Day in the Garden, by Marian Chase,( 1844-1905)
The English Garden, by William Stephen Coleman, 1829-1904
The Harvest, by Robert Zund (1827-1909)
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In the morning the garden is covered in dewdrops, and the colors of the produce are clear and beautiful. A lot of things in life can be observed in a garden, one being that no matter how discouraged a person gets, things are always better in the morning, when life
is fresh and new. This is sweet corn, which is delicious with garlic or butter. The colors gave me the idea for fabric to make an autumn dress. Can you imagine a green this color with a pale yellow, almost a white, combined to make a dress and jacket or an over-dress and underdress.. everything around me this time of year is dressed up in God's beautiful clothing. How much more should we compliment that beautiful creation.
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When in a garden early in the morning, the flowers and vegetables appear at their best, their crispest, their shiniest. There is rarely any noise, except the first chirping of a robin or the voice of the dove.
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I found this fabric at WalMart. It has coordinating stripe and quilted fabrics. The piece on the right is a dollar a yard. Both are all cotton.
In a while, I will post a sketch of the dress I am going to make, with these two pieces of fabrics, and include a photo of the $5.00 shoes that match the fabric. Since the patchwork pattern on the right (which is also glitterized), is expensive, I will just be using half a yard or one yard of it for parts of the dress, while the golden yellow that has curliques of burgundy in it, will be used for the major part of the dress.
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The lower onion has the beautiful berrry color that is in the vibrant fabric, above. I have been invited to have a fashion show and explain about beauty and modesty in clothing for women. This will take place in early October, so I am busy getting the invitations composed, and the material ready to present. I will post everything on the blog. Since the little flats at WalMart have gone down to $5.00 a pair, I will buy a pair for each of the 5 participants in my fashion show, to match the garment I make for them, which will just be one of the easy patterns I am using. I am doing this not because I recommend everyone sew like this or use that particular style, but because it is expedient for the time that I have available. I'm just trying to inspire women to dress for the wonderful creation around them and be inspired by nature and other things around them: the pretty blue sky, a field of wheat shimmering in the dusk, or a bowl of shiny "Pink-Lady" apples from the market. Have a look of the paintings of the previous centuries, before women wore pants and dressed like men. They showed women in beautiful clothes that were actually quite plain, but were shown complimented by matching flowers or gardens.
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15 comments:
Delightful post...just this morning I bought fabric to make a skirt and blouse like Day in the Garden, by Marian Chase. The skirt is blue with dots that Joanne's had marked as gingham. The top is white dotted Swiss with blue dots that just match the blue in the skirt fabric. I can't wait to get to it. BTW the hand sewing that I am forced to do with all the traveling is now my new prefered method. It is very relaxing. Certainly it takes longer, but I'm in no hurry. That is another benefit I've gotten from this series of yours--a new attitude of serenity to go with my dresses.
I saw a 50ish woman waitress with long purple nails, thick make-up, spiked, black, man-hair, wearing a mini-skirt and low cut top. How I ached for her sad attempts at femininity.
I have read that people either have a yellow tone to their skin or a blue tone to their skin.
There are classes held with fabric draping to determine what skin tone a person is.
The people that have the yellow tone look better in warm colors such as coral, peach, pumpkin, mustard, cheese and butter yellow, rusts, tomatoe reds, olive greens, kaki, violet, teals,turquoise, forrest green, coffee browns,and tans and sand white. These colors match the Spring and Fall seasons of the year.
People with blue tones in their skin look better in cool colors such as true blues, blue reds, berries, cherry, burgundy, off white, white, black, rose browns, clear blues, apple and spruce greens, French Navy or Sailor greens, pine green, Navy blues, pinks, soft lemon yellows,purple, lavender, muted and icy versions of these. These colors match the Summer and Winter seasons of the year.
I am enjoying this series of posts of modest dress very much and look daily for new posts! Good luck with the fashion show!
Oh, you never run out of ideas. Nature really gives us wonderful color combinations, doesn't it?
Do an online search of color analysis and matching colors to your skin tone. It is revealing how good we can look in the right color for us.
God has certainly given us beautiful inspiration from the seasons.
I love your beautiful dresses and the styles you have picked. So modest and feminine. I also enjoy the paintings and artwork you are sharing.
Looking forward to seeing photos of the fashion show. I'll be praying for you.
Best of luck with the fashion show! Sounds like it will be fun. And I hope that your audience will learn much, & feel inspired by what you teach.
