members of the Washington Regency Society and we had quite a bit of fun and it was nice to step away from the sewing machine, but, Mrs. Mari Roll would not give me much of a reprieve as she was kind enough to take me to an amazing brunch and bestow some more commissions on me. I am thankful, as idol hands get me in trouble! So, I have two gowns to make for her before the retreat as well as a dressing gown and possibly a Spencer, if I can get to it, but I’m thinking..with the red velvet she gave me, that would be more of a fall Spencer material. She also wants me to make two dresses for her nieces, a la Marilyn...like this dress

Luckily, that wont be till after the retreat. I also want to make myself a purple gown and a white chemise to wear under my black robe..I also want to make myself a blue robe.

Wish me luck, since, I am now going to be working like a maniac for a while as well as sewing, and I have a kindle now. I can sleep when I'm dead, right?

Thank you for being patient and for reading my blog. Good Evening,

Mrs. Nora Azevedo
Modiste, and A Baronet's Daughter

The Rose Dress, completed.

Well, the Rose dress is done! I have posted some pictures on my facebook, but I thought it appropriate to let you all know its done!

I decided to go with a round gown form, as I had something like 8 yards to use, which, surprisingly, I didn't use it all. I got this lovely polished cotton rose pattern from a little Middle Eastern dude in the Fashion District in LA. If any of you are costume/clothier enthusiasts, I recommend saving up a small wad and going on down there. It can be a bit intimidating, and there is a lot to wade through, but it is soooo worth it. This lovely piece of 60+ inch wide polished cotton was only $2 a yard! booya!

So, here is the pictures! Enjoy!

Eliza Jane had to inspect it, of course, the fabric passed muster.

adding the drawstring

had to baste by hand the sleeve, since i had to do the fit on myself..took a couple of tries

at 1am, the stars told me to go to sleep

bodice finished

DONE! (except the hem on the sleeves. muah ha ha ha)

I plan on wearing this at the Pittock Mansion Picnic at the end of the month. I have a shallow brim hat to wear too..Yay!

Now, onto the pants. I keep putting them off, but I really need to get on them!

I'll keep you posted.

Nora A, Modiste, and A Baronets' Daughter