Mary Kate's Courting Dress

If you have never watched "The Quiet Man" movie or read anything about the story, you might be able to find in on YouTube or other programs online.  I have seen several sewing weblogs with clothes from famous movies, and I have been looking at Mary Kate Danaher's dress, shown here.  None of the costumes in the picture were green, except this one, and I have been trying to find inexpensive fabric in this color.

 The dress is on display in a collection somewhere, and I did see a video of someone showing the dress, but alas, the white bow was missing from the loop on the original dress. It is simply a rectangle of fabric surrounded in lace, inserted in a loop under the collar.

The above picture shows the side view of the white cuff on the sleeve, but I cannot see the details enough to immitate it so my cuff will be different. Possibly the sleeve cuff is the same as the collar in that a piece is inserted into a loop to make a bow.

  I had to notice in the movie she rode this bike in that dress!  But even in All Creatures Great and Small,  James' wife, Helen rode her bike wearing a skirt.

I hung on to this old pattern from 1987 and noticed that view C has the same kind of collar.  I originally made this dress in a beautiful pastel floral with a white background featuring lavender hydrangeas and pink roses.  I wore it out but I wish I had saved it anyway.

This is what I am planning on making it with, and if it turns out well I will put a picture of it here.  If the material that matches the original dress gets lower in price I will make another one, but from a distance this will probably look a lot like the one made for Maureen O'Hara in this movie.  This style was seen a lot in the 1980s, so watching The Quiet Man reminded me of many of the 1980s patterns. The "Shepherdess" styles were featured in a lot of books and sewing magazines.

Below, from Joann fabrics online, a similar color to the original dress. Even with enlarging the photographs, it was impossible to figure out the print from the movie dress.

Below, it is claimed that this the original dress, but it does not look like it. Where are the white buttons and why is it not more shaped?

Another possible fabric:

A placid scene. The courting dress was the only one in the film I had a pattern for.  The other costumes were not as interesting but I did enjoy the shawls and  aprons, as well as the bonnets, and, of course, I really liked the way the men were dressed. 

Below, a Keepsake Calico from Joanne Fabrics, described as green with silver stamp tile. This matches the dress the best.

This photo shows the print better.

I am interested in the hat, too.  I can get a cheap one and put fabric on it.

Below: another pattern in consideration for the courting dress.

Too Cold For a Picnic

 There is no need to be overly dismayed in times when it may not be possible to go places and do interesting things, because much of it can be recreated at home or in your own back yard.   I do think it is important to get away regularly and have vacations, but you can make your own events at home, perhaps in your own living room. Many of us had mothers who cleverly created indoor picnics for us, and as humble as they were, they are the source of good memories.

It has been too cold in many parts of the country for a picnic but it can be created for your loved ones right where you live or wherever you are. 

(Credit: Pinterest)

These days it isn't always necessary to do everything yourself. Picnic services are becoming quite the thing. In some places it is possible to order a fancy picnics of all sizes and themes, complete with interesting hampers.  This sort of thing would make a perfect gift for a homemaker, providing a meal and a time of rest.  You could also make a picnic to take to someone you know would appreciate it, complete with something nice to read.

A subject I have been asked about lately has been: What is a lady?  There has been a great misunderstanding of this word. Today, and in the past, the word "lady" defined the way a woman behaved herself. It has nothing to do with having a title and nothing to do with wealth or status, importance. Today, a  lady is someone who does not participate in vices such as smoking, drinking, swearing, or speaking in a vulgar, off-color way. A lady is modest in her dress (yet not dowdy, drab, or dressed in things unbecoming) well-groomed and respectful. A lady is not a false accuser or a tale-bearer. A lady is not jealous or resentful.  A lady learns the skill of hospitality. If a woman simply acquired the attributes  in 1st Corinthians 13, commonly called "the love chapter," she would become a real lady.

The sermon on the resurrection was very good, today, emphasizing the keeping of the sacrifice of Christ in our lives daily:    Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

The Morning Atmosphere

Good Morning Dear Ladies at Home,

The weather in March and April seems to be inclement in many places on the earth, but we can always ignore it by putting our minds to meal preparation. Mornings are often dark and cold, making one want to scurry back to bed.

On the last post I used the idea of setting the table the previous evening. The scene provides an optimistic view for the day.

After church, it is nice to come home to a table already set and waiting for the meal.  I am going to try to do that more often. Here is combination I am considering, using the charger plates as placemats, which bring out the colors of the dinnerware and add brightness to the entire setting.

It is nice for the family to come to a well-set table, but do not forget to stop sometime in the day and treat yourself to a luxurious respite. Even if you don't drink tea, there is a host of flavorful infusions and herbal treats you can make in a cup. Consider my own invention of frozen berries or fruit to make a beautiful cuppa. Just pour hot water over them in a sieve and there you have it. The fragrance does something for you too.

Some of you might be interested to know the recent Tea Time issue features tea in Australia and New Zealand.  They didn't include the tea rooms I featured here a couple of years ago, on the Morning Peninsula and recently in Kyneton, both in Victoria, but it is all beautiful.

