A work of art

 

Thanks to author Loretta Chase for posting this charming dress on her Facebook page.

To see the exquisite embroidery in more detail, visit 

                             Evening dress in Classical style, 1800-1810

 

on the V&A website.

From the V&A website: "This evening ensemble characterises Neo-classical dress of the early 19th century. The high-waisted style with short sleeves imitated the forms of Greek and Roman dress seen in surviving sculpture. The white muslin fabrics used for these gowns were either imported from India or, in the case of this example, made in Europe to imitate Indian materials. A design of acorns and vine tendrils has been worked in down the front and around the hem of the gown.

A scarf of knitted silk has been printed in a pattern similar to those of the popular Indian cashmere shawls.⁠

Evening dress of white muslin, embroidered all over in white cotton. The embroidery is worked in a pattern of French knots, with the collars, skirt border, and centre stripe embroidered in chain stitch. The design links vine tendrils and acorns. The dress has a low square neck adjusted with a draw-cord, and 'stomacher' front closing over inner lining flaps. The waist is high and the skirt cut straight and gathered at the centre of the back, fastening with a tape tie. It extends into a long oval train. The sleeves are short and have a 'vandyke' trimming."⁠

©Victoria and Albert Museum, London⁠

And many thanks to Loretta Chase for her wonderful novels.

We await the third Difficult Duke's story eagerly.

Regency stories with an Ottoman element - First part

There is a new interest in Regency period stories set in Mediterranean lands or else in the Ottoman Empire. Harlequin Mills & Boon is actively encouraging Ottoman set stories but with a strong English link. And there are some good stories out there already. Among those I have read are Amanda McCabe's series, To Catch a Rogue, To Deceive A Duke and To Kiss A Count, which have an underlying theme of excavations in countries like Sicily, Italy and Greece. Before that there was the deliciously funny Mr Impossible by Loretta Chase, which takes place in 1820s Egypt. Then there is my own April and May, which is set half in Istanbul [when Istanbul was Constantinople] and half in London.

Constantinople is a splendid setting for a story. Where else is there a city that sits on two continents, and where so many different cultures mingled with a reasonable degree of tolerance. That was a typical feature of Ottoman society - and although Istanbul is still Mediterranean and multi-cultural, the best place left nowadays where there is still full evidence of this tolerance is in Lebanon.