Natural Form Era Tea Gown

Greetings to you all!  I hope this finds everyone happy and healthy and getting ready for Christmas!  Is your house all decked out and ready for the holidays?  Mine finally is, although I have misplaced 5 wreathes that I use in my decorating, which is quite vexing to say the least.

Lately, life has been really busy and sewing has been slow and sometimes non-existent, but it is only a season and soon (like in a couple of weeks when Colton gets three weeks Christmas vacation!!!) things will pick up again!  Huzzaaaaaaah!!!  I have been putting the finishing touches on my 1850s mourning bonnet to go with the dress then that project will be completed.  Next up will be an 1840s stripe silk taffeta gown and I so cannot wait to begin it!

Today at my church we had our annual Christmas tea and Mama and I were table hostesses.  I thought long and hard about whether or not I would wear my Victorian Tea Gown.  Since we were using Mom's Royal Albert Old Country Roses china set that is very Victorian looking, I decided to go ahead and wear the gown.  I am so happy I did too as it was a great place to wear it and it was after all a tea party!

Back in June of this year, I wore the dress as a Natural Form Era Maternity Gown for the centennial celebration of Mary Hallock Foote day at the Boise Public Library.  I knew as I was making it that one day I would be ruching the front panel and moving the tab that goes across the front down to the natural waist line to make a Tea Gown.  Can I just say that the plum satan...er...I mean satin, was a total and complete pain in the neck to ruche!  AND there were 12...TWELVE!!! new rows of ruching that needed to be sewn.  It took me something like 3 days to get all the rows ruched and then backed with the same fabric so the threads wouldn't pop.  Because, had those threads popped, there would have been a crater where my house is because I would have become apologetically cross and exploded.

Oh ya, and I also made a lace cap like the ladies would often times wear during tea time! Since my tree is up and happy, I thought it would be fun to do the photo shoot around it and not with my tea cart as the tea cart is currently in storage. Hahahahahaha!!!  Many thanks to my fabulous husband for being my photographer today!

Sweet Rosie Dog is always wanting to get in the pictures!  She is such a sweet heart!

Mama and I at our table.  Aren't her dishes beautiful?  Just like her!!!

Before I sign off for now, I want to share with you the pictures that we took of my side of the family this Thanksgiving.  I am so truly blessed to have these people in my life.  They are so fun and I love it when we are all together!  It is loud and crazy and hectic and awesome!  Having my parents' house full to the brim with everyone does my heart very, very good.

The Grand kids.

The Grand kids with Papa and Nana.

Oh my family...you delight my heart!

What a crew!

My sweet family.

The Girls.

The Guys.

The delights of my heart!!!

I hope you all have a most fabulous week my friends!

Be Blessed!

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