This small little image is another of the Saxon outfits, except it's much older. It's another of my little treasures. Shoebox find, within a chest in my grandmother's house. Oh yes, she adds that's her, and a friend. After they were confirmed, but before they got married. She thinks she was about sixteen. She married at the old age of seventeen. Okay, I don't consider that old, but some in Transylvania did.
She is what I'm writing about in my upcoming book. Her and her husband and the people who left and died during the Second World War. It's not easy, as often their memories consist of "I don't remember" which really means I can't talk about it right now.
A challenge to be sure, but I don't want the faded photograph to become the only link to my past that I have. In fact many of the family didn't know the sister who died young, at the age of five, and when we put together a genealogy something was missing... until I don't remember gave way to, well there was one more child, a girl but she died young. Of what, well a chocking sickness (otherwise known as diphtheria). More information forthcoming? perhaps.
I'm deep in the middle of velvet trying to recreate the dress of the Saxons for a doll for my girls, and without either pattern or to many colour photos I think I'm doing a fair decent job. It red velvet and the apron is linen. I'm not going to mention how often I've pricked my fingers with pins. It's starting to look good though.
Like my vision of these people.
Comments
That's such a lovely picture of your grandmother and her friend -- it's like a glimpse into another world.
And I didn't know that that's what your book was about -- very well done. I've been wanting to write a sort of compilation book for my genealogy at some point, with stories of my family -- they're all just too good and I want them to live on. After all, I've kept these stories a live -- stories from over a hundred years ago -- I want people to remember them, and I know you obviously feel the same. Good for you! Your work will be more valuable to future generations than anyone can appreciate right now.
As for the dress patterns, you should look at La Couturiere Parisienne. They've got a section for patterns. I think some of it is Bavarian -- but you might be able to find some patterns that will work for Saxon dresses. If not, they have links to German ethnic patterns, which I'm sure would have Saxon somewhere.
Hope that helps!