I’m back…but just barely. You’ve never seen a wedding until you’ve seen an AFRICAN wedding. The groom was from Zimbabwe, Africa, and he had family in from Zambia, Zimbabwe, England and more places than I can remember. They know how to visit, dance, and party till the wee hours of the night. They were partying “African Dance” style and they had a blast! It was very fun to watch them! The wedding started at noon on Saturday and was still going strong when we left at 10:15 that night. (I heard that it went until 2:00 in the morning!) It was wonderful and very joyful for all of them to be together, but let me tell you, my hubby and I were pooped out. We helped do some cleaning up and I helped serve the cake… 16 Tres Leches cakes….if you know what those are!
I didn’t want to share any pictures of the wedding without the couples permission, and they are obviously not here to ask, so I’ll wait. :o)
There were hundreds of people who attended and today (Sunday) we had a huge picnic for those who were came from out of town and wanted to visited with all the other alumni. It has been in the works for a couple of weeks and we finally pulled it off today… It was 91 degrees outside but wonderfully, there happened to be a slight breeze to keep us all from melting! I was too busy and never even thought to snap a single picture, so I don’t have anything related to the wedding…but I do have some dresses with trains to show you… the rest of the blue Regency dresses. I have 8 dresses in various blue fabrics to share with you.
I hope you’ll enjoy them…
Traveling all the way to March, 2008, we find Josefina modeling a blue Regency dress for me… I’ve certainly made a few regency dresses from this fabric and still have some left… FOR MORE if need be! I didn’t give this one a name back then…
If you click on any picture it will enlarge.
The second oldest dress in the lot I’m showing you today is from December 2009. Elizabeth is showing off her modeling skills in an aqua blue and brown print dress with a brown corduroy Spencer… No name for it either.
This next dress is a taupe and blue print dress and I just had a very nice subscriber email and tell me she had this one flagged as a favorite and thought I had forgotten to list it when I showed the first darker blue dresses. She’s had it saved since July, 2011! How flattering is that for me to think someone liked it enough way back then to save it! It was another nameless dress set.
This dress is actually a dark navy blue with a purple flower in it, so I included it in with the “blues!” It was made in February 2012 and Elizabeth did a stunning job of modeling this one. It’s one of my favorites… I thought she looked beautiful in it… again…no name…
I had a Marisol doll for a very short while… actually this next Regency dress was the only thing she ever modeled for me. I had a hard time photographing her darker skin…but she had the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen…I called this dress “Enchanting” and it was made in April of 2013. Actually, I had this one listed and I called the color turquoise… and the lady who bought it, thought it looked more like teal..so she said she wanted to return it… (First time ever!) I was goofy and refunded her money before I actually received the dress back from her… Then she emailed me and said the color was growing on her and she thought she’d keep the dress… Now she had the dress AND my money from the refund… A few days went by and I was sweating bullets… but about 4 days later she sent me back the payment and I finally breathed again!
Another dress I made from that blue rayon fabric was one I just showed you a few pictures of the other day, when I was copying the bonnet to “Blissful in Blue.” I called this one “Details Matter” and it certainly had lots of them. It was made in August of 2013.
Ellowyne, by Robert Tonner, modeled a few Regency dresses for me and I loved how she could be posed with a shawl about her shoulders. This dress was called “Elegant Designs for Ellowyne” and was made in September 2014. Doesn’t she look gorgeous? Sorry…but I’m prejudiced a little bit.
The last blue dress done in the Regency Style was one for Janie… my 13″ Dianna Effner, Little Darling. As you can see, it’s the same fabric as Ellowyne’s dress. It was soft as a tissue and so perfect for gathers. It was called, “My Littlest Regency Girl” and was made in November, 2014. I thought Janie looked so adorable.
Well, I’m all out of blue Regency dresses and hope you enjoyed the slide show!
Any favorites in the bunch?
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
I went to a Nigerian baptism once and it was much the same. Endless energy, endless food, beautiful clothes, lots of dancing. It was indoors in air conditioning, thank heavens, and I still have my dress which I wear on Halloween, not having anyplace appropriate to wear it. It’s bronze with sky blue and silver embroidery, and the bronze goes badly with my skin, so I now wear it over a black turtleneck and it looks fine and is warm on a cold day — Thanksgiving is always cold here.
I like Josefina’s dress because it’s so simple and the bonnet is charming. The outfit suits her time and place. The woman who loved the taupe and blue was certainly right. I like the simplicity of the dress with the elaborate hairpiece. The dark blue and purple works the same way — simple dress, elaborate hairpiece — very appealing. And though the sleeves are much the same throughout, there’s something about the way the fabric worked with these sleeves that make them special. You’ve been doing beautiful work for a very long time.
