It all started with a cravat. My wife and I attended a Regency event and I purchased an outfit from a seller on Etsy. I asked if she could include a cravat with the suit and waistcoat and she replied that she could. Being so new to the period, I had to watch several videos on how to tie a proper cravat.

At the event, I received many compliments on my outfit. Several people commented on how handsome a gentleman looks in a cravat. After a few hours of being told how great I looked, I began to believe it myself.

I was hooked.

I resolved when I returned home to learn how to sew my own outfits. I started small with some fabric I had purchased from a vintage shop in Bath. I was so scared to cut into this fabric that I made two waistcoats out of muslin and curtains first. I still remember the how nervous I felt as scissors sliced through that vintage green fabric.

That waistcoat became my favorite article of clothing for next few years.

After returning to Bath each year, I grew more bold in my sewing desires. The first year, I made waistcoats. The second was breeches and coats. The third was embroidery, hats and fobs. The fourth was socks and a garrick. Eventually I had made an entire wardrobe. My new goal was to use this wardrobe.

I began to volunteer…and teach.

I asked if I could teach Regency sewing classes at my local sewing studio.

I volunteered to be the Master of Ceremonies at a local Twelfth Night Ball.

I researched Regency dancing and how to be a caller.

And I continued to sew.

Each new project has brought a new skill to learn and new friends to find. I am now very active in our local Regency groups and share my skills with neighbors around the world through social media.

Perhaps we will meet at a local ball or halfway around the world at the annual Jane Austen Festival. No matter when, I will always strive to ignite the same passion I have for this time period and craft in you.