Schloss Bruchsal Update

Just a few small additions to the Post about the Bruchsal Rococo Ball, thank you Michael and Diana!!!

And thank you to everyone who made this day and evening special and fun!
By the way: I noticed on these pictures how awfully modern I was dressed. ;) late 1780s... wohooo.... should have worn my Francaise, but then everybody else would have been wearing their Anglaise-dresses, i guess. ;)

lovely ladies!

into the evening light we were dancing...

I am also an unbelievably fastmoving object!

the end.

All pictures have COPYRIGHT!

1750s Riding Habit - Janet Arnold

Let's say it's my "i'm mysterious" look. ;)

After receiving the program for the La Motte Tilly Weekend and reading the words "Hunt" "outdoor games" "Park" I was determined to whip together Janet Arnold's Riding habit (dated 1730s-50s). Luckily, the lovely Mme du Jard had copied and made the pattern previously so I could use her pattern and jacket for fitting purposes and didn't have to scale it up. :) Being a comparable size I didn't need to make many adjustments (again, lucky me...) and have come up with my version of the Riding habit. The original garment can be seen in the snowshill collection HERE.
I've started a collection of pictures of Riding habits in Pinterest, too, just in case: HERE.

I have used very dark blue loden cloth for both the jacket and the skirt (which is worn over small side hoops, rocking horse pattern, and a quilted petticoat). The pockets (which are fully funktional in the original) are just fake. 1. I would only use the hoops 2. I was running out of time. :) I didn't miss them a bit.
 I am also wearing a habit shirt, made from fine white linen, and white cotton scarf (thank you M. Beyschlag!). Out of reasons beyond my control (bad hair day...) I am not wearing a hat, which is nearly inexcusable. Concentrate on the green stockings instead.

green stockings! hunter's green maybe? So in no need of a rifle myself. ;)

here you can see another example of a riding habit with vest. and myself. and a very fine man with his rifle.

Snowshill Collection, Janet Arnold Pattern

Hoping to get some more pictures, too... :)

Chateau de la Motte-Tilly - 1768

Just a short while ago I had the pleasure of sharing a weekend at the Chateau de la Motte Tilly (you know, the one from "Dangerous Liaisons", ... Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Uma Thurman... oh lala!) with the Association Le Bosquet. Here are some impressions of the stay:
I've been wearing the Chardin Francaise (JPR), the Walpole Francaise (JPR), and a Riding Habit (Janet Arnold). All garments are more 1740s-60s, but still suitable for the late 1760s.

dans le parc du Château de la Motte-Tilly, avec Mme du Jard, black and white ( Walpole Francaise, JPR)

we're going on a bear hunt!!

Walpole Francaise

No bear but a baby on the run!

(C) Coltrane Koh

(C) Coltrane Koh

back view of Chardin Francaise (C) Coltrane Koh

(C) Coltrane Koh

(C) Coltrane Koh

I'm not quite sure...

I LOVE green stockings, Janet Arnold riding habit

you can only see about 1cm2 of it BUT i AM wearing red stockings. ;)

bye bye Chateau de La Motte-Tilly!

Please respect the Copyright of the Pictures

the wolf at the door - a quick and easy draught excluder

It's cold, it's wet and it's definitely getting winter...
This is the first winter in out new home, so we still have to get used to some things. One thing I refuse to get used to is draught (ice-cold!) coming in underneath our front door, from the hallway. Having 50cms of furry, wolfy material and some felt I whipped together a 60mins (at most...) wolf-draught-excluder.


all you need is approx 50cms furry fabric, a bit of red felt for the tongue, a bit of black felt for the nose and the underneath of the tail, a bit of grey (or whatever colour) for the inside of the ears, and 2 buttons for the eyes. And somethings to stuff it - I used scrap fabric loosely stuffed. ;)

wolf draught excluder "pattern"

this is how to cut your 50cms piece of furry stuff. the long thin thing is the tail. you can do it nicely by sewing it, i was lazy and just glued black feld on the wrong side of the fabric. Works just as well. Then I sewed grey felt right on right onto the two "ear-triangles" and turned them to the right side.
From a piece of black felt I folded a trazezoid shaped nose and stiched it together by hand.
Then by machine I sewed the front, side and belly part of the wolf together, leaving the bum area open for stuffing. ;) Then I stitched (by hand) the ears, nose, tongue and eyes on the desired place (longs seam being the belly and thus facing to the floor) and attached to tail to the bottom. Stuff your animal and close the back opening. Finished. Lucy loves him, he's called "Yay".
Have a cuddly winter, now you have a wold on your doorstep, on the right side. I'm sure he'll keep the other ones away.