HI Marilyn,
I bet your baptism was close to this wedding celebration! It was really fun to be a part of it all. There were lots of lace and embroidery dresses at this wedding…and HATS too…lots of hats…and not teeny hats, big ones!
Thank you very much for your sweet compliments on my dresses from the past. I have been making them for a long time and think I’ll KEEP on making them. The Regency dresses have so many options! :o)
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh my goodness, can’t begin to pick a favorite again. They’re all stunning! And of course, I’m in awe of the hats and headpieces. The grosgrain ribbon on the headpiece of the taupe/blue dress and the navy/purple dress is beautiful! It looks vintage and not at all like the ribbon sold these days. I LOVE it! The straw hats are adorable too! I’ll say it again-you are an amazing, talented lady.
HI Beth,
That ribbon you are talking about was some sold at Hobby Lobby and made to look vintage. It was my favorite kind and one day I went in Hobby Lobby and they were discontinuing it! WHAT? How could they do this to me… It was marked down but not cheap… I bought $78 worth of ribbon that day… and still have some, but will be sad to see some of the colors go.
Thank you so much for your compliments on my work. I DO love to sew…and I hope it shows!
Blessings, Jeanne
Where do you get the energy to do all that for your church and friends and then post this wonderful blog? You two are amazing! Thanks for another post detailing your many talents. The hairdos alone are worth a post, let alone the beautiful clothes and hats. Congrats on another great weekend, taking care of us all. And I noticed our email addresses show up automatically on our comments.
HI Susette,
I guess I married the Energizer Bunny and he married one too! We just keep going and going until we can’t. I sure was ready for bed last night… I’m glad I saved some of those blue Regency dresses for a second post.
If you go to Pinterest and just type in American Girl hair styles, you’ll see some really amazing pictures. I just usually make mine up as I go… I had never really looked at the pictures until today when I saw a few people mentioned it. There are styles on there that make mine look so simple.
I don’t know where you mean about the email addresses showing up on the comments… I don’t see any emails on mine…unless I go into the “dashboard” of my blog and click on the comments section…then I see email addresses…
Let me know how you see yours…
Blessings, Jeanne
So glad the wedding was enjoyed by all. What a wonderful celebration you got to join in on. Thanks for sharing the joy.
Like the other ladies have commented, all of your blue Regency dresses are so, so elegant and beautifully made. Couldn’t you just see a portrait painted for each of them in your lovely gowns? I totally agree with Susette about the hairdos! But, I will chose “Elegant Designs for Ellowyne” as my favorite. You have a gift for giving each doll a dress very becoming for each of them. Thank you for taking time and energy to share them all with us as well as your perception on the wedding and picnic. You’ve experienced glorious earthly fun.
Blessings.
HI Becky,
I wish I had some pictures to share with the story, but I guess I can do that later and it won’t matter too much. It really was a nice wedding and filled with so much LOVE! You should have heard the tribute Kudzai’s mom gave about him… :o)
I do love that Ellowyne doll too, Becky. She was the first Robert Tonner doll to have the glass inserted eyes and I found her from a lady on a doll forum for $120. Now you can hardly find one for less than $350-$400. She’s pretty rare and I think it’s because of those eyes! Aren’t they beautiful… she could be in rags and still look good!
I HAVE experienced glorious earthly fun this week! Now I just need to catch up on some glorious sleep!
Thanks Becky,
Blessings, Jeanne
Sounds like a very special wedding. So nice of you to help make it happen.
I really like the taupe/blue set. And the delightful hairpiece. Looks so nice on the lovely Elizabeth.
Sounds like you need a day to yourselves. Wonder what you will be making next?
Thank you Joy,
A day to myself? I doubt that… I’m not sure what’s coming next… but we’ll see…
Thanks so much,
Blessings, Jeanne
I believe my favorite is the dress for Ellowyne. I find her an enchanting doll. Her eyes just capture me. I have quite the crush on her. The dress is a beautiful accompaniment making her even prettier.
Hope you have a good day. Try to stay cool.
Take care.
HI Charlotte,
I guess I should have named Ellowyne’s dress “Enchanting” instead of the one for Marisol…
I’m glad you enjoyed the dresses, Charlotte.
Stay cool? The only way is if we stay inside… it’s 86 degrees but the heat index makes it feel like it’s 96! too hot for me!
Thanks Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
That must have been some wedding, Jeanne! I noticed how late you posted the blog, 4:30 or so! I know how that goes when you are busy with things, and then forget completely to take pictures! it happens to me all the time!
Oh, those lovely blue Regency dresses! I could look at them all day and never get tired! I absolutely love the dark navy blue dress with the purple flowers that Elizabeth is modeling, and that fantastic hair-do and hair accessory! You need to show us how you do those hairstyles, like Susette mentioned. Ellowyne looks so pretty, I wish I had room for someone like her. She has such a delicate, graceful look that most dolls don’t have.
