Friday Follow: Jane Austen Made Me Do It

Jane Austen Made Me Do It, a compilation of short stories based on Jane Austen's novels and characters, won't be released for another few months yet, but you can follow its trajectory on the blog, Jane Austen Made Me Do It.  Laurel Ann from Austenprose, is its editor. Many Janeites will be familiar with the stable of authors who contributed their stories.

Jane Austen in Vermont offers more information about the blog at this link.

The book is available for pre-order at this link. 

Friday Follow: Dames a la Mode

For the 18th and 19th century fashion conscious, click on this link to find fashion plates of the 18th and 19th centuries on Dames a la Mode. Click on links on the sidebar. Enjoy!

Image @Dames a la Mode

Friday Follow: Indecisive and Irreverent

This fabulous post from Indecisive and Irreverent shows how a Regency bib front dress is made. Who knew that so many variations could be made from one design. A detailed discussion of patterns is included, as well as links to patterns for purchase. Click on link to read the post.

Bib dress

Friday Follow: The Graphics Fairy

Dancing the minuet

Find romantic banners, backgrounds, buttons and images by Karen on The Graphics Fairy, such as children dancing the minuet, a fashion plate of Regency dresses and couple on a bench that were drawn much later than the era depicted, and decorative Victorian scissors. You can even request a graphic of your own Thursday Request Day.

Fashion plate with Regency dresses

Couple on Bench

Decorative Victorian scissor

Friday Follow: Costume Chronicles

The latest edition of Costume Chronicles is out. Click on this link to download the PDF document.

In this issue: The Modernization of Jane Austen, Persuasion, Bride and Prejudice, Dashwood Sisters, First Impressions, and many more!

Friday Follow: Sense and Sensibility and Brock Illustrations

You do not need to understand Portugese to appreciate these beautiful Brock illustrations of Sense and Sensibility. Click on this link to find them all on Jane Austen em Portugues. Then double click on the images to view them up close!

Friday Follow

This Friday we follow Andrew Lang, whose lovely letter to Jane Austen After Her Death is thought-provoking, though at first not easy to grasp. Here are two excerpts:

You are not a very popular author: your volumes are not found in gaudy covers on every bookstall; or, if found, are not perused with avidity by the Emmas and Catherines of our generation. ‘Tis not long since a blow was dealt (in the estimation of the unreasoning) at your character as an author by the publication of your familiar letters. The editor of these epistles, unfortunately, did not always take your witticisms, and he added others which were too unmistakably his own. While the injudicious were disappointed by the absence of your exquisite style and humour, the wiser sort were the more convinced of your wisdom.

The letter is filled with irony and needs a second reading, for Mr. Lang's language is old-fashioned. His thoughts take us on meandering and eventually satisfying read:

Your heroines are not passionate, we do not see their red wet cheeks, and tresses dishevelled in the manner of our frank young Maenads. What says your best successor, a lady who adds fresh lustre to a name that in fiction equals yours? She says of Miss Austen: “Her heroines have a stamp of their own. THEY HAVE A CERTAIN GENTLE SELF-RESPECT AND HUMOUR AND HARDNESS OF HEART . . . Love with them does not mean a passion as much as an interest, deep and silent.” I think one prefers them so, and that Englishwomen should be more like Anne Elliot than Maggie Tulliver.

• Jane Austen in Vermont weighed in on Lang's letter in July.

Friday Follow: JASNA Meeting, Portland

The Little White Attic provides beautiful images in preparation for her trip to the Jane Austen meeting in Portland, including a glimpse of her gown. Lovely.

Image @Little White Attic

The Oregon Regency Society has done the lion's share of the work organizing this conference. With four chapters in the state -Northwest, Central Valley, Cascade East, and Puget Sound - I am sure they had plenty of help! I am sure that this year's Regency dance will rock! Click on the link in the sidebar to view the schedule of events.

The Oregon Regency Society also has a forum. Click here to share your thoughts with other Janeites.

Laurel Ann describes her first day at the conference on Austenprose.

Diana Birchall's blog post on Light, Bright, and Sparkling! reminds me of my trip to the Oregon Coast years ago.

Friday Follow: Regency Food and Jane Austen Cakes and Cookies

Recently a reader asked me about making a cake for a Jane Austen themed party. This time of year is always good for apple inspired desserts. For this week's Friday Follow I thought I would take you down the caloric path of least resistance:

It's time to trot out the Jane Austen teapot cookies again. While many of you are already familiar with these delightful (but time intensive cookies), some of you may not be aware of this potential source for family fun in the kitchen! Click here for detailed, step-by-step instructions. 

The easiest online source for Regency recipes is Jane Austen Centre's online magazine. Click on this link to find a variety of recipes for all subjects. 

Sally Lunn's Buns from Delightful Repast: For Sunday brunch. Yum!

Gooseberries in the imitation of hops: Got plenty of time? Here's a Regency recipe for you!

Mr and Mrs Weston's wedding cake, Emma 2009

Emma 2009 wedding cake: featured on this blog 18 months ago, this cake was made with two different molds and decorated with real roses and sugared grapes. Lovely.

• Read Soup and Snobbery: Food in the Novels of Jane Austen by Tanya Lewis

Friday Follow

The Jane Austen Online Magazine features a variety of articles of interest to people who love to read about Jane Austen and her world. This month's feature is The Family Library, a detailed post about the importance of the library to a Regency family. Click here to read the article. In this month's feature, information from Jane Austen's World was included!

 The Story of a Country Houseby John Strickland Goodal