I have recently finished sewing a beautiful, long A-line skirt made with cotton fabric covered in large roses. The colours are black, white and greys and I think it looks gorgeous. My husband and 15 year old son also thought it was wonderful. I wore it on Sunday! Thank you for your inspiration, Lady Lydia.
Oh, by the way, those dark and white colours in the cotton fabric I just described are in my 'winter' colour palette as described in colour analysis. I am naturally drawn to them and they do suit me.
Sonya
The men like those clothes because it is such a dull world for them these days, the way the designs are so uninteresting. Nothing beats a cotton skirt with roses on it. The fabrics in the quilting section are the best for dresses and skirts. I have several that have lasted me years and years. They get better as they get older. I wear the worn ones in summer, when they are thinner.
I too have seen the 50-ish women in the wild hairstyles,dyed burgundy, in those lesbian cuts. Those do not flatter any one. The woman's hair is her glory. Even short hair used to be attractive. Now it is cut into styles that seem to be designed to shock. In order to carry off the short, razor bladed cut, a woman has to wear a large amount of makeup. Go back and look at the Victorian women in the paintings, and they dont seem to have the garrish makeup. I am sure the actresses of the time did wear makeup, but the common women seemed happy with a natural appearance, even if they did use makeup. The clothing was so beautiful and not so brief, and a woman did not have to wear a strange hairstyle or funky makeup.
I am looking forward to seeing how the blue/brown toile print dress turned out!
:)
We are in the middle of preparing to relocate, but I am chomping at the bit to get started on sewing some items!
Thank you so much for inspiring us all!
B.
Another fabulous entry, as usual!! Your fashion show sounds delightful! Don't mean to back seat drive, but might it be possible, on behalf of us more amply built ladies out there, to include one or two subjects with a few extra pounds to demonstrate how transforming modest, beautifully made, suitably coloured and properly draped clothing can be even to the overweight figure? I know there's no hiding the extra pounds, but smart, appropriate clothing can make a world of difference.
My dresses arrived from www.thekingsdaughters.com today and they're beautiful; I've a cream with tiny yellow flowers and green sprigs, a cream with pink and tiny blue sprigs, a white with tiny blue flowers, a cream with tiny cream print and a microcheck navy and white (the latter two are capedresses; hubby is alarmed at the blue one but its an 'around the house' dress only) these are so comfortable!! I've also got a couple of matching vests for two of the dresses; Wore the navy and white cape into the garden today; though its ankle length, its so roomy and comfortable; moving around in it is far easier than pants or shorts. These dresses zip up the back, have no collar and three-quarter cuffed sleeves. I asked for ties but they didn't come, this is no problem though, and the waist is just a bit higher than normal. I'll see if hubby can get a shot or two for your blog. He loves the floral and the soft cream; thinks the blue is a bit severe and the cape (because I was too stingy to buy a navy vest) is a bit out there, but... :-)
Have a blessed day!!
Dear Lydia,
Oh how I love reading your blog. I hope we get to see some pic's of your fashion show. Maybe you could do a video and put it on youtube. I thank God for you!!!! Also a comment on women's loud makeup, I saw a show many years ago called frontier house and the man said that women long ago spent alot of time looking beautiful through their clothing while women today spend all their time trying to look beautiful through makeup. He was right. Look at so many women caking on way too much makeup to make up (pun:)he he) on their horrible unfeminine clothing. I wear make up and don't think makeup is bad personally but some of styles today look garish. Well, thank you Lady Lydia for all your wonderful posts.
Amy from Florida
Hello,Ladies.
Delightful post again,Lady Lydia. Thanks.. I agree with the poster who asked for some examples for those of us who are a bit more *fluffy* ;) than others. I am buying more shirts with a feminine appeal to them and replacing the old mannish looks since reading this series. By the way...have you all seen the advertisments for upcoming fall fashion? I have and everything seems to be geared toward "boyfriend" clothing. By this,I mean this: boyfriend boxer underwear for women, boyfriend cardigans,boyfriend bigshirts, etc. And most of the colors I have seen so far are grey and black. It is nice to have a place such as this out there to come to for inspiration. I do not want to wear my husbands clothes. My son who is 12 has noticed how women try to look like men more now than before and asks why. I am glad he has a mom that wears feminine clothing and long hair so that you can tell what I am and not have to ask. Thanks for all your series of encouragement.
Jeanie in KY
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