Piecing Fabric

(Painting: The Sewing Lesson by Michael Dudash)

Piecing is a way of creating a larger piece of fabric, and was a common word for what is now called patchwork quilting.  However today we sew pieces of fabrics together to make just about anything. If you come up short on fabric, you can just piece it.  Today I am showing how to piece fabric to make a sleeve.

I noticed in a shop on the designer clothes by April Cornell some piecing and it was very pretty.  Usually after cutting out a garment there is quite a bit of two-layer fabric left.  This means you have two pieces alike. I have sewn some together to show how to piece two sleeves alike, using 1/4 inch seams.

When finished making the pieces, press the seams one way with a hot iron (this is cotton fabric) and press again on the right side to make the fabric smooth.

I now have a double layer of fabric large enough for the sleeves of a garment.  

Lay the pattern piece and make sure both layers of fabric are even, and that the wrong sides or right sides are facing each other before you cut.

I skipped a step where I top-stitched the pieced seams before sewing the sleeves. This is optional. I wanted to see what it would look like.  When my daughter wore the dress someone asked about the pattern for that interesting sleeve! Instead, they heard, "Mum didn't have enough fabric so she pieced the sleeves."

This was a garment I cut out awhile back and had not finished because there was not enough fabric for the sleeves. The store did not have any more of it so yesterday I pieced the larger scraps to make fabric enough.  I wish I could show the complete garment but it is not quite finished.  I have another garment in the making and hope to show them both, here, soon. There are a couple of sewing weblogs on my sidebar if you want to see more sewing ideas and tutorials.

I was discussing with someone the need to have some motivation in the morning. She said it would be nice to get an email every day that was likened to flylady (a popular housekeeping email schedule) but "more", with a spiritual aspect and some beauty and inspiration; not quite so much urgency and hype, but something similar to the things we used to get in emails with the paintings and the music. 

It would be something like this:

(Credit: Pinterest)

"Good Morning.  How are you feeling today? Wouldn't you just love to wake up to a nicely set table like this and be seved with all kinds of delicious morning savories? It isn't too late to have it.  Are you dressed?  Why not get your shower and dress in fresh clothes, put on a pretty apron and set the table.  Even if you are not very well organized, those table things all gleaming and pretty this morning can give you the start you need.  I will be back later to see your progress!"

Well this is certainly the sort of lift I could have used many years ago! I knew two ladies who arranged to phone each other when they had finished a housekeeping chore--swept the floor, cleaned the kitchen or bathroom, made a meal, etc.  Today, email is so much quieter and pictures can be included.  Skype might be another possibility if a lady needs to have some encouragement.

I haven't quite graduated to the latest technology and am not yet using the cellphone with texts and pictures.  The only thing my cellphone is used for is to carry in my purse when I am out, and I simply have not had the time to explore its capabilities, so for now, I am still posting and emailing. I only have one number on my cellphone to call out..HOME ... And that is all I can manage.  I do plan to update someday!

Above and below: Ladies dress and child's dress. The ladies dress has a matching removeable white collar.

Beach Scenes of the 1800's

I usually provide the name of the painting and the artist but today I did not have time to add those details. On some computers when you right-click and save to your pictures the title and artist will appear. The above painting is by a contemporary artist, but the other ones are by artists from the 1800's to 1914.

The beach we visited last week was quite cold and the wind was up, so the tourists were staying indoors.  I found these beach scenes at allposters.com to get an idea of how people enjoyed the seacoast in days gone by. Being a seamstress I naturally looked at the clothing details.  I read in some of the Victorian clothing construction books that they had types of dress for various activities: beach clothes, town clothes, travel clothes, house clothing, church clothing, and so on. 

These paintings are part of my "painting inspired sewing" for this year.  I am going to consider making at least one of these garments, with slight changes to fit today's needs: the skirts will be less full and long   without taking away the graceful style, ams the sleeves a little different. I like the above dress with the tucked bodice and collar, as well as the contrast of the sash.

Notice in this old photograph the picnic table apparently created by packed sand in the foreground, complete with cups and beverage severs. The ladies are dressed up for the beach!  I prefer a more private cove with no one else around, but it appears the Victorians enjoyed the crowds.

I found these two pictures at a dress shop online called Aliexpress when searching for beach clothing. The aqua one is a lot like the ocean, and the colors of both dresses are not discordant with the natural surroundings. One reason I like the calicoes and cotton fabrics is the colors look like something in nature.

Artists of the 1800's recorded ladies "Promenade" which was the way they walked together along the shoreline in their graceful dresses.  

Below are paintings by the Danish artist Michael Ancher, who painted scenes at Skagen.

The above dresses look like like some of the Victorian revival patterns from the 1980's.  I notice the pattern companies feature quite a few vintage patterns, but mostly from the 1940s and 50's. They are not providing any Victorian looks.

I hope you have a lovely day and besides all the things you MUST do, I hope you do something you would like to do.  

Lydia