I keep looking at Chrissa (for now) in her pretty white blouse and thinking how comfortable it must be because it’s so lightweight and dreamy looking. She told me she wasn’t in any hurry to get out of it. Little does she know she only has about 2 days left to wear it. Poor thing…she doesn’t know how it “works” around here. :o(
There’s just something “nice” about white, isn’t there? Especially when it’s a Pretty White Dress!
This was a Regency dress made from the same fabric as Chrissa’s blouse. It has to be one of my top 10 dresses… maybe even closer to my top 5! I LOVED IT!
Here is another Regency dress in a very similar fabric, but it was slightly more gauzy and a bit thicker than the one above… still it’s not too shabby! :o) Again, Elizabeth got the honors of wearing it…
Here is an earlier Felicity of mine in a pretty white ruffled dress… with a hint of color…
Lanie wanted to show you her white blouse…yep, made from that same white with silver thread fabric. I told you I LOVED it!
I guess I didn’t have as many white things as I thought. But it’s too late in the year to add to my collection…so I’ll have to wait until next year. Oh well, I hope you enjoy looking at the few I showed you and I hope they made you feel cooler!
I added one comment at the bottom of yesterday’s post, but wanted to thank you again for all the kind comments you shared about Simon. He is a cute little guy…or maybe he’s a she…we still aren’t sure. :o}
See you Monday!
Blessings, Jeanne
Talk about “eye candy” today! My favorite (even though I don’t think of myself as a “regency” person) is the second one. It’s gorgeous enough to be a wedding gown, I think, provided Elizabeth were old enough to get married! Although I do like the other fabric, this one is my favorite as to the fabric. Just perfect in every way.
We are preparing to paint the exterior of our house (well, WE aren’t–our days of getting up on tall ladders are long gone!), and yesterday the guys were power washing the east side. That evening, when Ron and I were going out for dinner, we noticed water in the basement! I threw down a couple of towels, and then tackled the job when we got home again.
Come to find out, we have a small crack/leak in the foundation; back in the early 80s we had an excessively wet winter, and the same thing happened–the water soaked down so far, it came thru the crack. I had forgotten completely about it! (And, of course, the water made a path from the east wall all the way over to under the stairs on the west side of the house!! Arrgghh!!) So, I spent three hours down in the basement last night, sorting and moving stuff and pitching a few things. It was discouraging, and my back did not take kindly to all that bending and lifting–I could hardly wiggle by the time I got upstairs!
BUT…..I found the most beautiful little wardrobe (purchased at a doll conference quite a few years ago) that will feature in some pictures soon! I had totally forgotten about it, so that was a really nice surprise!
hi Charlotte,
I’m going to have to scrutinize my two dresses and discover why several of you like #2 the best… :o) now you gotten me all curious.
I know lots about a wet basement. Sometimes when it rains, the water flows down the steps like Niagra Falls…sump pump!! That’s what we have to have. Dehumidifier…the second thing we have to have! Our basement looks creepy to me…1892 stones, old as dirt!!
Hope you get yours fixed so the painting can begin.
Blessings, Jeanne
âGirls in White Dresses…â
Elizabeth in the second dress is my very favorite, .. agree with Charlotte:) There is something so beautiful about a white dress:)!đš
hi Shara
I like yor title better… so I’m going to change my post a little bit… :o)
Thanks. Blessings, Jeanne
Isn’t it wonderful when you find something you love but have nearly forgotten, like Charlotte did? Something I loved and had not forgotten and wanted to see again is that top white dress, which I missed bidding on. You’ll have to make another white Christmas dress. I thought it was only white shoes you couldn’t wear after Labor Day. Fall has its own lovely colors and then winter comes and white is fine again.
I shared the Simon story with my family and a couple of friends. You told it so well, Jeanne. We weren’t expecting a happy ending. I’m so glad there was one.
Hi Marilyn
You are SO right… it IS shoes you aren’t supposed to wear. I might have to do a little editing on my post. And I like Shara’s title, “Girls in White Dresses” better too!
I’ll have to consider another white dress…just because you suggested it. :o)
I’m glad We weren’t the only ones who enjoyed “the Simon story.”
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
These are a few of my favorite things… Nice to have something to sing about. Love the white.
