Edwardian Dress White Cotton For Summer

How we've waited for summer. The flowers and lushness it brings, but the other day we took photographs in the hayfield. The lighting is the best in the evening and the rolling green hills remind me of the English Pride and Prejudice hills. My daughter has a few vintage Edwardian dresses that she purchased and I love the details and lace on the cotton fabric. They are light, lacy and elegant. It gets me in the sewing mode handling the the delicate fabric and seeing all of the hook and eye closures. It was a dreamy era of white clothing that I wish would come back even if it's just one day a week. Our wild violets were blooming months ago, but we have these violet plates that keep the blooms alive all summer.

Connecting up with Kathleen on White Wednesday  , Savvy Southern Style,  A Southern Daydreamer,  Debra at Commonground,  French Country Cottage, My Romantic Home

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Mercury Glass Style White Decor

Vintage Mercury glass you can just order online! The sparkle and glow adds cheer to any white decor or farmhouse! This gorgeous vintage mercury glass lamp is from Pottery Barn. You can order online or walk into store. The burlap lampshade adds just the right shabby touch.




Look at this duvet cover! Maybe I need this to complete the look. Yes, absolutely.




These votive mercury glass candle holders are only 5.00 each and there are many different styles.





Sweet canisters. Wouldn't these look great for the holidays? From West Elm.




Candles add a romantic touch to any room. Food seems to taste better by candlelight. They bring blood pressure down, and bring a calm.

Sweet mercury glass napkin rings. I want to buy some of these and take them off of the napkin rings and put some on a curtain rod. I could sew them onto the top of my curtain panel? I noticed some companies call mercury glass "mirror glass".

Now that it has turned cold we are looking around the rooms here and thinking we need to decorate and rearrange.

Nuremberg Chronicles Art Wood Cuts Book

I have always admired wood block prints. I dream about carving out my own art by a cozy wood fire with a love for art fueling me late into the night by candlelight. Every night. It seems like such a romantic form of art/illustration. With the finding of a Nuremberg Chronicles book published in 1493 just recently in Utah, I am in awe all over again. Do you think anyone would notice if I pulled a loose barn board off and got a knife and started carving intricate swirls for wind, roses, and sunshine, which is also what I dream about the rest of the time?

From what I understand each print was from a wood cut in this book. All 1,809 illustrations. Some illustrations were hand watercolored. We are still romancing wood cuts after all of these years and rightly so.

Westie Painting Dogs Vintage Roadster Car

My westie has gotten behind the wheel here with a friend. Close friend. In fact the title of this new painting is JUST KISSED. I leave it up to the viewer to determine who stole the kiss...her or him. I combined a few loves in this painting ...classic gardens, westies, vintage cars, topiary, and painting! I like restored old cars brought back to their original glory.

I combined my folky style in my oils...a first for me as normally I only do folk in acrylics and small canvases. There is a first for everything and now I know there will be a second, too! ;-)

This painting makes a large impression on the viewer. It's size is 40 inches by 30 inches and on a deep gallery wrapped canvas. The colors I made to look vintage so that the westies are the most brilliant part of the painting. All kinds of wonderful warms and cools in their beautiful white coats. Can you see the storm brewing in the background just like passion?

For sale on ebay. Search candylei.

Pretty Vintage White Dresses and Costumes

Polonaise. I didn't know the meaning of the word until today. One is pictured above from the 1800's. Lots of details, but in simple white fabric. I think I might like one. It is a beautiful white dress worn over a long black skirt or a white skirt. There were strings hidden underneath that were pulled to form this nice gathering of fabric in the back. I love the cuffs on the sleeves. This overdress was popular in American from 1869-1875.

There is such a wealth of costume information on the web. A great wealth of inspiration for dollmakers to venture out a bit with their dress designs. (I'm speaking to myself here.) Did you know there is a costume society of america? They have a wonderful website. Also the Smithsonian Museums here in Washington D.C. have a costume collection.

All we have been seeing is white designs outside of our windows. This is little tiny footprints on top of the snow. Every little impression make a pattern. It won't be long before we will be bringing out our linen clothes...or sewing some new linen skirts or blouses.

Bright Star Movie Costume Designs

Janet Patterson did an outstanding job with designing Fanny Brawne's clothes in the movie Bright Star. She designs 19th century costumes with whim and attention to details. For the above soft pink dress and coat she said, "I used the romantic valentine theme to select the fabric..." and she was off with her imagination and style. The dress is adorable.

While we are snowed in here in Maryland (I'm really understanding old-fashioned snowshoes now, not so beautiful but very, very helpful) sunny Los Angeles is hosting the 18th annual "The Art of Motion Picture Costume Design" at the museums and galleries at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. The costumes from the academy award nominees are on display. Winner will be announced in March 2010. The fun part is that Janet Patterson's costumes are there from the movie Bright Star! Also showing there are costumes from "The Young Victoria", "Nine" and "The Imagination of Doctor Parnassus."

I am beginning to really notice details on dresses because my dolls are somewhere between the romantic 19th century to the primitive peasant style to painted cloth dresses. I'm just starting to add ruffles to my dolls dresses. I saw recently laid my eyes on some antique dolls that were wearing accurate period clothing from the time frame they were made in. Amazing costumes. Very elaborate. If that doesn't motivate you to experiment and design with more detail!

I shall practice a few male costume designs on my westie dog, Sir Salty, first. How much clothing can he handle? He doesn't like hats that much or anything slightly binding.