Saturday, March 14, 2015

Afternoon Tea by the Sea



Good morning dear Ladies at Home,

Several years ago I took a party of Victorians, ( in full costume)  including parents,children and friends, to a little beach, where we set up a Victorian afternoon tea on a cloth covered picnic table.  The men carried the heavy picnic baskets with real china and old silver teapots.  As I cannot locate any pictures of the event, I have always wanted to reenact the whole experience, this time with good pictures.  It turns out I may have that opportunity soon.   I will post pictures this coming week.

In the meantime I have assigned myself so much to do:

-Writing free brochures and booklets for Christian ladies on various subjects of family life and some subjects concerning the woman's part in church; (will post on this web-log)

-Sketching out some designs for sewing clothes from the pretty cotton fabrics, for all occasions, and then sewing some of them. (Will post the drawings and the sewn clothing if it ever gets from the paper to the garment ;-)

-Get more organized by sorting through papers, art supplies, old pictures, and boxes of things from days gone by.

-Finishing painting the house both outside and inside.  I have a half-painted bedroom, dining room and kitchen and half the window trim outside. Life keeps interrupting it. For some reason, people want to sleep and eat in these rooms and there doesn't seem to be much time inbetween!  Do you remember the Extreme Makeover shows that would send the family on a vacation while the house was being re-done---that would work for me, as long as someone else did the painting and I was on the vacation.


Back to the tea by the sea:  Over 15 years ago  several people stopped on a pathway just above where our table was set and we Victorians were walking around on the nearby beach and took pictures of our group. It will be a smaller event this time; likely only me! I will not have the Victorian group on this trip but will have the meal anyway. This time will be the same tea things and the same costumes and maybe a similar beach.  I smile as I think how the Victorian styles are kind of locked in history, like the Koine Greek of the New Testament, and cannot change, historically.  That way we know what the pattern is!




I hope you have a lovely day. Our Saturdays are very busy and I plan to stay home so I will not lose much time. I am hoping to finish a sewing project and do a few other things.  It seems in a home here is breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the day goes so quickly!

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I love the idea of a Victorian Tea by the sea. I can imagine how wonderful that was. What a sweet testimony to those who observed. I have to assign myself some home tasks as well...still cleaning and organizing bookshelves. Working on my homemakers scrap book- which is lovely pictures out of magazines which I gluestick into a scrapbook. It is my happy book that look at to add cheer to my day.

Alex said...

Don't I just know how quickly the days go ~ you seem to be very busy.
I'm really looking forward to seeing your sewing results and the Tea by the Sea...if I did that by our stretch of coast, I would need two overcoats right now! The East of UK has some chilly winds in March!Perhaps it will be kinder weather for you.
Do you like the stripey Victorian bathing dresses? I think they were rather attractive.
All good wishes to you

Dawn said...

Looks like you have a busy Spring planned.

I especially love your posts on sewing and the fashions you sew.

I've been wondering about your winter wardrobe. Do you wear the same cotton dresses with a heavy slip underneath and a warm cardigan on top? Or is winter a time for corduroy skirts and warm pullover sweaters?

Lydia said...

I have three corduroy outfits and one wool suit from Chadwicks that I have worn all winter for a couple of years. I wear leggings and boots even n the house most of the time. I think the industrial machines do a better job with the thicker materials. I prefer to sew the cottons and the summer clothes, bit winter clothes, not so much, except for a few theme ( with certain prints) dresses for special holidays.

Lydia said...

Ladies, yes, I expect the sea coast will be cold where I live. This time of year seems to be cold in many parts of the world.