Here not so white. Brown sky, smoky, and hot. Firefighters doing their best. Big boy air tankers flying over with retardant drops yesterday. Several towns to the north on the edge. Wind shift today doesn’t look good, and we are expected to have more dry lightning (the cause of all of the fires) tomorrow. We’re fine for now. Hoping more progress is made today in snuffing out the fires.
Stay safe, Joy! Praying the fires get under control soon. We were in Florida during the wildfires of 1998 because we were given a friend’s loan of their timeshare. We were in St. Myers and then went to the Everglades and Sanibel Island. It was fun, but super hot!
We did find some lovely shells. I especially like the Cat’s Paw and I found a nine arm white starfish that someone had put on a piece of driftwood way up by the condos and forgotten.
Prayers are with you for your safety and your properties. I’ve been reading about those fires and it’s a bad situation. My mother’s brother and his family lived in San Bernardino from the 1950s on. Never remember them talking about fires. Are they more prevalent today?
Saw the fires on TV last night! Oh Joy please stay safe. I remember the terrible Black Saturday fires in Melbourne a few years ago. When I went over for a visit we went up to the hills and passed Maryville where the worst of the fires were. All these driveways and gardens with no houses looked so terribly sad. My eldest son lives in Melbourne but no where near where the fires were thank goodness. (It’s a big place. The whole population of New Zealand could fit in the city!) I always said I wouldn’t visit in the Summer, far too hot but after he had his stroke two years ago I went over just before the end of the school Summer holidays to help get my grandaughter to school (miles away from where they were living, I had to DRIVE there, very scary) and to help look after him when he came home from the hospital. Anyway it was as hot as I expected, then it started to get hotter and hotter. They had a brand new house and air conditioning was too expensive for them but they did have a cooling system which worked quite well until the power went down through the overload! It was so hot in the house we decided to go to the Mall which would be cooler even if the power was off. Actually we thought they would have generators. The temp was 44C which is 110+F It was unbelievable. We stayed in the mall and had cold drinks till the power came back on. Unfortunately it was only very tiny with very few shops and a supermarket so there wasn’t much to do but at least it was a bit cooler! (They didn’t have generators). Amazingly when we walked outside the temp had dropped considerably, still hot but manageable. Robyn (my daughter-in-law) told me that before back Saturday they had 5 days of those kinds of temps and on the Saturday it was the highest ever recorded in Melbourne at 46C (115.5F). I find it so frustrating (but understandable to a certain extent) when people refuse to leave and try to save their house! I know you lose so much but most is replaceable. lives aren’t. Any way as usual I end up writing a book, Sorry about that! Stay safe Joy
Anne I love your stories. Since our “sofas” are so far apart, this is our only way of getting to really know one another.
Just a quick update. More evacuations to the north, including my cousin and family from their ranch. Very hot today and so smokey. But, now the wind has shifted and it is much better. Finally cleared enough so the air support could do some drops. We’re also getting more fight fighters. Haven’t had nearly enough with the size of the fires. Estimated at 314,000 acres so far.
Am I the only one who is a fan of the first dress? I love that one. Maybe because it seems simpler in a way. The lace on the second one is a bit too modern for me, and I prefer the sleeves on the first one too.
Thanks everyone for your encouraging comments. đ
Hi Joy,
I can’t imagine what you all are going through out there in CA…and then still find time to check in…
Maybe it’s just you and me on dress #1… I haven’t checked the comments below yet…
It just seems more dainty than #2… maybe I just like it better because it my first one in white…oh well…
Stay safe Joy… we’ll be praying things get better soon…
Blessings, Jeanne
hi Joy,
I bet all you do throughout the day is look out the windows and listen to the news…
Please be careful…
Blessings, Jeanne
Yes that and put together a new mattress that arrived yesterday. Four boxes and obscure instructions. But, all together and we’ll give it a try. Was so hot. But, now with the wind shift, much cooler and more comfortable.
I think that is it on #1. More dainty. đ
I have to go with the second dress as my favorite as well. It’s the way the trim is pointed upward on the bodice with the sparkle and the extra little sparkle to the sleeves. I do love the headpiece for the first one. I’ve seen those in the bridal section of the craft stores. The gloves are always a perfect final touch.
Marilyn’s correct it’s just white shoes and white purses that are out after Labor Day. White in the winter is fine, even elegant. I had a winter white pair of pants as a teen with a lovely angora sweater..
Did you see Simon today?
