Freeform Friday: a visit to Downton

Warning: this post may have you craving scones and high tea. You may have a compulsion to dress for dinner. However, for the rare few who have NOT watched PBS's Downton Abbey, there may be a few small spoilers. Beware. 

This is how the day began: tea with the Aunties. My friend Angela had made me an honorary aunt to her daughters Jordan and Ellie ( my students of 10 years...).  It was a sumptuous spread, only missing the Devon clotted cream*, sadly. 

Winterthur - HF Dupont's home from his birth in 1880 to his death in 1969. 

We headed off to Winterthur, historical house/museum in Wilmington DE. This house was the duPont family estate, founded in 1837 and made public by H.F. duPont in the 1950's. Tours are available of the house, still furnished in the duPont's style, and the museum hosts a large collection of decorative arts, dating from 1640-1860. The garden's  are also a showpiece, and seasonal tours are a must. 

Winterthur is currently hosting an exhibit of the costumes from PBS's Downton Abbey. The exhibit drew parallels between the two countries/lifestyles/families very well. A lovely thoughtful synthesis of history and pop culture. 

But really - its all about the dresses... I was excited to see things up close, and reading some of the details - so impressive. The costume department had 7 weeks to create all the fashions for a season. In many cases a dress was inspired by a piece of period accurate lace/beading/fabric and replicated to match from there. (So while this post isn't "art jewelry" per se - its personal adornment, bead embroidery, and so much inspiration!) Without further ado... 

Cora's dress - hard to imaging wearing it - it was SO ethereal. Amazing beaded front panel. 

Cora again. This long velvet duster was a dark olive and truly the thing I coveted most in the entire exhibit.  The center panel on the skirt is off center because they only had so much antique beaded motif to work with, so they designed it in regardless. 

Wearing this to dinner? I can see the need for a Lady's maid to do touch ups and mend loose beads. 

Just beadwork. Because it was so stunning. The black/white/silver piece on the left made me gasp out loud. No exaggeration. The top right dress was worn by Cousin Rose - flapper style sheet covered in bugle beads. The bottom purple number was worm by Matthew's mother if I remember correctly. 

Dame Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess. Need I say more? 

Mary and Matthew's  attire from the fateful night - of their proposal. So bittersweet.  This dress was oddly unembellished, just multicolored seed beads at the ruffles edges and a pendant piece stitched on as a focal in the front.

Edith. Poor Edith. Details from her wedding gown. 

Sibyl, ever the fashion forward sister stunned the room when she appeared in this for dinner. It was pants! Harem pants of silk... but this embroidered bodice was more stunning to me. 

Lady Sibyl again - an embroidered velvet number styled after Parisian trends  of the 20's. 

If you are near Wilmington DE between now and January - I highly recommend this exhibit. It was a lovely fan moment to see the costumes yet it successfully transported me back in time. There were pieces on display from the employees as well, but as I was focused on embellishments... "Service" was accurately represented, in all their contrast. 

My mother taught my sisters and me to embroider in different decorative stitches when we were quite young. Its a skill we have all retained to varying degrees. That combined with my new love of seed beads... hmm. Ideas are brewing. I'll let them steep a while... ( puns intended)

*Cream tea:  The Devonshire (or Devon) method is to split the scone in two, cover each half with clotted cream, and then add strawberry jam on top. Traditionally it is important that the scones be warm (ideally, freshly baked), and that clotted (rather than whipped) cream and strawberry jam, rather than any other variety, are used. Butter is generally not included, and the tea should be served with milk.

Whatever your plans for the "weekend" - have a good one!
Jenny

*Cream tea: There are regional variations as to how a cream tea should preferably be eaten. The Devonshire (or Devon) method is to split the scone in two, cover each half with clotted cream, and then add strawberry jam on top. Traditionally it is important that the scones be warm (ideally, freshly baked), and that clotted (rather than whipped) cream and strawberry jam, rather than any other variety, are used. Butter is generally not included, and the tea should be served with milk.