So while normally I would be posting about 
sewaddicted and I swanning around at Supanova, this year, neither of us were feeling it. We had decided before it came around that due to the heat, we wouldn't be wearing costumes, and we bought weekend passes. We went on the friday, spent a couple hours looking around, and we were done. Instead we bummed around, watching netflix and taking a trip up the coast. It was so relaxing and we got to just hang out.SO! Next on the list, was a Regency Tea that was held as a Housewarming for one of the girls. I was her maid for the afternoon, and I originally wanted to make an apron as well as a dress, but I only just got the dress done in time. The dress is one that was made from the latest Butterick pattern, mostly because I had that on hand, and I know I don't really have to spend alot of time altering them. It was also completely out of stash.
I'ts pretty (although I do need to make a new chemisette), fits well, and is comfy. It was pretty quick to make, and I din't change the pattern, except I did my usual 3 panel skirt. This dress will be handy, and works in well with my mix and match regency philosophy, given it will go with all of the spencers I currently have, and one or two that I plan to make.The day itself was pretty hot, and by the end of tea, I had stripped off my stockings, which I am sure would have happened in the 1800s here! There ended up being one hell of a storm that afternoon though...
Obviously a wealthy household, they had a pineapple!
We also wandered around the garden...
As always a great group of people to hang around with!
W had told me about an opportunity to go to the blue mountains, a couple of hours outside the city, for a weekend in regency. Given that our Jane Austen Festival is prohibitively expensive for me, I took the opportunity as a potential replacement for going to JAFA.
We arrived on Friday night to our hotel, which was just down the road from the location of most of the events, and settled in. It was an old hotel, but still clean and comfortable. Bonus was that the hotel had a good restaurant in it, so we were set.
Saturday started with a talk on Georgian and Regnecy fashion in Australia, and since W was wearing georgian for the talk, we felt it our responsibility to join her.
I made a new outfit for the occasion, I could have worn my archery gown to match Dinah's, but I couldn't help it, having watched outlander, I knew what I wanted!
I'm not overly happy with the stomacher, it matches, but it's kinda... "meh". I think I need to make another. We were of course called up to join the talk since we could portrary several different types of georgian and regency fashion.
The hall itself was super pretty.... And I decided that if I lived there, we would be doing events in it every other weekend!
After the talks, we were free to go get our own lunch, and then come back for some dancing practice.... Which only 2 of us went to. The rest of us went back for naps, some shopping and reading...
Saturday night, however it was time for a ball! So once we picked our the 2 that did go to the dancing up, we came back for some dinner, and to get dressed. Our rooms were quite.... messy! The photo below is the shared room that 4 of us had. We had one other member in the party who had booked after we did, so she had a not so messy room on her own.
The ball went pretty much how you would expect... There was a grand parade..
Shennanigans..
Card playing over in the naughty corner
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OH yeah, and some dancing...
So we pretty much had an amazing night, even the supper provided was amazing! The only thing left for the evening was Bonnetpalooza... This is a term my husband coined for when I go off for balls and weekends away involving costuming. He apparently imagines us in historical gear with glowsticks and whistles like we were at a rave. So now it's a thing. And given it was halloween, our lights had to be halloween themed!
Sunday we woke up and head off to another talk, this time about the history of some Australian soldiers that fought in a number of battles that you wouldn't think happened. For example, there was an Australian born soldier at the battle of Waterloo. A whole family of Australians that fought in the Civil War (didn't even last a day). And even some Australians that joined some Canadian soldiers on a mission to burn down the White House. Erm. Sorry about that one American friends.. ;)
I pulled out the raspberry spencer again, but lost it pretty quickly, given it was stinking hot (we ended up having a storm that afternoon!). We strolled around the historic house we visited, there were shennanigans (when aren't there though), and generally enjoyed ourselves. There was also a picnic, but given we weren't really prepared for a picnic, it was nowhere near as enjoyable as our trips to cafes over the course of the weekend.
