The Blandford Fashion Museum house (Lime Tree House) was built by bastards - that is to say the famous Bastard Brothers, John and William 1668-1770 - it feels so good to be able to say "that" word and get away with it!
The Blandford Fashion Museum showcases fashions as far back from 1735 and as recent as 1980, I wonder what Christmas would have truly been like in the eighteenth century, 1735 the eighteenth century? I've never really got that...
Opening Hours and admission costs, even four quid for adults is easily affordable and great value because there are many exhibits and Lime Tree House, which accommodates the Blandford fashion museum is quite a labyrinth...
I like this picture, it has a quaintness about it, perhaps it's the Lime Tree House signage
Mr Boutelle, museum administrator, trustee and volunteer, is pictured here with Blandford Fashion museum volunteers and the lady standing up with a cupa, loves all things vintage, so it was no surprise to see that she had popped in for a visit, mince pies were also up for the eatin'...
Mr Boutelle used to be my former maths teacher, many many moons ago, perhaps he could explain to me the concept of why 1735 is part of the eighteenth century and not the seventeenth century...
The above photograph is of the Olympic display that the Blandford Fashion Museum showcased this year (the picture quality is surprisingly shoddy for the much hailed iPod)
More sports themed fashion from throughout the ages...
And more...oh and I like the green ruched number
This piece was worn by a sports person at the London Olympics 2012
I tried to be arty with this photo but it's a bit of a blur...
Perhaps the haziness of this snap lends itself to the vintage feel of the display!
That's the last of it for the Olympic display at the museum...
I'm not sure what era this display of family attire is from
I should have paid more attention but there's so much there to see
so I was very distracted!
A lovely authentic evening dress from the 1950s
Anna Mc Dowell had a displayed the craft of button making
at the Blandford Fashion Museum on its last day of opening this year
More of Anna's Dorset Buttons
it takes Anna about 45 minutes to make a button
she must have the patience of a saint!
This photograph illustrates just how
time consuming, fiddly, complicated and skilled lace making is...
The Singer sewing machine in the above photo
has been lent to the Blandford Fashion Museum
by the Blandford Forum Town Museum
The Blandford Fashion Museum has about 40 volunteers,
Jane (or Feisty Jane as I call her)
pictured above is one of them.
Jane particularly likes the dress she is pictured alongside with,
it's an 1834 (late Georgian) wedding dress...
Sally pictured above,
has been a volunteer for the Blandford Fashion Museum
for 6 weeks,
for 6 weeks,
she choose this gorgeous 1940s
(I hope it's 40s I didn't write it down, I need a voice recorder!)
vintage dress to be pictured alongside with...
This mannequin ( I had to spell check that word)
is pictured wearing the Georgian fashion of the day,
I nearly forgot to mention that the Blandford Fashion Museum had to get each mannequin especially made to order, to fit the particular garment it would be wearing...
The Blandford fashion Museum will be open to the public
Monday 18th February 2013