I'm an Australian author of contemporary and historical romances, plus history non-fiction. My books range from sexy to erotic, late 1700s to the mid 1800s, and with a dash of Australia thrown into the mix. My heroes and heroines challenge tradition and my stories often expose the seamier levels of life. I now live in a sunny part of Australia after spending many years in developing countries in the South Pacific. My greatest loves are traveling, anywhere and everywhere, meeting crazy characters, and visiting the Australian outback. I hope my books bring history alive and you have fun adventuring with my roguish heroes and feisty heroines.
1830s Silk and Leather Shoes, Or Slippers, American. Flat black shoes with ankle ties and square toes. via Metropolitan Museum, NYC, U.S.A. metmuseum.org
1800s Typical Game Bird Dishes Served during the 1800s. These are the sort of dishes Jane Austen’s family would have eaten on a regular basis. Banded Partridges, Roast Partridges, Roast Surrey Fowl, Larded Guinea Fowl, Roast Plovers, Stuffed Capons, Roast Gosling and Roast Pigeons. From: 1850s- 1860s Mrs. Beeton’s Books of Household Management. via Google Books (PD-150)
1800’s Flat men’s shoes, presumably part of the livrée-like Römer servant’s uniform of the type worn until 1866. via historisches-museum.frankfurt.de
Textile of block-printed white cotton in madder colours with pencilled blue. The cotton is printed with 9.5 octagonal panels intended to be cut out and applied to patchwork quilts. Each panels contains a bunch of flowers. Around the inner border is an inscription of Princess Charlotte of Wales married to Leopold Prince of Saxe-Coburg May 2, 1816. In the borders are three Prince of Wales feathers, the Royal Arms, and a crown on each side. At the end of the textile is printed a rectangular panel containing the manufacturers name and in a corner is the name ‘G. Swindels’.
This quilt has an excise stamp for 1816 and is inscribed ‘John Lowe and Co. Furniture Printers, Shepley Hall’, providing the name of the only identifiable manufacturer of these panels, although there are likely to have been others. John Lowe was a well-known firm of calico printers with large cotton factories and extensive bleaching grounds close to the River Tame near Ashton-under-Lyne in Lancashire.
Hand-quilting is done on a frame using needles called ‘betweens’. The stitches are executed with one hand; the other hand is kept underneath the quilt to feel for the needle. Small, uniform stitches (usually a ‘running stitch’) are taken through the three layers to form a decorative design. In ‘piecing’ or ‘patchwork’, small pieces of fabric are sewn together to produce a decorative design. The most enduring method in Britain is done by hand, and is known as ‘piecing over paper’. The pattern is first drawn onto paper and then accurately cut. Small pieces of fabric are tacked round each of the shapes, and then joined together from the back using overstitch. Most of the quilt top visible here has been pieced over paper, but in some areas the fabrics have been applied directly on to the earlier quilt that forms the wadding.
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England.
1600 Pair of Backless Chopines. Pine-wood covered with punched kid leather. via Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK. collections.vam.ac.uk.
Definition Chopine: Women’s platform shoes worn in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. Used as a patten, clog, or evershoe to protect shoes and dresses from mud and street soil. Worn in Venice by courtesans and patrician women from 1400-1700.
These chopines are made of pine-wood. The wood is covered in kid leather with punched decoration and figured silk underlay. This pair are fairly modest. More extreme versions were over 50 cms high. Chopines were based on the shoes worn at Turkish baths. They were first worn by Venetian prostitutes and fashionable Venetian aristocrats then adopted them. The chopine was originally a form of overshoe, which is why it has no back. Later versions could be worn as either overshoes or on their own.
1816 Blue Riding Habit, French. High-waisted blue riding dress with a train, the long full skirt being necessary to cover a lady’s legs and preserve her modesty when riding side saddle. These riding habits were usually designed by men and were in two pieces, a jacket and a skirt, worn over a shirt. A military style bodice decoration, high pointed collar and a knotted pink dotted cravat worn underneath that imitate male styles, or even Dandy fashion. Sleeves are very long as was the trend in French riding habits. Yellow gloves and a masculine style beaver hat. This print was designed by Horace Vernet and engraved by Pierre Baquoy. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien. Although, there are very similar riding habit fashion plates in other magazines.
The type of outfit Jane Austen and her friends would have worn if they went horse riding. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819
1817 Pink Morning Walking Dress, French. High-waisted,high frilled neckline, long straight sleeves, triple layer of frills above the hem, bonnet with plumes, or feathers to decorate, and tied under the chin with pink ribbon, pink shoes and gloves. Most likely has white muslin dress with the white neck frill underneath the dress. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
Definition Morning Walking Dress: Worn out shopping, walking in a city park or the country estate. Presentable and warm, more fashionable than Morning Dress but not overly accessorized.
1817 Bridgerton and Jane Austen Style High-Waisted Pink Morning Walking Dress, French. #RegencyFashion #JaneAusten #Bridgerton https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819
1799 November 24th ‘Parisian Ladies in Their Full Winter Dress for 1800’. By Isaac Cruikshank. Ridiculing excesses of late 1790s Parisian high-waisted Greek look gowns of transparent fabrics and extremely low cut bodices.Full Dress meant every possible accessory was added to outfits.g. elaborate hats, reticules or bags, anklets and jewels. Via British Museum, London, UK. britishmuseum.org (PD-Art)
1831-1850 ca. Reticule, English. Round bag of crimson silk with embroidery and a drawstring. via Museum Of London.
1819 Pale Blue Redingote, Pelisse or Walking Dress, French. Blue redingote with pink bow showing off gorgeous neck frills and bonnet of castor decorated with tassels. The type of outfit young Regency Era ladies would have worn if they were out shopping on Bond Street, walking in a park, or taking a carriage ride through Hyde Park. Fashion Plate via Journal des Dames et des Modes, or Costume Parisien.
Definition Redingote Or Pelisse Or Walking Dress Or Coat: French word developed from English words, riding coat. Long fitted outdoor coat worn over other garments for warmth. Often left open at the front to show off the dress underneath. Sometimes cut away in front. Originally made with several capes and trimmed with large buttons. French fashion plates call these coats Redingotes and they are designed for women, men and children. English fashion plates call them a Pelisse, a walking dress, Promenade dress, or Carriage dress.
