Show & Tell Friday: "Presentation to the Queen" Doll

A few Show and Tell Fridays back, I showed a few of my lady dolls. This week I am showing another one; like the others, she was bought some years ago from Franklin Heirloom Dolls. I believe I bought this one in the mid-1990s.
To see my Marie Antoinette doll, click HERE.
To see the 'Gibson Girl Bride' doll "Gemma", click HERE
And to see 'A Night at the Opera in Paris' doll, "Eveline" click HERE

She didn't have a name (like the others), so I named her "Margaret". This doll was called "Presentation to the Queen".

She has beautiful green eyes, and curly dark auburn hair.

Her gold jacquard taffeta ballgown with a tulle overlay has a daring decollete neckline, trimmed with gold lace.

She is posed with her head and gaze slightly inclined, her gloved hands have gathered her voluminous skirts in preparation to perform a proper curtsy.

Margaret must be a lady of importance to be meeting the Queen and if she was being presented at court wearing a tiara and a dress that was not white, we can assume that she is married.
In the Victorian Era, there were fewer exciting experiences for young women than presentation at court. To be presented at court, she had to be of a higher rank, and she had to be "sponsored" by another lady who had been previously presented at court herself; preferably her mother, but any older woman of impeachable respectibility and high rank could be a "sponsor". Divorced women were not allowed to be presented at court.
There were rigorous rules and dress codes for presentation. Preparation for the event took weeks; learning to perform the proper curtsy was most important and most girls took a class on how to do it properly.

Unmarried girls usually wore a white gown, with a full train and usually a tulle headdress with some kind of feather adornment. It was not uncommon for women to have their wedding dresses altered into a court dress. Queen Victoria hated small feathers, so three large ostrich feathers, arranged in the 'Prince of Wales' plume was the mandated headdress during her reign. Court-dresses were short sleeved and it was absolutely mandatory that the dress be low-cut.
Cloaks, shawls, capes or wraps were absolutely not permitted to be worn.
Married women were allowed to wear more color, but they usually chose softer, muted colors for their court dress and they wore a tiara instead of a tulle headdress and feathers.

The excited young ladies and their sponsors lined up outside St. James' Palace on presentation day, and waited for hours in their carriages for their turn to enter St. James' Gallery, where they waited again until they received their summons.
The ladies were lined up in the Gallery in order of precedence; that is, based on their rank and the importance of their father's titles and then they were ushered into the Queen's presence. When it was her turn to be presented, the lady handed her card to the Lord Chamberlain, who would announce her name, and she would move forward to the Queen's throne, which was usually on a dais in the middle of a very large drawing room, surrounded by other royalty.
The lady would perform her full curtsy, praying she would not trip on her train, and that her feathers would stay in place, and would kiss the Queen's hand. Afterwards, she would rise, perform the full curtsy once again,  genuflect to the other royal persons in attendance, and would have to exit the room by backing out, but not before reaching behind her to gather her ten foot train and drape it over her arm gracefully. With one more curtsy to the Queen, she then could back out of the room step by step and the ordeal would be over.
Practicing a graceful exit backwards was just as important as learning the proper full curtsy; it was the height of impropriety to turn one's back on a royal personage.

This short ceremony, which took weeks of preparation, allowed young un-married ladies full membership into fashionable soceity and the "Marriage Market" and all it's priviledges. Presentation at court allowed fashionable ladies to attend court functions, balls and parties without which they would have been excluded.

Margaret's court dress has a bodice adorned with gold lace and pink ribbon roses. Small sparkly jewels that match her necklace are also on the bodice.

The skirt of her dress has pink ribbon roses, gold braid and gold lace to match the trim on her bodice.

When she raises her dress to do her curtsy, just a hint of her pretty ecru lace trimmed petticoat shows. She also wears shoes with pink bows.

Her pearl tiara matches her earrings and necklace.


Thanks for stopping by!
I am joining Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday!

