Petticoats and Frills
So, I had a story.
And I’d decided to share it with my readers. Off it went for critical sessions with some of the best critique partners a girl could asked for. Back and forth, revisions and blood letting and more blood letting, until Carry Me Home was ready for big the guns ~ a hired editor.
While the book sat among her well sharpened knives, I turned my attention to that all consuming, non writing task… the book cover!
For as long as I could remember, I’d dreamed my own Honey-girl would model for the Carry Me Home cover photography. And once I’d booked the photographer, I knew I wanted to shoot all three Blue Wren Shallows covers on the same day. With said Honey-girl.
This meant hunting down all the costumes for the entire Blue Wren Shallows books series. And who better than to hunt alongside me, than Rel Mollet herself.
We headed off to Melbourne’s premier historical costume hiring warehouse, The Costume Factory, and rummaged through what felt like acres of exquisite costumery. One rack held all the costumes used in Heath Ledger’s Ned Kelly movie.
Acres of Costumes
Right era… but nothing grabbed us for Finella, or our other heroines.
Each hanger sagged with not only the richness of upholstery fabrics used for their exquisite stage sway, but extra weights in the hems.
Soon, we found our arm muscles flexing more than we were used to.
Rel made me!
She started it!
That’s our excuse for giving into the giddiness that miles of dress-ups bring, even to the most grown-up.
By day’s end, we’d found a great selection and the following week, Honey-girl and I returned for a fitting.
When we’d decide on dresses, we added shawls, petticoats and bustles, shoes and even a wig. The ensemble was wrapped in plastic, the wig went into a bucket for easy transportation, and we were set for a day of photography on location, at the beaches of Phillip Island.
All we needed was good weather.
Not much wind, please.
The right light and NO RAIN.
And if you know Phillip Island, you’ll know this was some order. Tomorrow, I’ll share how that all played out!
Honey-girl, dressed in yesteryear… not letting go of the modern day
Dotti