I got my watering done this morning, and am in for the day. Too hot for me!
HI Linda,
Yes, it certainly was… we all were calling it the wedding of the century! If I had worn something with pockets, I might have remembered to take some pics, but I didn’t, so they weren’t thought of…
I like that navy and purple one too. You should have seen how many pictures I took of that one…. must have been zillions! :o) She was very photogenic in that one…
I totally agree with you too, about Ellowyne… she looks like a princess in that dress, doesn’t she? She is VERY fun to pose… and is very delicate and graceful with her long fingers.
It was really hot out today, wasn’t it? Too hot for me. A dear friend is in town and we were going to visit in my gazebo, but we opted for Subway, in the air conditioning… wimps, we are! :o)
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi, Jeanne! There’s a facebook game that I play everyday and have since June of ’09, called YoWorld. It used to be YoVille but got sold and resold and the name changed. Anyway…it’s a girly game, sort of, because it’s mainly about decorating. You earn coins (or buy them) and then buy items to decorate your houses with. They come out with new “themes” faster than anyone can keep up and one of those themes not too long ago was an African Wedding. I distinctly remember some of the colorful and unusual items in that theme and in fact have even purchased a few in the last few days because our latest theme is an African Safari and some of the things go well with it. Your story about the wedding sounded glorious and I was able to picture in my mind some of the dancing and visiting as theirs is such a rich, lively and colorful culture. I agree with whoever asked, “where do you get the energy because I wouldn’t have lasted an hour! Blessings as always, for all that you do!!!
Thank you Bobi,
I guess once we get started, we just keep going, until we can’t go anymore. My hubby is recovering well from the Chemo and gets stronger each day. He’s not at 100% yet, but he’s getting there!
How fun with your African Safari game… I remember one of those games called Sim City where you had to buy and build your farms… maybe it was something similar…
Yes, this wedding was certainly rich with liveliness and colorful culture! Even the way the bride walked into the reception room… every time she took a step, they circled around her in dance… :o)
Thanks Bobi,
Blessings, Jeanne
The hairdos — several of us commented on them. Tutorials on hairstyles would be nice. The headpieces deserve splendid hairstyles, just as you have given your very lucky, beautifully dressed dolls.
Thank you Marilyn,
I think everyone should go to pinterest.com and just type in American Girl Hair Styles and you’ll be amazed at what you see… I’m sure many of them have directions and tutorials… I saw a few I’d like to give a whirl…
Thanks so much,
Blessings, Jeanne
What an honor for you and George to take part in such a wonderful and joyful celebration, Jeanne, but I hope your Monday brings you both a well deserved rest. My niece’s wedding on Saturday was much more intimate with only 120 guests, but it was a lovely observance, and the toasts were very touching. (And because I was otherwise occupied on Saturday, I want to acknowledge Joy’s cute dolls and the sweet swimsuit she made for Libby. The fabric is charming, and the ruched style with ric-rac trim is adorable. Great job, Joy!).
Your past couple of posts have had me in Regency Heaven, Jeanne! I just adore all of these elegant empire gowns with their complementary hair-dos, headpieces and accessories, and I particularly love all the charming features of “Details Matter,” which they surely do! You have successfully flattered each of your lovely models with a unique and exquisite silhouette, and I would be fine if you decide to entertain us further with a fashion parade of your Regency dresses in other colors! ;0) Thanks for a review of some of your finest masterpieces, Jeanne!
Why, thank you Anne. It is a fun pattern, and Libby loves her new swimsuit.
HI Anne,
Well, our day was restful but we are dashing off to see his brother tomorrow… he is very sick and is asking for George. We’ll be gone a few days I’m guessing…
I guess June is the month of weddings… lots of June brides lately!
Thanks so much for your very kind words about my Regency dresses, and the headpieces and even the hair styles… I’ve always loved playing with hair… people and dolls hair.
I just might have to show those other Regency dresses while I’m gone… thanks for the idea…
Oooooo… I love the word “Masterpieces!” Thanks for that!
Blessings, Jeanne
It sounds like you had a fun-filled weekend, and a busy one! Tres Leches cake is one of the favorite kinds in my part of the US–I guess you probably know the name means “three milks”. I think most everyone likes it.
My favorite dress is the one on Ellowynne. It fits her so well, and the simplicity of the design suits her.
I’m hoping you had a peaceful day to rest up from the weekend!
HI Carolyn,
Yes, I love the Tres Leches cake too and know about the 3 milks part… that’s why it’s so good, I guess! They had 16 of them… small, medium and large! It was Tres Leches heaven almost!
Several ladies have liked Ellowyne’s dress… I loved the way she looked in it when we did our photo shoot… What a beauty, isn’t she?
Thanks Carolyn,
Blessings, Jeanne