Wednesday 24 October 2012

Antique Wedding Dress......Glorious !


I wish that today's post could bring you a room full of prettiness. But there is a very good reason why it only brings you a very small section of a room full of prettiness.

First of all I do apologise for the blurry nature of these shots.

It all happened a while ago now but a friend and I were visiting an old historic museum.
My friend who I will refer to as 'Princess' (because she should have been one ! lol) accompanied me for the day.
We strolled in off the street and began to explore the old building.
Most of the rooms were full of dull 'boy things' to see.
Thinking to myself that we wouldn't be in here for very long, I walked into the next room.

JACKPOT !!
Antique wedding dress, lace tablecloths, old pedestal sewing machine, baby's cradle, fashions, handbags, shoes !!!
sigh.......

Heaven !

Unfortunately no photo's were allowed to be taken, but by the time we knew this I had already taken 2. I desperately wanted a close up of the wedding dress but *entering the hall outside came 'Mr Grumpy Mumpy' who was on patrol with his unfriendly face and waiting to pounce on any naughtiness ! (oops)

I was ooh'ing and aah'ing my little head off at all of the treasures that this room brought.
I was desperate to take more pics but I wasn't allowed too (boo !)

The Princess came into the room to see what I was making all the ooh's and aah's about and worked out why very quickly.
We stood looking at the glass cabinet of shoes from the turn of last century. These items were exquisite and in such fantastic condition. The dear parasol was beautiful and looked very fragile !

Shelves full of the most glorious lace were everywhere, but I wouldn't for the life of me pick them up or touch them. An old sewing machine stood to one side as if somebody was about to sit down and start sewing.  It was like standing in another time.

 I kept looking at the wedding dress. It was something amazing !
It was made of silk that had slightly yellowed with age, but still stood looking as exquisite as I bet it did on the blushing bride that originally wore it.  Bustles of heavy, ruched silk led all the way down to the floor and into a sweet little train. The separate jacket that was worn with it was made of such delicate ivory lace and trimmed with the same silk from the skirt. Underneath the jacket was a little silk bustle shirt. Most of the shirt was hidden under the jacket but the whole outfit was simply amazing. Hanging to the side of this dress was another dress. I wondered if it had been worn by the happy bridesmaid that had stood by the bride.
WOW it was soooo pretty!

I asked Princess to check the hallway

I asked her to start coughing as loudly a she could !

CLICK !!!!! went my bad, bad, bad camera.

I took only one ...... I promise ! lol
I wish it had have been more, but 'Mr Grumpy Mumpy' came to see what all the coughing and giggling was about. He looked at us suspiciously and we smiled at him and said how lovely the room was.

Shaking his head, he walked back out to his charge at the front desk.

After much giggling and one last glance around this room of treasure, we left the building.
In the short time that I had spent in that one room I had been truly inspired by times gone by.
A time where man walked gently on the Earth. A time when he worked hard on the land and women cooked in a fuel stove and sat by a kerosene lamp by night sewing clothes and making lace.
It was certainly a hard time but the whole era seems so romantic at the same time.
Oh I wish that I could wear beautiful dresses with hoops and carry a parasol and wear lace gloves. I am certain that I have been born into the wrong time !

Today I sit here and think back to that funny day where I was truly naughty, broke some rules and spent a lovely day with the Princess.  It's a day that I will remember forever and I wanted to share with you all.

Melanie
x

p.s. now you know why the photo's are blurry ! lol

I love those pretty blue shoes with the ribbon laces.
sigh.....


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