Should I be happy or sad?

I have a whole kit and kaboodle of apparel on ebay: skirts, vintage inspired things, Prairie, Victorian, and Regency things...

Take a look this way, if you please, my ladies!

Vintage Pretties

Today I hit 4 antique stores. Do I like them? Oh yes. =) With it being Labor Day, I figured that today many booths would have fantasic sales, and happily, I was right. I came home with a white wicker rounded plant stand (very early 1900s, in near perfect condition) that I didn't take a picture of, a set of hand embroidered dishcloths and potholder and the largest having the teapot design as shown on the pot holder, not-vintage-but-vintage-looking 2 yards of old fashioned American fabric, Little Women - copyrighted at 1915, a few yards of vintage lace, and a silver butter dish.

Autumn Sewing

Today I'm in the sewing room working on an old-fashioned blouse out of a lovely vintage calico. Dr. Quinn, Little House on the Prairie, or even Tasha-Tudor inspired. Take your pick.

All I have left is to do the sleeves, and hem it up. Then it will be ready for selling.

a Tasha-Tudor-day

In the last year or so I've heard some "talk" (okay, never mind. I've read online...) of a woman named Tasha Tudor who loved tea, homemade goodies, gardening, books, handcraft, knitting and a great deal of other things. Not to mention, when seeing pictures of her, she was wearing printed cotton dresses and seemed to have an old-fashioned essence about her.


Being a blog reader of Marmee's, I found that today's post was of "a Tasha-Tudor day" and linked to another site and apparently today would have been her birthday and several of those who she inspired, sort of honor her today. Personally since I don't know much about her, her life, and if she was a Christian woman and don't feel like I can really honor or endorse her.

Some Black-Eyed Susan's in one of my beds

But I do find her favorite pastimes to be quite parallel to mine, and it isn't everyday that you come across someone like that. Perhaps out of inspiration, I'll kick off my shoes and put on a cotton skirt, (a soiled black and white work jumper just won't do!) don an apron, make up a delicacy in the kitchen, turn a few more pages in my current reading of Dickens, make some tea, and weed the gardens.

To quote from another blog reader's recent post, "I am hopelessly lost in the wrong era."

Candy Pink Confections

So. Several weeks ago I bought many yards of Candy Pink and White (cotton) shirting fabric just because it was SUCH a steal to buy it. And I have several ideas, thanks to the dresses that Pleasant Company, aka, American Girl used to sell in their catalog.

I just love Kirstens's pinafore and Samantha's lacey apron. Realizing that I still haven't made up my mind with what to do with my white linen, I think it would make a great apron or pinafore. Now which of the dresses do I try to recreate?

Tea on the Veranda

Deciding what to do with a lovely piece of white, lightweight linen over Good Earth tea and a Victoria magazine. And of course, the soothing patter of rain on the rooftops adds to the happy scene.

"Marilla, look at the Puffs!"

Perhaps it was inspired by an "Anne of Green Gables" and "Road to Avonlea" kick, or maybe it was just from the love for old-fashioned dresses, but I decided to make up a girls size 14 dress using the fabric, buttons, and collar.

I'll be listing it on etsy this afternoon, but if any of you must have it, you can contact me privately first: ajoyfulhandmaiden AT yahoo DOT com.

In other news, I relisted my 1914 White Lawn Dress on ebay since the buyer who purchased it never paid me for it and after several polite e-mails, didn't contact me either.

Stay tuned for a bunch of hardly worn clothes of mine that I hope to sell, all from Christopher & Banks.

Victorian Girl Dresses on Ebay

Both are listed on ebay with details and pictures.

Ladies clothing will be listed within a few days. Maybe. It's breaking my heart to think about selling them. =P

Victorian Dreams

Creamy vintage lace and lovely blue floral fabric are being constructed into an old-fashioned Victorian dress for a young girl.

Final pictures will be coming within a day or two.