Tiger Lily's Threads

Last year, I attended my first ever Military Through The Ages at The Historic Jamestown Settlement in Virginia as a spectator. This year, as a presenter... well, what can I say about this year's MTA?  It. Was. Awesome!  This year, I participated by joining alongside the WW2 unit the British 1st Para and the British Red Cross as a member of the Women's Voluntary Services.  A little bit about The WVS: It was a voluntary organization erected by Lady Stella Isaacs the Marchioness of Reading in 1938 at the beginning of WWII; They collaborated with both the Civil Defense Corps and Air Raid Precaution Services (ARP) and were responsible for aiding civilians during the London Bombings. As they sheltered survivors in the Tube (London's Subway terminals), the WVS provided essentials such as food, potable water, medical care, and donated clothing to those in serious need. Over the span of 53 days, the WVS mucked in on pretty much all tasks such as ambulance transport, salv...

In all my years of sewing dresses primarily from the 18th century, I've always wanted to make my own Robe à la Française, but many times have been intimidated by it's construction to be able to do it. I've looked at fashion plates, photos on Pinterest, and read countless blogs that some of my friends in the costuming and reenacting community have made of their own gowns, bought the pattern from American Duchess, looked through their dressmaking book for more detailed instructions (more on that later-trust me, you'll NEED the book), and lastly, stocked up on 9 yards of cotton fabric from a really good sale at JoAnn's' for me to experiment with (silk taffeta would not be the best option for a first time project). Keep in mind though, I started this project on September 19, 2019 in hopes I could get it ready for the Francaise Dinner in March 2020.  I was MORE than prepared... but still apprehensive to give it a try. So, all of the materials just sat in my sewi...

Back in March, before the nation was put on lockdown due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, I had the opportunity to participate in a living history event, called "Women & The Vote" at the First State Heritage Park in Dover, Delaware. As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment which allowed women to take part in the voting system, in addition to celebrating the biographies of famous American suffragists who pushed for equal voting rights.....let's hone in on that for a moment, because I'm about to tell you the other side of this important part of history. The stories of other suffragists who were not acknowledged for their contributions and were excluded purposely, all because of the color of their skin: the challenges of the Black Suffragists.  The Women's National Baptist Convent was one of the many black suffragist groups that petitioned for voting rights  Along with groups such as The National American Women...

I'm WAY behind schedule with keeping my posts up to date. So, I will try my best to remember everything that happened - or at least go over the highlights. Back in early November, Gadsby's Tavern in Alexandria, VA, hosted a Harvest Ball. I had a really great time that night and put my ballroom shoes to good work as I danced the night away with many friends who attended.  This event, I decided to pull out the old (but revamped) Waverly gown I wore back when I attended my very first ball at Gadsby's in 2013. Not much of a difference in color choices, but the zone front style look personally amiable to me rather than late 70's style the dress donned at first; also, upgrade on the accessories.  The evening started with me staying over my friend Beth's house in NoVa. She was a wonderful hostess, and I cannot thank her enough. Once we were ready for the evening, we headed into Alexandria and had dinner at Jackson's 20; By 7pm, we arrived at Gadsby...

2019 is finally coming to a close (whew!). As we all look forward to ringing in the new decade that is 2020, I want to look back on the projects that were done over the year with both sewing and public history. This year's sewing adventure was a challenge and a blast, as was all of the events and programs that I participated in. I cannot wait to see what awaits for me in the new year! Speaking of... On a very personal note, I feel very honored and blessed to have been able to participate in many wonderful programs, events, and projects over the year and want to take the time to thank everyone who supported me in every way. There's a lot that goes into what I do, and having a wonderful support group who has always been there with helping me gather research on specific topics, assisting with planning and development, with transportation and lodging whenever I'm working on a program locally or out of town, or showing support by attending the programs and events. I rea...