Hi Laura,
Well, I have to agree with you and admit I do like the sparkles on the 2nd sleeves…and I do like the headpiece on the first.if I DO make a 3rd white dress, I’ll have to do a combination of both dresses…
We haven’t seen Simon all day…kept watching for him, but he never looked out. Rebecca just got home a little while ago and threw a couple of marshmallows and some Captain Crunch up in his hole…”in case he wakes up and needs a midnight snack” she said!
Thanks Laura
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, you have done it again. The dress is stunning! I am sure that Mr. Darcy would have asked this Lizzie to dance in Pride and Prejudice (smile).
I am a big fan of period outfits as they lend themselves to much fantasy play with Mamas and their doll children. Any dolly wearing this dress would definitely be channeling her inner Jane Austen.
hi Dorothy,
You are too kind with your compliments about my dresses. I wonder if I would have been a seamstress in decades gone by? I wonder if I’ll be a seamstress for years to come? (Hope so!)
Thank you so much. Dorothy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Have you checked your family history? My great great grandmother was an English dressmaker. đ
It is so nice to have everyone sharing their thoughts and stories with us sofa sisters. Charlotte has a very good example of why not to discard a box just because you havenât looked inside lately. What a find. Charlotte Iâll bet you had a real smile on your face in the midst of cleanup. Joy I am praying for everyone facing those terrible fires. I donât always remember who lives in what area but I sure think of my sofa sisters when things happen be it fires, floods, Storms, protests, or a family stuck in a bad situation. Hope angels are with you all. Which brings me to white dresses. I like the second one too. Itâs a little more sophisticated but the embellished pointed lace at the neckline is all it needs. And the bow/band in her hair is perfect as that time period wove accessories in the hair. Canât wait to see whatâs next.
Really enjoy the Simon updates. I feed birds and often have deer, rabbits even wild turkeys at the feeders. The birdbath is also very popular. I hope Simon is learning about local nuts, berries, vegggies (corn soon?) and fruits in case you all get to go on a deserved vacation! Love love love your blog.
Thank you Dorothy,
I like it, too. When everyone shares stories and trips down memory lane, and new dolls received and all the rest.
We are hoping Dimon found some berries or nuts today as he never poked his out the tree today. Last night he was like a bottomless pit eating all evening long…maybe he was just full today…we hope so…
Blessings, Jeanne
I love the second dress, but believe it or not my favorite is the first one. I’ve seen that dress before and it really sticks in my mind whenever I think of Elizabeth. All the white clothing is beautiful. Here in Texas we really don’t pay all that much attention to the “white from Memorial Day to Labor Day” idea. Since it’s hot here until November, we don’t even think about what we wear until it becomes too cold to wear it. Since most of our white shoes are sandals, we’re well aware of when it’s time to not wear them. I have winter white slacks and a beautiful winter white sweater. The sweater requires something under it and I have a lovely green turtleneck that looks great. I wear it on Christmas Eve. Very festive.
I feel for Charlotte’s water issue. We had that a lot in the one house we lived in when I was little. My dad was trying to create a recreation room in the basement but it kept flooding. We eventually moved. Don’t know if the problem was ever solved. What a great find for Charlotte! Every now and then I get a surprise that makes my day. Something I bought while out searching for something else. I pull the something else out of the bag and put the other up. One day I decide to empty all the bags laying around and it’s like Christmas.
I discovered yesterday that we have a hurricane headed our way. They say it could be Texas or Louisiana in it’s sights, but of all the lines that show the trajectory the solid red one is straight at Houston. There are a few days left and anything can happen, but Houston still hasn’t recovered fully from Harvey. They say it could be a tropical storm when it gets here, but Allison a few years ago was a tropical storm when it arrived. Problem is, it wouldn’t leave. It sat over Houston for days raining continually. Funny thing is I live 50 miles west of downtown Houston and we didn’t get a drop of rain. David was out of town in Austin on a job and he wasn’t watching the news. He had no clue what was going on in Houston. When I moved to Texas I lived in a town that flooded because of subsidence caused by all the plants around it siphoning the groundwater. Houston has another problem. When you build a huge city on a swamp and cover every inch of it with concrete it’s obvious flooding is going to be a problem. Most of this area used to be farms and ranches, even when I moved here back in 1969. Then developers went nuts and now when we get a lot of rain there is nowhere for it to go. I live in a rural area which is still largely agrarian. When it rains here it has places to go. During Harvey we were the staging area for the people helping in Houston even though we were getting a lot of rain ourselves. Where money is to be made, common sense makes a quick exit.
hi Barbara,
Whenever I think of white dresses, the first one is the one I think of most often.
