Towards the beginning of this summer, and pandemic, we got invited to a socially distant Regency picnic by a member of the Houston Regency Society on their private property. It was so nice to have a historical costuming event to prepare for, as other events were being cancelled left and right. I had a Regency outfit that I made for Dickens on the Strand in Galveston, but it would be too hot to wear outside in the summertime. Following my posts this week on my quick Regency sleeveless spencer, my quick picnic bonnet, a simple Regency yellow cotton gown, reticules, and my husband’s Regency waistcoat, today I’m sharing highlights from the picnic.
[Related: My First Foray Into the Regency Era]
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We had a few weeks to prepare for the event, and leading up to the picnic I made a lot of new Regency pieces for myself, my husband, and friends in attendance. Their builds are posted here:
My olive spencer: A Quick Regency Sleeveless Spencer
My grey bonnet: A Quick Regency Picnic Bonnet
My friend’s marigold gown: A Simple Regency Summer Picnic Gown
Hangbags for us ladies: Sewing Regency Reticules
My husband’s waistcoat: Sewing a Regency Waistcoat (and Slip Vest)
The picnic was a blast! Our garments were ill fitting, it was hot af, our picnic blanket was a hot mess…but none of that matters because we had the best time! It was nice seeing old friends, meeting new ones, being okay with missing events that some of us had scheduled, and planning costume upgrades for the future. After the picnic, I stitched darts in my olive spencer that I completely forgot while making it, and I threw out my husband’s fall front breeches and ordered them from Historical Emporium. We also realized we were severely undergeared compared to other attendees, so we purchased folding bistro table and chair sets. We will be way more prepared for the next picnic.
Shop Historical Emporium on Amazon
We continue to make and purchase Regency clothing and accessories to give us more options for attending a variety of Regency events with the Houston Regency Society. Up next is my Regency Ravenclaw costume build.
More Regency costuming on Red Shoes. Red Wine.
My First Foray Into the Regency Era
A Quick Regency Sleeveless Spencer
Sheila,
Thanks for putting together this informational and inspiring page for those of us who are at the very beginning of the project. I like being able to see the outfits in action at the picnic and was glad to find a link to the button cover kit. I was wondering what a slip vest looked like under a waistcoat and now I know!
Very welcome, Leah! Happy sewing!