Update: Adventures post trama

Hi everyone! As most of you may know, On 05/16/2015, my husband and I were in a major car accident.

Here are the details as on the ORS page http://orsmain.blogspot.com/2015/06/an-ors-leader-in-need.html

But, I am happy to say, that a year later, all my bones have healed and the rest is still on its way, and I have started the process of being in the studio, sewing things, and planning and going to events. I am still not 100%, but I am well on the way. Thank you for all the love and support that this last year has showed me of all of you in our Regency Enthusiasts society. It has helped me heal more than I can express.

So, onto PRETTIES! While in the hospital, I dreamed of the things I would make, and worried about the commissions I had waiting for me, and while the commissions are first to be completed (quite overdue, and the people who have them ordered really are some of the most forbearing and understanding people)  I have been relearning and perfecting the skills that a year of recovery had made rusty, so here are some pics. Please enjoy and know that I will try very hard to update this blog again as new things are made.

My last surgery for my ileostomy reversal, Dec 2015

The "Board of Directors", .Sammy, Wendy and Brittany Fosberg with me.

On the way to the ORS retreat in Oct 2015, With Mrs. Geis and Hungarican Chick, Mrs. Johanesen

having lost over 125 lbs from this odyssey, I can sit on my Reeties lap!!! WINNING!

Met my new Niece Kara with my SIL Michelle and my sweet husband. Yes, we flew to Alabama

Mrs. Roll, Mrs. Pasco and myself at the Tokeland Hotel, Tokeland WA with the WRS

Mrs. Gentry and I enjoying the view at The Tokeland Hotel, Tokeland Wa

my first gown hand sewn since the accident. Tea with Mrs. Smedley

unintentional action shot at Newport OR for Topsails. New stays made me a happy happy lady

That is all for now. I shall post pictures of the new stays. I have had to make new things slowly for me as my other gowns do no fit any more. Sigh, there are worst things to have to do. I am happy to be able to update you, and when I get my commissions finished and delivered, I shall share pics with the world.

Till then, I bid you adieu.

Yours,

Mrs. Azevedo, Countess of Jersey and A Baronets Daughter.

Update, with pictures.

An update as of last post. On August 15th, at 10 am my mother closed her eyes and passed from this world. I have not had the words, or the will to blog, or the will to do much since than. I know that it is what we expected, and she is no longer in pain, but my life has been altered irreparably.

Many of you know know me, know that I am an open book, and so I pour my emotions out. I do not do it to make anyone uncomfortable. I am restless and weepy and have her pictures, her teapots, her jewelry and a small part of her ashes surrounding me. I hear her voice in my head and feel her hands on my brow when I'm laying down and crying my soul out. So many great things have happened since she left us and I want to call her every day. Sometimes, when I am at my new day job, I shake so hard because I want to cry and I can't. I understand now why there was seclusion and mourning ritual. Sometimes I can barely hold it together. And than sometimes I forget. While I am here in the studio sewing and watching my JA movies...when I am out fabric shopping...than I make something beautiful or get a good deal and I want to call her and tell her and her loss hits me like a mack truck all over again.

I used to speak to her almost daily. I don't get to speak to her now. Cancer is a horrid death. I do not wish it on anyone, and I shall not go into the details, but suffice it to say, if I get a terminal cancer, I'm lucky to live in a state that gives me the right to die on my own terms. She didn't and it ate her from the inside out. She graces and haunts my dreams. I miss her so much. Every day. I know it will get better, but, I wish I could stay in my sitting room and let it all out at my leisure. The way a Regency lady would have the time to do. Alas I am a modern lady and must go out in the world. No Mourning period for me, and I will not wear black to regency events.

As to events. I will dedicate some time to describing and showing pictures from our retreat, which was, for lack of a better description, Splendid! Here are some photos of gowns I made and people. We were pampered by the staff at Chateau at the Oregon Caves and are now spoiled. Footmen to unload us, more food that I can describe including a whole roasted pig, Speculation and Whist, port tasting, dancing, a theatrical evening, a catered picnic and such splendid company, words fail me.

I was commissioned especially to make a lovely gown for Mrs. Dean of Fremont. A Goldenrod silk taffeta with a stiffer silk cut out over gown and Brown crystals.

And last but not least the ORS leaders at the retreat. I shall blog about it in depth by and by. I made the paisley gown Im wearing and the white gown Lady Lily Parker is wearing. Don't the 5 of us look splendid?

The upcoming schedule, above and beyond my new full time day job (I miss the summer of being at my own leisure) is: This weekend, I will be teaching a stays class for Somewhere in Time Unlimited and than on the 25th is the Countesses Dinner for which I'm making two new outfits for two new ladies. :) Then, I teach a gown class and there is a Tea and Assembly in December to celebrate Miss Austens birthday, a Trip to Alabama over the holiday to see my Sister in law who is in a delicate condition and than NOLA!!!!!! in January with Amanda for the festivities.

