I Could Have Danced All Night…

Hello, One and All!

I can’t wait to let you see what I did just yesterday – I went to the grand Regency ball at the Assembly Rooms in Bath, England!  This is the one main event in England that I have been looking forward to the most throughout all of 2013, and which I have sewn towards with the most diligence and anticipation. 🙂  Moreover, this gown I sewed is entirely stitched by hand and made of 100% silk (excluding the lace overlay), and I sewed each ribbon flower and gathered all the ivory ribbon by hand as well.  The bodice is all embroidered with pearls and “smocked” with tiny bubble ruching that took me quite a long time to do. 

Once I get back to the U.S. of A I will let you all see how the dress looked from the early stages of construction through to its completion. (Update: the link is now ready here!)  But at the moment I want to focus on the day’s monumental events and the most amazing “grand and glorious party”!  So without further ado, here are some pictures!

The dancing continued for hours and hours, even after dinner and dessert had been served in the formal dining rooms.  In the very room where Jane Austen must have danced over 200 years ago, hundreds of ladies and gentleman in full Regency garb danced the night away under the sparkling chandeliers of the ballroom…  I cannot possibly imagine a more joyful or uplifiting time!  And when at last the clock struck midnight, it was with great reluctance that we all headed out into the chilly night air to return to the twenty first century. 

But this most marvelous evening will forever be etched in my memory, and I promise to share more pictures (and possibly even videos) in the near future.

Happy dancing!