Crafty Things: Hand-Crocheted Baby Afghan #2

At long last I have finally finished the second of two baby afghans that were on my project list. The first one I was working on over the winter was for my nephew B, who was born in January. I managed to finish it in time to give it to him as a baptism gift in February. Click HERE to view B's afghan.

And because my step-sister was also pregnant at the same time as my sister (but not due until April), I started working on another in late February in hopes that I would have it finished in May for the planned baptism. Well, my niece N didn't want to wait until April; she arrived in March. The bapstism was moved up to April and I was not finished with the afghan. Nor was I finished with it in May. Or June. Or even early July when my step-sister and her husband came down from Minnesota for a visit!

But finally, I managed to finish it.....so here it is:

The pattern was called "Granny's Love", because it's made up of granny squares whipstitched into strips, then the strips are whipstitched together, and finished off with a pretty lacy border.

Granny squares are easy to make and actually go very quickly; there's no reason it should have taken me so long to finish it. I actually had it about half way done by April, but then with spring and a million other projects going on and the busy days of summer and yard work and everything else, time got away from me and I didn't work on it for almost two months! Very bad of me, I know.

But I guess my niece N won't mind; she doesn't need an afghan in summer, am I right??

I also bought her an outfit.....Girls clothes are so cute, aren't they? It's more fun to shop for my nieces than my nephews. Unfortunately, until N came along in March, I had only one niece amongst FIVE nephews!

Thanks for stopping by!

Dishing about New Dishes

Hello all!
I had the most terrible cold this last week; I hate summer colds. I rarely get them, but I was at a child's birthday party last week Sunday and my baby nephew B had some kind of cold, so I'm sure that's where it came from.

Anyway, I treated myself to a little antique store browsing earlier today, to look for goodies to add to my budding blue transferware collection and also for glassware and stemware to add some variety to my tables.

I resisted buying more vintage linens, but I couldn't resist buying this strawberry apron to add to my apron collection. It's so summery and cute!

I also found this Delft blue Holland hand-painted tile and had to have it. I love these, because of my obsession with blue and white.

I also found five of these blue transferware B&B plates that I want to use with my Spode and my other antique pieces of ironstone blue transferware. These are English ironstone, marked Staffordshire on the back.

This dinner plate and matching B&B are Japanese and were marked Masuka "Chatham" on the back, but the pattern was so pretty and matches so well with my other pieces, I had to have them.

I also found a cup and saucer, which is also Japanese. It was marked "Blue Normandy" and also a set of 4 Delft blue hand-painted egg cups.

The egg cups have the flower design on one side, and say "Holland" on the back with a windmill.

I saw these 'Swanky Swig' Tulip glasses, made by Hazel Atlas Glass, c.1941 and fell in love with them.

I just thought they were so pretty....and I also envisioned how nice they'd look on a table with my green dishes and the dishes I found at GW that have red cherries on them.

I also found this white wicker plant stand and knew I had to have it for my porch!

One of these years I think I will spray paint my black metal chairs white. I've had them so long; I think I bought them at Wal-Mart years ago when I was living in an apartment that had a little balcony where I could sit outside. I'd also like to get some more white wicker furniture for our porch; maybe a couple of chairs, or a love seat.

Thanks for stopping by!

Summer Sunday: Summer Breezes

Early in July we enjoyed a week of really perfect summer weather; the kind we seldom get here, especially in July. The temperatures were at enjoyable high 70s and low 80s, with low humidity, and lovely cool breezes. I opened the windows every day so I could enjoy the summer breeze. I also decided to capture an image of the summer breeze playing with my lace curtains, which amused me for quite some time. I had just washed these curtains also, so I got the scent of freshly laundered linens wafting through the parlor as a bonus.

Sometimes just a small pleasant thing, like watching the breeze play with the window curtains, can make your day.  I also admit that when I see it, I always think of that Seals & Croft song, "Summer Breeze". :-)
"Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine of my mind...."

Thanks for stopping by!
I'll be joining The Tablescaper for Summer Sunday today!