Adventures in the Cottswolds

Some people don't go for cold, wet, old fashioned, and relative isolation, but if that's how you're going to describe a cottage in Oxfordshire during a chilly English summer I will call it heaven! The whole time I kept talking about being a senior citizen and living there, but that is still a ways off (-:. Here are some pictures of a slice of heaven.

There was a field of sheep in our backyard.

I love sheep.

My hair looked pretty crazy but it was wet and I was cold!

My oxfords were the most comfortable walking shoes I've had before and very snazzy!

The neighbor's dog and I got along quite well!

I didn't want to go to too touristy of a place, but Bibury was just down the road.

I really just can't resist Antiques stores.

I loved our house so much I was ready to stay!

Upcoming Projects (realistic and unrealistic)

I am an ambitious planner and often will organize all the details for a project without ever doing it. Here are the projects I'd like to do in the near future. Let's see how many I actually begin let alone finish! 

1. A 1910s corset; white, ivory, or pale pink with lots of lace and ribbons. I'll need to find some garter hooks and garters as well as make a lacy frothy pair of combinations. 
   
   
   
   
2. Six 1910s evening gowns (I know it sounds both ambitious and unnecessary but I need to outfit about half of a party!) They will all be made to my size and unfortunately most I will not be able to fit over a corset because I will probably be the only one wearing one. Sometimes accuracy must be compromised for practicality. So I have tried to design several so as not to necessarily need a corset. I'm making a harem pant outfit like Sybil's, a few drapey gowns, and one late teens one with lots of silk taffeta ruffles. 
   
   
   
   
3. I would like to make a robe á l'Anglaise in a blue and ivory stripe lined in pale pink worn with a cream petticoat. I was first inspired by a picture I saw at the Villa Ephrussi of a woman in a lovely purple taffeta jacket with oyster colored ribbons and petticoat (which I also want). On her chair is presumably a dress in blue and white stripes that appears to be lined in pale pink. It is so sweet and whimsical and appealing that I got inspired immediately. I was also reminded of the beautiful dress worn by Ducreux in her self portrait with a harp and the blue dress from the beginning of The Duchess that has a surprise lining as well.
   
   
   
   
   

 

4. With my fascination with Oxford and my interest in women's educational History, I was very inspired by the book Bluestockings by Jane Robinson. Therefor I decided I wanted to make an outfit or two of an early female undergraduate at Oxford. Since I've worked so much with the 1920s I wanted to go earlier and I (clearly) have a lot of 1910s on my plate so (though I may still make some 1910s day wear) I decided to try a scholarly outfit from about 1900. A skirt and blouse with a bolero...

That's it for now but who knows what my sewing schedule will actually turn out to be!

Adventures Part 2

Here are some photos of Cambridge and Oxford. I'm a historian in high school and have high ambitions, I'll leave it at that.

Queen's College Oxford

Oxford, they were having an open day when I visited so I crammed in visits to 4 colleges but wish that I had been able to fit in more.

Trinity College, Oxford

Trinity College, Oxford

Trinity gardens

At Oxford they draw symbols for every rowing race won by one of the teams from the college. I'm a rower so I loved how important an aspect of the society it was!

Oxford

Pembroke college, Oxford

my favorite antiques store across from Peterhouse college, Cambridge

Peterhouse college, Cambridge

Last year I did a summer program at Peterhouse so it was fun to go back and visit

!

Fitzbillies, the classic Cambridge stop for breakfast, lunch, tea, or their famous chelsea buns

Clare college, Cambridge

I'm pretty sure this is Trinity college but I'm not sure....  this is embarrassing

Clare gardens, Cambridge

Clare Bridge

The Fitzwilliam Museum of Art, Cambridge ~ one of my favorite haunts from last year

Cows by the river and punters on the Cam

King's College, Cambridge