Friday, October 06, 2006

Vintage Lingerie

A couple of Vintage Elegances ago, I picked up an addiction. In a way, it was not unlike my first visit to Fleur de Paris, where I was swept away into a millinery manic/obsession/compulsion state of being from which I have never recovered.

At that VE show, there was a fashion show uncovering (get the pun?) the history of Lingerie from 1840 to 1950.

Oh la la...and wowzer.

I gained a new appreciation of corseting, which was at one time needed to keep females from looking like they were in snow suits, after donning multiple layers of undergarments.

And I was exposed (oh gads, potentially another pun...) to hand sewn peach silk and hand-made lace lingerie from about 1910 to 1940.

What was at the show was out of my price range...or at least what my mind thought was out of my price range. But the addiction had taken hold.

I couldn't get the image of the beautiful pieces out of my mind once I got home.

And like any collecting person knows, the next thing that will dominate a lot of your time is search ebay to find a bit of collecting heaven.

Ebay prices on vintage lingerie are rising. There are several
on line vintage lingerie stores as well, with eye popping prices.

What stops me from buying everything I see is the knowledge that I (at 33" waist this morning, and a 43 inch hip, after losing 4lbs so far) am too big to fit most of the lovely stuff.

I would love to buy and give to brides to be, instead of the tawdry nylon stuff that passes for romantic today. When I see a slip with a 34 inch bust or panties with a 24 inch waist, I want to buy, and hope I will be invited to a tasteful bridal event for a mere slip of a bride, who would drool over such elegance and history.

And I promise myself that I will lose weight and sometime soon will be wearing these kinds of items myself.

Photographed is my first purchase, a chemise.

I'll periodically post other items.

Oh, and added fun: since these items were hand made for the very wealthy, frequently they have the former owner's name or initials on the item. My fondest hope would be someday to find something with my own initials.

On something that fits.

As long as there is ebay, and VE, hope springs eternal for my quest.

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Thursday, October 05, 2006

See & Sew

Yes! It's easy.

Or so the envelope says. I got this fabric a few weeks back and the pattern, thinking I'd make a nice autumn sheath with sleeves. Just one piece in front, two back pieces, a facing and two sleeves. I plan to line it in a black cotton...autumn is still in the 90 degrees outside and humid mode, so the cotton works best for lining when needed.

Layed it all out on the dining table. Realized that the verticle darts means I had better add the two inches extra for my long torso (so long that I was eight and a half months pregnant before people started asking when the baby was due. I had a slim, even taller and longer waisted friend who hid TWINS on the way from her folks, just for fun. Her husband helped, we knew she was expecting, so it was amazing to watch her pull it off!)

Anyway, the pattern and fabric have been on the table since Friday, before the Bell's Palsy kicked in. My energy level has been kaput since then. I keep looking at the lay out , and the mauve hat and then just kind of fizzle out.

On a more positive note, friend Jeane in Colorado showed me her "Time Goes By" dvd while I was visiting there in August, and got me hooked. A BBC production with Judi Dench, it was available at the local library, or at least volumes 1, 3, 6, and 9-13. Since it is difficult for me to read right now, and I'm still awfully clumsy with just one eye open (the other taped closed), I've been spending my evenings hanging out with Jean and Lionel and the gang, admiring all the smart clothes, and wishing someone around here would offer me a cup of tea. Even if I would probably dribble it terribly with the paralysed mouth and all.

I do wonder, how do they keep those shirts so crisp? And do UK guys really wear shirts and ties to meander through the park? I don't remember seeing that when I went to London and Scotland. But on the other hand I do remember seeing the guys in kilts while I was there, and that is enough to still make me smile. At least on one side of my face.

PS to Jillytees: Thanks for the note. I needed that!

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Monday, October 02, 2006

Traveling and moving, winking and blinking

It was an interesting weekend.

Laura and my parents flew from San Diego to Phoenix, Arizona and visited with my dad's twin sisters. They are all in their eighties, and I should have hopped a plane to be there for that gathering. One twin lives in Oregon, the other Arizona, and my folks in San Diego so these reunions rarely happen.

Laura video'ed as much as she could. Apparently the hot topic was hearing aids.

From there Laura and my folks headed down to Mexico to see the Copper Canyon by train for a week.

Meanwhile, son Jeff up in Salt Lake moved into his very own town home, as a first time home owner. Congratulations!

And I went to an antique show, church and out for lunch.

At the antique show my eye felt dry, my ear, lips and jaw started tingling.
That night my ear started hurting. I had swam a few days ago and figured it was a little swimmer's ear.

Laura called before they crossed the border into Mexico. Nurse Laura said ear aches usually resolve themselves in 48 hrs. And I should wait until Monday, if isn't better, go see a doctor.

Sunday afternoon my right eye was no longer blinking. My sense of taste was wonkie, everything tasted metalic. A smile was only one side of my mouth.

I'm typing this with a square of saran wrap over my eye to keep my eye moist.

In a few minutes I'll be leaving to go sit in the doctor's office and find out if I am right in thinking that I just got hit with Bell's palsy.

Stay tuned.

Update: The Doctor said Bell's Palsy. And ordered a MRI just in case its a stroke or brain bleed.
I had the MRI "STAT" (when Laura gets back I want to know if "stat" stands for something or if it just sounds like something you should do right away.

I haven't heard back on it yet, this being Tuesday morning, but I think if there was a problem I would have heard.