A Hiatus, a Sabbatical, a Break

After five fairly continuous years of blogging, foruming, researching, dressmaking, and costuming, I am out of breath. It's time for a break.

Since early December, the Blackberry has been dark except for when it's needed for the office work, the Google Reader has incrementally filled until it's jammed with unread posts from the blogs I normally enjoy reading so very much, many of them yours. The costuming books are back on their shelves, the mannequin in storage, the period cookbooks and cooking histories in their boxes. One morning, the costumes were packed more or less carefully and sent to the basement.

Christmas was delightful, and restful, except for the inevitable oh-no-I-forgot moments, New Year's promises the same, except for the oh-no-I-still-need-to-write-cards moments.

I am contemplating taking out my German grammar, half-read German-language novels, dabbling with the antique Saxony spinning wheel my Dad and stepmother gave me, am thinking up Tinkertoy and Lego projects to work on with the boys, looking forward to a staycation with Curte, and listing out the painting and other house projects that need attention but not stress. Then there's a Regency-inspired amusement to plan with the little sewing group...one that won't involve any sewing.

The point is to rest and rejuvenate.

I've so much more to share. Goodness, the boys are growing and making life funny, frustrating and silly all at once. There's the last of the 1790s project: the white 1795 dress experiment, with all I learned about very late open robes...of a style found in museums but not in Janet Arnold, and Polly's light-as-air mull robe. There are all the examples of extant garments in my collection: the cap with embroidery so fine a strong magnifying glass is needed to see the stitching and the whipping, the original crinolines (plural!), the 1860s silk dress in damaged enough condition to fully understand the construction, the late Victorian belt buckles in cloisonne, imitation jet and cut steel, the several Edwardian workaday skirts, the very ornate mid-century chemise encrusted with fine embroideries and teeny-tiny puffings. There is the 2010 Antique Button Hoard, bought for a song, and full of early bone buttons, china buttons plain and fancy and large and small, button boot buttons, and a military button of great interest.

They are all waiting for me to come back, refreshed. I hope you will not mind waiting. I've so enjoyed your presence and your attention, and hope that you have learned bits and drabs here that you can use or tuck away. Your comments and sweet thoughts have certainly been appreciated.

When will the moment be? Predictions are dangerous, so let us say, "for the nonce".

Happy New Year, and very best, until we meet again.