So much going on. I must get back to my sewing.

I am always your Modiste and A Baronets Daughter.

Mrs. Nora Azevedo

Adieu

Cancer and Regency, why they mix.

As some of you may know, recently, my mother has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer, above and beyond the Lukemia that she has been fighting for the last 11 years.

One of my dear friends, and Patroness, Mrs. Roll is the rock for her husband, who has been battling stage 4 colon cancer for 11 years. She does Regency happiness to help her maintain her sanity, and really, in our busy lives, I bet that is the case with many people. I have had the pleasure of making a huge portion of her regency wardrobe, in the continued hope that it brings her the joy she so needs.

Recently, Mr. Roll has taken a turn for the worse. I believe that there are many different options for them, which includes a procedure that will make it impossible for her to attend our Regency Retreat. I am so sad, but I understand entirely. Mr. Roll and his health comes first.

So, on that note, in honor of the fight that Mari and Phil are going through now, I am happy to take Regency commissions for Bath, or Nola or any event you will be attending, and I will donate 10% of all commissions from now until 2015 to The Cancer Society in the name of Mari and Phil Roll.

Please see my facebook page, for pictures of the things I have done. Send me pictures of things that make you happy, and let me make something inspired by those pictures.

My mother unfortunately, has decided not to fight her cancer, as she has been fighting for a decade and she can't fight two cancers and win. The depth of my sorrow, no words can describe. But, it's comforting to know that my love of sewing and my ability to do it is because of her. She is my favorite person on the planet and a part of her will live on in each Regency gown I create, since my talents came from her.

I leave you with a picture of better times. This is my mother and I, Circa 2000. I was 21, she was 45.

Yours,

Mrs. Azevedo, Modiste and A Baronet's Daughter

Changes in the world of A Baronets Daughter

As many of you may know, Thursday, without warning, my contract was ended at my "day job". What that means for me is that now, I have more time available to take commissions and make beautiful things. What this means for you, is the same. I have more time to make pretty things custom. I have updated my etsy shop, there are ten things on there, but I will be adding more, please check my shop out: BaronetsDaughterDesigns

Some upcoming events that I have time to create for are including, but not limited too:

The 7th annual Jane Austen Festival Louisville is coming July 18th, 19th and 20th in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Pittock Mansion Picnic The last Sunday in July in Portland, Oregon
The Regency Retreat, September the 18th through 21st at the Chateau at the Oregon Caves
A Regency Musical Evening August 16th in Colonial Park, Virginia
A Autumn Jaunt to Montplier September 27th in Orange, Virginia
as well as the  Trafalgar Ball October 4th in Wakefield, Virginia


Other events that I would love to create things for include, but not limited to Gear Con 2014 on Sunday, July 4th, and the  Edwardian Picnic in the Park on August 3rd at the Laurelhurt Park in Portland Oregon.

I have all summer, or until I find another Day Job, to make beautiful things for you. In fact, I would rather make beautiful things for my customers than go back to a day job.

Send me your requests, your desires and your creative ideas and I can and will put them to reality.

email me at abaronetsdaughter@gmail.com or ladiesregent@gmail.com

Fill my calendar up, I'd love it.

And now I will leave you with a photo of my patroness in her purple gown for the ball at the Top Sails and Tea Weekend which was so much hard work and so much fun! Can't wait to do it again.

Yours affectionately,

Mrs. Nora Azevedo, Modiste and A Baronets Daughter

the 4 hours gown.

So, most of those who know me, know that I'm a chatty Kathy. I like to keep my brain going on both sides, and I tend to focus better at what I am doing if I can chat while I do it. I tend to get side tracked if I'm not multitasking.


This leads me to my current project from yesterday. A gown, in four hours. I can do it alone, when I have a couple of favorite movies I can talk along with and plenty of coffee, but I don't like to do it that fast. This was an exception. I am swamped with orders for the upcoming Top Sails and Tea event, and I love it, but, for two of our newest members, this would be a debut of sorts, and while Miss Jessica had me make her under garments, she didn't have a gown. OH NO!! I offered to make her a Little White Dress and as payment, she needed to come sit with me and chat, to keep me focused. Five hours, with an hour for lunch later, I have taken some lovely spotted cotton with flower embroidery that has been in my stash for years and made a basic white cross over gown that can be worn the whole weekend with different ribbon for different looks.

So, here are the pictures, of a very happy lady for the first time in a proper Regency Gown. She's ready now, and as of a week from tomorrow, so will the rest of my clients. :)

That smile, that joy, that feeling like a lady and enjoying it, ...that is a big part of why I do this.
Enjoy. I'm going to sleep. 

