a taste of the Great Gatsby!

The Tapestry is closed over the winter (except for Thursdays) 

so I have time to crack on with other projects like my quilt.

Last winter I took on the volunteer role of
costume curator at The Folk and Costume Museum

It has so interesting, I have been like a small child in a sweety shop,
we really have some amazing pieces in the collection going back to the 1750's. 

Think my favorite so far is a pair of nubuck coachman's breaches from Government House.
The nubuck feels more like shammy leather, he would have been wearing them while

 sitting on top of the Coach and we all know what a shammy feels like when wet!!!!  

 But dry, they feel amazing, the problem it is their feel that makes them so special, 

so I have know idea how we will ever put them on display?

But this year the Museum is celebrating its 50th Anniversary,
 so our theme is Celebration. 

Upstairs we have a large display of evening/party dresses and a small display of wedding dresses.

But its down stairs I am most excited about,
entering the room is like entering The Great Gatsby

We are doing the 1920's, the ultimate celebration decade,

 the Bright Young Things partied and celebrated life after the horrors of World War 1. 

So I just wanted to show you some snippets of the amazing pieces on display, 

to see everything, you need to come to the Museum!
They re-open for the season on March 20th.

The twenties have a powerful draw for us all,
I think its because it really is the first decade we can look at
and think 'yes I would wear that today'  ten years 
before that you definitely could not say that!

When you look at the fashions from 1910 and then look at the 

dresses in the exhibition it really is one the most monumental jumps we have in fashion history, 

from massive hats, s-bend corsets and hobble skirts

 to calf length sack dress, bobbed hair and bras!!!!! 

I do hope all this brocade, feathers, lace, gold and beading temps you.

and I hope you enjoy it as much as Christian, Arne and I have enjoyed putting it together.

Amazing what you can find in the attics of a small island!

Dior darling deux

Following on from Dior Darling

After the amazing toiles and Dior ladies, you once again plunge in to the darkness....

.....only to emerge in the most amazing double, poss triple height ball room(?)

With what can only be described as a wedding cake of Dior looming over you,

it really does take your breath away.

the dress once again are amazing and I am running out of adjectives.

This one below is definitely one of my favourites, and one of the very early pieces, I remember seeing it in my Fashion History books when I was doing A-Level Textiles. Exquisite

And off course we all know this one, the launch of the New Look after WW2, which kick started the French Textile/Fashion industry, because of all the fabric in the skirt.  But the women in Britain had to wait quite a few more years for the end of rationing and Utility Wear before they could enjoy such glamour.  That is unless they had the money to nip over to Paris.....

Dior darling

Back from Paris at the beginning of last week, I do love that city!

And I was able to go and see the Christian Dior Retrospective in a wing of the Louvre.

Definitely recommend getting tickets before,

as you just walk right in rather than queuing for nearly an hour! 

Its very popular, even on a Thursday afternoon, it was heaving and hot, but the cloths are to die for.  You start in dark galleries the clothes spot lighted, all sultry and glamourous. Then you burst in to the light, and these beautiful white rooms with ceiling covered in cascading white paper wisteria, stunning.  And perfect for the more summery garden party style of dresses.

Then you cross the triple height fall way and up another flight of stairs and in to this amazing room

Full of toiles (early dress samples).

The displays in this exhibition are the best I have ever seen.

There were two ladies in a little alcove, they were from the Dior workshop, but not sure if they were dress makers or pattern cutters? It was the only part not well signed and the only part that I wanted signs! But sadly I was not brave enough with my French to ask...

But I was up for asking about the sample of embroidery and yes they do outsource to Lesage !

In the dark section you couldn't use your flash,

so I felt it was a good excuse to practice my sketching.

Very enjoyable.

If you are in Paris I definitely recommend going to see this exhibition, but do pre book!

More photos in part deux