Part 1: Sewing Chronicles of Lady Lizbeth, Secret Diary of a Time Traveling Maid: The Bloggers apologia

The Sewing Chronicles of Lady Lizbeth
Secret Diary of a Time Traveling Maid

Part 1: The Bloggers Apologia

Though clever with your needle ye may be,

Keep always humble in regards to your skills

And the service thou do’est for mankind.

For tis not admired in maid or matron 

to place herself above others...

Unless she be well favored by fortune or birth

Pithy Sayings of Lady Margaret Hoby

May 14,  2011/1581

In historically interesting times, authors often started off their books with a long epistle concerning how EXTREMELY unable they were to engage on such a project as the book, that their reader has just picked up. This requisite apologia, an apology for daring to consider themselves worthy of such a project, might go on for paragrqphs or even pages!  It probably also served as a ready defense for any scholars who came along and disagreed with them. The author has already publicly stated,  I TOLD you I didn't know what I was talking about!

In this same way the modern day blogger prepares her defense against irregular digital production. My online vindication goes something like this.

I certainly MEANT to keep up my regular blog postings as soon as I got here to London. But I'm sure you'll all forgive me when you hear what's gone on since I arrived....

As those of you who faithfully read this blog, and listen to it's companion podcast, “Unpolished Performances” already know, I'm taking a few months off between leaving my last job (Miss you folks. Let's do lunch, I mean it!) and starting my new contract in the fall. I was last in London five years ago, and wanted to see how things have changed. Also my facebook friend Gwen, was  looking for someone she could sublet her London  flat to, for the summer (though don’t mention it to her landlord will you? I'm not sure the deal is strictly legit.)

What a great chance to get some sewing in! You might have noticed that this blog has been a little less than fashion-forward since January, but I mean to make up for that over the next four months. Gwen told me to make myself free with her machine and I fully intend to, just as soon as I stock up on a few metres of fabric from Liberty and visit that cool sewing store, Stitch and Beads , in Portabello Market. I’m hoping the market will turn up some delicious retro fabric to go with the beads, and maybe a vintage pin. Won’t I just have a wonderful bag when I’m done? And, I’ve already made a muslin of a breezy, shirred Burda magazine blouse pattern. It’s crying out for a mixture of Tanna Lawn from Liberty, maybe that gorgeous William Morris “Strawberry” print for one.

I was already writing blog entries in my head about my trials and tribulations when it came to fitting and finding the right buttons. And it’s always fun to share what the gals are wearing who walk by on the street below the flat window (Color and lots of it, mustard and turquoise, and yes those same ruffles we’re seeing on the shirts and tops back home. I saw a lot of zouave pants too.)

But it was that trip to the Victoria and Albert Museum that really put regular blogging on the back burner.

* * *
To Be Continued

Romancing England: Reflections on Kensington Gardens

Please click on the illustration above to enjoy the full reflection

My guess is that this heron is contemplating a spot of time travel back to the nineteenth or eighteenth century. Perhaps she's reflecting that Lady Fiona Garden,  one of  Queen Caroline's* ladies, is always a good mark when it comes to feeding the wildfowl. Of course there's always danger for a bird of her ilk, the court being rather fond of heron-in-a-pasty. Then again a little danger adds some spice to the trip.

In three out of our four trips to England we've visited Kensington Gardens along with as many of the other big parks as we can. As exciting as London's mega-cityness is, we start to suffer from nature-deficit disorder if we don't hit some green every day or so. 

When we look for a flat to rent for the week, we look at the different neighborhoods on the map and try for one that's within walking distance of one or more big green areas. I was glad I'd learned this travel-planning skill visiting London, when I went to Madrid last summer (please click on Pensamientos Finales for thoughts on that visit).

*You remember Q.Caroline, she was George II's wife 

Romancing England: Working Out in Northumberland

Click on the illustration above 

to enjoy more of the Northumberland detail

Journaling Out The Jitters

Click on the illustration above for more jittery detail

I was so nervous before we left for England. I'm not sure why.


Probably the thought of all that time travel in addition to jet lag.

Listen In on ..The Lost Gold of Chuckwalla County, an Unpolished Performance free in the iTunes Store

A Dime Novel Begins: Prelude and Chapter 1 

This is the beginning of a low-brow dime novel, that the folks in my adventure-romance novel, FOOLS GOLD, are reading. And they're picking up clues to help them out with some of their own problems.

* * * 

The May radio-style podcast episode of "Unpolished Performances" is an excerpt from an historically-styled  dime novel, “Amanda Apple and The Lost Gold of Chuckwalla County”. Download this audio show directly from the iTunes store with this link (or search the iTunes store with the term 'unpolished performances') 

You can also listen to the streaming version of the show  on the web at 

http://web.me.com/simpleromantic/Simple_Romantic/Podcast/Podcast.html

* * *

As many of my readers and listeners probably know, dime novels were popular middle class entertainment in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. They became available not long after the Civil War, as public education increased in the U.S., and the country was suddenly full of readers. At the time publishing technology was also improving, and equipment could be more easily transported by rail.  Serial stories in newspapers and magazines, which continued to be published during the height of the dime novel craze as well, are said to have inspired dime novels. Dime novels, and their cousins Penny Dreadfuls,  are often viewed as the predecessors to inexpensive, modern paperback novels.

I’m writing this serial, to assist the inhabitants of an adventure-romance novel I’m working on, called Fools Gold. Back in 1893, Amanda Apple and The Lost Gold of Chuckwalla County, is proving to be a popular read in the town of Measley Nevada, where much of Fools Gold takes place. The dime novel is also providing some of the residents of Measley, with helpful clues when it comes to the recovery of their own purloined treasure.

 * * * 

I'd like to hear your comments about The Lost Gold of Chuckwalla County. You can post them below.http://web.me.com/simpleromantic/Simple_Romantic/Podcast/Podcast.html

Traffic School Blues and Goober Peas

Though I've done my time INSIDE as well

Today's musical piece is dedicated to You-Know-Who-You-Are

Sung to the tune "Goober Peas"

Sitting in ole Starbucks.... on a summer's day .

Chattin' with my caf' mates,

Passin' time away.

Underneath the shadOW! of a traffic fine,

Goodness how delicious, cappauccino so devine

Chorus

Traffic School, Traffic School 

Doin' traffic school

Goodness how delicious coffee and traffic school!

Verse Two

I know I gotta get down to passing all my test.

The subject ain't interestin',

My mind is quite at rest.

The coffee's very tasty, that scone does make me drool. ‘

I rather be Photoshoppin',

Then enrolled in traffic school..

(chorus)

Like a Shooting Star

Have you met this California Native?