Eventually we had some photos back at the hotel before removing the last vestiges of Regency fashion.
All too soon our weekend was over, although on Monday we did some road tripping back towards the airport. It was such a good weekend, so relaxing, and so much fun, that I'm probably going again this year! :)
My Reenactment group, 19th Century Queensland has established a bit of a tradition now, where we do a camping weekend that isn't really an immersion, but it's our chance to do some activities in period dress, and work on developing some ideas for shows (honing our craft, so to speak).This was held on a weekend in September last year, and as usual, we had a wonderful time.We set up camp, then got dressed. Our intention was to do archery practice in kit (it is SO different than doing it in civvies), then have a relaxed evening having some dinner. On the sunday we had an impromptu picnic planned, at which we would do some singlestick practice, which I still haven't managed to do yet (we only had 3 singlesticks at the time).Did we manage all of this? Yes! Yes we did! It was also an opportunitiy for us to get some more photos of us doing these activities to embellish our website some more...Some archery! Some members that have taken some time off to have a couple of kids came to visit, which was really lovely. e finished our Saturday with a lovely rainbow over the encampment...
We dressed for dinner on Saturday night, giving us the chance to wear outfits we don't get much of a chance to wear... We had dinner by candlelight inside the hall, and I was awarded the Lytton Cup, which is usually awarded to someone that has gone above and beyond the call of duty. I'm quite proud to say that I am the first Lady in the group to have ever recieved such an award and I was deeply touched. It really is lovely to be appreciated in such a way.
Sunday we awoke bright and early for picnicking and singlestick, and we were joined by an ex-member of our group, and one of the Australian Costumers' Guild. 
Sadly, a storm rapidly approached us midway through the afternoon, and we did possibly the fastest packdown and pack away I have ever seen. Still, we had a marvellous weekend, and I was pleased to spend time with some great people.
So 3 months ago I went to picnic at pemberley, the annual regency "picnic" that the Abbey puts on.
I enjoy going, it's expensive for what you get, but I know so many people that go and it's a really relaxing event to go to.
This year was no different, although there were two things that really disappointed me.
There were way too many people, so the whole area felt really cramped. There were so many plastic (urgh) tables and chairs that we were stuck over in a corner where we couldn't really be seen or see that much. The cost also irks me. Every year I bring my own food because you only get 1 or 2 biscuits and a cup of tea. So I kinda begrudge paying as much as I do for food.
But! Aside from that, the company was excellent, and I had a couple of new pretty things.... A new spencer, and a new matching reticule.
The pattern isn't truly historically accurate, but I like it none the less. It looks great with all of the dresses I currently have, so I call it winning!
So to give you a general idea, the picnic goes along the lines of arrival, then "Mr Darcy" welcomes you to Pemberley, Maypole,Dancing, Food, Games, napoleonic musket firing, sunset, go home.
Sadly, the only part of all that I really partake of is the food.. haha... Most of the time is spent wandering around, finding various groups of friends to say "Hi!" to.
So back at the start of September, we had a Victorian picnic at a historical location, Newstead House. The House was having a "beer and boaters" day, so I thought it appropriate to make something new.
COMPLETELY FROM STASH! Booyah! I oped for an 1890s to allow me to wear my boater for the occasion.
I went with a butterick pattern that has long been in my stash, and while I've made one of the other blouses in this, I really wanted to try the froofy sleeve. And I have to say that I adore it.
The skirt is the Truly Victorian Umbrella skirt, which is made out of a shot tafetta. Originally I had earmarked this fabric for a remake of my Scarlett O'Hara skirt, but I think if I do that again (and that's a HUGE if), it'll be out of a silk rather than a poly taffeta.
All in all, I love this outfit. The blouse is lovely and cool, being as it's made out of a light cotton, and I received some really good feedback about the outfit. So YAY!
The day itself was alot of fun. We were well recieved at the house as well, and we even managed to go and have a beer/cider in the afternoon.
