The Empire picnic

Today I and some friends and new acquaintances had a picnic in our gowns from c 1800-1815, at a lovely summer villa outside Gothenburg, built in 1796: Gunnebo House.

First Anna, Sigrid and I went on the guided tour and then Gunilla, Alfhild, Vigdis and Ingela joined for the picnic.

Anna had worked hard the whole week, and stayed up sewing until five o'clock on Saturday morning, but her silk gown was finished in time, and very pretty. 

The bonnet/jockey cap was my birthday present to her, made from silk habotai.

Me, posing in my embroidered cotton gown, and a new silk bonnet that I made on Thursday and yesterday, and a velvet spencer also made this week.

The rest of the gang

From the left: Ingela, Vigdis, Alfhild, Gunilla, Anna, and me.

After the picnic Anna and I walked a couple of kilometres (in our stays, gowns and bonnets and everything) through the woods to a lake to take a swim.

The hair pins removed.

We also picked a few mushrooms.