Winter 2015-2016

    It's been a little quiet on the costuming front here this winter.  However, the clothing is never out of mind as you can see in the photo below ( the yellow dress is a replica of "Anne of Green Gables" Puffed Sleeve Dress ).  The collection is ever growing!

     Last week I helped some friends outfit themselves for a Downton Abbey dinner party for this weekend.  We used, and slightly modified, some of the early 1900's costumes we made in 2008 for the Cavendish Parade & Tea Party (the three photos below) when we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the publishing of Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.

Vintage Hats

     Recently I added a few 1950s - 1970's hats to my collection.  Surprisingly they've been coming up fairly often at local auctions here on Prince Edward Island.  
     Recently I bought the pink hat below on the right which came in the "Adella's Millinery" box.

     The two hats below were given to me by a cousin of my mothers, Mrs. Harriett (Carew) Frizzell - she wore the blue hat to her daughters wedding in 1972, 44 years ago.
     It's hard to believe these were fashionable as recent as the 70's!

The maeve hat below also came from a recent auction.

     Here's Gracie Finley below weather the maeve hat for an upcoming production of Blythe Spirit.

Here's the colourful collection!

Vintage Flappers Dress

     The great thing about making period clothing and costumes and becoming known for such work and collections, is that people give me historical clothing as they know I will restore and look after  them.

     One such piece is this 1920's flappers dress given to me in the fall of 2015 by the grand-daughter of Mrs. Raoul Reymond.  Mrs. Reymond and her husband came to the Stratford area of Prince Edward Island in 1925 from Geneva, Switzerland.  They came to take advantage of the lucrative fox breeding industry.  After the fox fur went out of fashion they turned to inn-keeping in summer at Dalvay-by-the-Sea and teaching music in winter to many Charlottetown families.  (c.f.  www.dalvaybythesea.com/history)