I guess if it’s too cold to wear sandals, it’s time to give up the white shoes. :o)
Flooding, hurricanes, fires, and a pandemic… I’m glad we have each other and our stories to share…
I’m thankful for each and every one of you!!
Blessings, Jeanne
White dresses are so elegant. I would pick the first one if it didnât have the front bow. It ties in the back with a bow so the 2nd one is extraneous? Redundant? Superfluous? Iâll stop. They just feel fun in my mouth when I say them out loud!
Julia,
You are SO funny…I wish I could hear you saying these words in person. Your comments made me laugh out loud!
Thanks so much
Blessings, Jeanne
I’m with you Julia on the front bow. Repetitive. đ
Oh doggone it, I just lost what I wrote! Well, will try again! I also like the second dress the best, and I think it is because of the beautiful lace that is on the bodice. I love the way the train flows so delicately with this fabric! I am not one to put a 10 year old in a bride dress though! I do think that Elizabeth looks older with her hair up, as do most of the dolls. If you can believe this, my Betsy McCall actually came in a bride dress, as ridiculous as it is! She has never had the occasion to wear it, but it is a pretty dress and very well made. Maybe for Halloween? I usually have all my dolls wearing their white dresses for
First Communion in the spring, and even my Indian doll, Kaya, who has a white leather outfit.
I am of the age to remember about not wearing white shoes after Labor Day, for sure. So silly some of those rules were, and are!
Oh water in the basement problems! We had that and had to get the house jacked up and then had a sump pump installed. Not cheap, but oh so wonderful to see it rain and not have to worry if the basement is flooding!
Iâm joining with everyone else here to hope and pray that your house and surroundings stay safe, Joy. It is hard to see such devastation in that beautiful state. I also hope that the tropical storms heading to the gulf states donât do much damage. I think we all have enough problems with Mother Nature!
Hi Linda,
Some dresses just look more grown up than others. I guess these white dresses might be on the verge of being too grown up for a 10 year old. I guess as long as ladies like the way they look, I’ll keep making them though.
But I do like the pretty little girls dresses best…the 10 year old kind!!
Congrats on getting your basement fixed “the right way!” I was down in ours today looking for some paint for my sewing table legs. Still creepy!!
Thanks Ljnda,
Blessings, Jeanne
I love both your white dresses but I really like the way the gathered ruffle trim looks on the skirt. Was that trim already on the fabric? The embroidery touches make it special too.
Glad Simon is back…hope he doesnât catch what his sibling had.đ˛
Charlotte you have my sympathy…we have had water issues in the basement twice in the last two years. It does make you clean and sort though. So happy one of the bags had something fun in it to do. So sit down and do it and rest your back. Those Salon Pas that you see advertised do work toođ
Barbaraâs comment about âwhere money is to be made common sense takes a quick exitâ is so true!
hi Kathie,
Do you mean the ruffled trim on the neckline and sleeves of the first regency dress…or were you talking about the little ruffles in the fabric on Felicity’s dress? If you meant Felicity’s dress, yes, those ruffles were already on that fabric.
We didn’t see Simon all day today…and hope he is okay too…maybe he’s just full from all he ate last night. He seemed like a little piglet…
Thanks Kathie,
Blessings, Jeanne
I love the ‘Girls in White dresses’ (I think there is a song in there somewhere!) I am starting to recognise the different dolls too, I knew it was Elizabeth. Regency was always my favourite era for fashion. I loved both of the Regency ones and would be hard pressed to choose which I like the best.
I wanted Sam to see the post but she was a bit busy yesterday. Greg didn’t even get up to put wood on the fire and when it went out asked Sam to relight it! I think there is a song in there too. Grrr
P.S Your site doesn’t like my spelling Jeanne lol!
hi Anne,
Yes, the reference to “Girls in white dresses” is from a song Julie Andrew’s in “The Sound of Music.”
I love the dresses of the Regency era too…
Sorry Sam is still not being appreciated….that’s such a hard place to be in.
Thank you Anne,
Blessings, Jeanne
Anne maybe you are thinking of the song, âMy Favorite Thingsâ. From âThe Sound of Musicâ Julie Andrews sang that.
hi Linda, thanks…
I said the same thing! :o)
Blessings, Jeanne