Northanger Abbey Cosplay Pinup: Catherine Morland does…Catherine Morland

Hurray, another nifty Retro Lovely cover photographed by Marilee Caruso Photography (who also did the makeup and hair)! This time, it’s in Retro Lovely’s cosplay title, Masquerade No. 26!

You can grab a copy of the magazine or a cover poster via Magcloud, and use code BF25 to get a discount (on these or any Magcloud publication) through 11/28/2022 (the actual discount varies by publisher and issue, btw). Note that I don’t make any money off of purchases direct from Magcloud, just the Tiki issue and posters (I have one mag copy left and a handful of posters if you want to help feed my pinup addiction. I mean, support me as I pursue this noble hobby! Ha!).

This one’s kinda meta, because my nom-de-pinup is Catherine Morland and I’m actually portraying Jane Austen’s heroine from Northanger Abbey, Catherine Morland, in the photo set. As she’s into gothic romances and horrid novels of all kinds, we have Catherine reading novels by candlelight in a spooky forestscape of her imagination. Eat your heart out, Emily St. Aubert!

Retro Lovely Masquerade Catherine Morland Cover
I cosplay as Northanger Abbey’s Catherine Morland…my pinup namesake!

More after the jump…

Continue reading “Northanger Abbey Cosplay Pinup: Catherine Morland does…Catherine Morland”

Anne Sharp’s presentation copy of Emma is now the “most expensive” Jane Austen work to date…

So apparently, Anne Sharp’s presentation copy of Emma recently re-sold for a record-setting £375,000. It’s now the “most expensive” Jane Austen work to date. The new owner is from the U.S., but has decided to loan it indefinitely for display at Chawton House (Jane Austen’s brother Edward’s home in Hampshire, which is now a center dedicated to research on women writers). Jane Austen’s most famous home, Chawton Cottage, is located on the estate and serves as a museum dedicated to the author’s life and works.

More on this sale, Jane Austen’s Emma, and early editions of and reactions to the work:

1805-ish Regency Gown based on the one at Kyoto Costume Institute

So my friend Elizabeth and I recently attended a Persuasion-themed Jane Austen picnic sponsored by The Greater Bay Area Costumers’ Guild. It was an excuse to wear Regency, and in particular to acquire a copy of the beautiful gold Regency gown in the Kyoto Costume Institute collection.

My outfit
Gold silk 1805-ish Regency gown with beret and red silk spencer. I love my pineapple reticule!

More pics and info after the jump…

Continue reading “1805-ish Regency Gown based on the one at Kyoto Costume Institute”

I finally saw the new Emma – my initial thoughts, and…it’s coming to DVD & Blu-Ray on May 19! Order now!

So I finally got around to seeing the new Emma, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, and it was pretty good. You can stream it now, or pre-order it on Blu-Ray or DVD, both of which will drop on May 19:

So what did I think, exactly? Read on to find out…

Continue reading “I finally saw the new Emma – my initial thoughts, and…it’s coming to DVD & Blu-Ray on May 19! Order now!”

More regarding Emma 2020…

So the new Emma adaptation, based on Jane Austen’s wonderful novel, is coming very soon. It’s to be released in New York and Los Angeles on February 21, followed by limited North American release on February 28th and a nationwide US release on March 6.

Emma
Anya Taylor-Joy as Emma Woodhouse.

In celebration, Paper Source is offering a line of Emma-inspired stationery goods.

And from Focus Features, some recent poster art featuring the stars of the film…

Continue reading “More regarding Emma 2020…”

A new Regency gown!

Thanks to my friend Elizabeth, I now have a new Regency gown – a full day dress ensemble – that fits! She asked me to be her model for a Regency fashion lecture at Modesto’s Jane Austen-themed JaneCon, and I agreed! She kindly made me the entire ensemble for the cost of materials and washing/ironing labor, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s a good thing she loves to sew, because I sure don’t! I do love paying my friends, or doing them favors, in exchange for beautiful clothes! The look and fit is just perfect.

Me in mushroom hat/beret, fichu and spencer jacket
Me in mushroom hat/beret, fichu and spencer jacket. Regency makeup is weird but surprisingly effective – you use burnt cloves to fill in your brows and liquid/pomade consistency lip and cheek products.
Me, Elizabeth in our ensembles for the day
I’m on the left, Elizabeth’s on the right. She made us look good.

The outfit consists of an 1805-ish gown made from a block-printed almost-sheer cotton muslin from Renaissance Fabrics. It’s the first front-opening Regency gown I’ve had, as my other, smaller gowns were all of the slightly later frock (back buttons) variety. Since this gown has a bib front that pins in place, it’s taken a bit of getting used to. I think eventually I’ll add period-incorrect snaps and ties to help keep it in place so I won’t stab myself or flash anybody by accident. Continue reading “A new Regency gown!”

Emma 2020: Filming locations

Emma 2020 Poster
Emma 2020 poster

The Guardian recently presented a list of UK filming locations that are open to visitors, including some of the spots featured in the upcoming adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma.

  • Firle Estate in Lewes, South Downs National Park, is the Woodhouses’ Hartfield.
  • Kingston Bagpuize House in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, was the location for Mrs. Goddard’s school. 
  • Chavenage House in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, stands in for the Westons’ Randalls AND the Bates’ second-floor apartments.
  • Wilton House in Salisbury is Mr. Knightley’s Donwell Abbey. Wilton House crops up in a ton of period films and television shows. Portions of the 2005 Pride & Prejudice and 1995 Sense & Sensibility adaptations were filmed there (the ball scenes during which Marianne confronts Willoughby). The house’s famous Single and Double Cube rooms are well known as the secret planning locations for World War II’s famous D Day invasion. I’ve been here, and the house and grounds are well worth a visit.
  • Wrotham Park in Hertfordshire stands in for the Coles’ party location.
  • Leith Hill, Dorking, Surrey, stands in for Box Hill, the famous picnic scene location from the novel.
  • Lower Slaughter, a village in the Cotswolds, stands in for Highbury. I’ve been here, too. Seems like every Cotswolds village is picturesque and charming in its own way.
  • All Saint’s Church in St. Paul’s Walden Village, Hertfordshire, stands in for Highbury’s local church.

More on Emma‘s filming locations…

Another Emma trailer…

There’s another trailer for the 2020 Emma Jane Austen adaptation…