Thank you for the look, and I promise, once I have more pictures of more items on my clients, from Top Sails, I will post them.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Azevedo, Modiste, and A Baronets Daughter.

Regency dressing questions answered!

I would like to preface this blog post with the statement that I am by far NOT the end all be all authority on the dressing traditions and rotations of a regency lady, but I like to think that as in our world, there was guidelines that were adhered to in varying degrees.

So, at the request of a lady friend, Mrs. Dean, here we go.

A ladies day was full of many things, and based on your social status, your dressing schedule was marked by the times of day.

Morning dress.

Ladies of the ton, or the upper ten thousand were the ladies of leisure and dressed accordingly. Upon waking, you would have your morning wrapper over your night rail with your mob cap covering you hair that was still in rag curls from the evening before. This is what you would take your morning chocolate and toast in your room with your maid.

After you had some time to collect your thoughts and plan your wardrobe for the day, you would dress in your morning gown and go down to breakfast, which was usually at 10, or when ever you, as the lady of the house stipulated the breakfast sideboard to be layed out. There were various ways to
dress, here are some examples.

 The Afternoon gown is so varied.  Depending on whether you are in an afternoon gown waiting for callers with your mob cap and your long skirt, or taking a ride on your stallion in your riding habit, the fit is different.  A riding habit would be masculine, military and include a long train to hide your legs while riding side saddle. A walking gown would be long, just above your feet so that you could stroll and walk at a sedate but comfortable pace, with 3/4 or full length sleeves under a Spencer or Pelisse with your gloves and your hat and appropriate walking shoes. Boots for the country, sturdy but fashionable shoes for the fashionable hour at Hyde Park. Your Carriage dress could be a full pelisse, or a riding habit. The regency lady would better be able to answer the little nuances between a walking gown, an afternoon gown and a visiting ensemble. Here are a couple of my favorite examples

Evening gowns have to be the iconic Regency gown and most popular for the introduction to regency dressing. It is really simple, ankle length skirt for dancing ease, short sleeves, not necessarily puffy and a low cut bodice. The amount of decoration, or "fru-fru" as some call it, is dependent upon taste. I personally like a longer skirt to hold while I'm dancing, and a non-puffy sleeve with elegant decoration. Here are a few of my favorites:

The whole point is to feel pretty, and love what you are wearing. Take these as guidelines, loose guidelines to make your complete wardrobe.

Your servant
Mrs. Nora Azevedo, Modiste
and A Baronets' Daughter
  

All sorts of new things....UPDATE

So, what has been going on in the Pacific Northwest? So many things! As many of you may know, being on the Leadership Board of the ORS means that there is planning and events going on all the time. I have been fortunate enough to be one the planners of the Annual Regency Retreat!! I have to say, above and beyond the whole idea, the location and the fact that so many new people will be there, I'm pretty proud of how our whole leadership team has gotten this coordinated, planned and we are a fantastic team! As a part of our website, we have a new page on the website, the "Who's who" of the leadership team, and we had very special photos taken. We had a professional to take our pictures in our finest gowns. Thanks to Mrs. Johanesen, our photos look like oil paintings. Including of our newest leader, our only Junior leader Miss Lilyan . Yes, you can squee:




 She is really about 40 in the body of a 12 year old and she is great at google-ing event sites and has lots to include. I'm pretty proud.

I also got my photos taken too. My Favorites being the one with Lily..cause, well..its silly

So, believe it or not, the white gown is all handmade, and has gold trimming. I felt very grecian in it, which leads me to the other awesome thing...which is under it!  Originally I had my "push them to the sky" stays, which of course have a time and place, but I wanted to wear my more comfortable rose stays and COULDN'T FIND THEM ANY WHERE so, what did I do? Yup, I made new ones. :) I wont bore you with construction details (but will gladly answer any questions you may have). I decided to go with front closers. Its easier to get in and than the "to busk or not to busk" question is moot. The pattern was altered from an altered pattern from Mrs. Johanesen loosely based on the Sense and Sensibility pattern. I quilted them, I made what felt like ridiculously too spread open gussets and spiral lacing and replaceable silk ribbon straps. No, as you can see above, I had no sitting problems, and the ladies dont make you feel or look like stuffed sausage. Plus size ladies deserve to look this beautiful.

Now, Im thinking I need new chemise and petticoats. I used to think of them as just blah things no one needs to see, but I have come to a place in my sewing, where the details matter. It took some time, but I finally finished a velvet Spencer jacket for my Patroness. It took months of picking it up, putting it down, taking it apart, swapping the sleeves...but now...its done.

 


 I  have been a little busy. Can you tell?

So my parting words are this: I love to sew. I would love to sew for you. Or have tea. My studio is always open.

As always, your servant
Mrs. Azevedo,
Modiste and A Baronets' Daughter.