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Was Jane Austen Really Crafty?
My word. I just watched “Becoming Jane” and cried like a baby. Anne Hathaway was fabulous as the feisty, young English novelist, Jane Austen and James McAvoy (Don’t feel bad, I didn’t recognize his name either.) played a convincing Irish lawyer, the dude Hollywood projects as the forbidden love of Jane’s life in this film. Yet even when they’re the work of total fiction, forbidden love stories get me every time. Every single time.
I love the dresses the women wore in this movie, but would have hated living in era when I would be expected to wear them every day. There’s something pretty great about being able to put on a favorite pair of jeans without touching off a scandal.
Now I have a feeling I’m going to be obsessed with researching Jane Austen (Dec. 16 1775 – July 18 1817) for at least the immediate future. Should I confess that I’ve wanted to be a “real writer” since I was a small child and have not read a single one of Austen’s great works? I guess I just did. You can read more about this intriguing woman over at Wikipedia
And because I don’t want to disappoint those of you who only visit this page for a craft fix, here’s the gem I found while skeptically scanning the Wikipedia entry about Jane… (But first, please note that while I enjoy this free and lovely online encyclopedia, I can’t allow myself to accept it as completely accurate. With that said…)
Under a heading “Life,” this online reference of at times questionable accuracy, reports: “Austen was particularly proud of her accomplishments as a seamstress.”
I hope she really was a seamstress. And if she wasn’t, no one tell me for a little while, okay?
Posted: March 27th, 2008 under movies, Sewing.
Comments: 9
Comments
Comment from Bridget Bansheegrrll
Time: March 28, 2008, 1:16 am
I cried like a baby, too – and then promptly got on-line to find out when she died, if she ever got married, etc. You are not alone . . .
Comment from KSee
Time: March 28, 2008, 2:49 am
I think they were all seamtress and made most of their own clothes for the most part. Makes sense. They did not have the mall to go to and the best clothes would come from London or Paris. I think the movie glamorize and skew our take on the “real” world they lived in. Anyway, that is my take on it. I have this movie in my queue. Atonement comes tomorrow. Can’t wait and James McAvoy is in this one too.
Comment from Dee Bellini
Time: March 28, 2008, 4:29 am
I’m a huge Regency fan, and love Jane Austen.
And when she says ‘seamstress’, remember, there were no machines back then, so everything was sewn by hand. Quite an accomplishment, considering the amount of clothes they had to wear.
They also did embroidery bigtime back then. Doing fine needlework was considered a lady-like accomplishment.
Comment from jessica
Time: March 28, 2008, 2:36 pm
I am becoming quite the fan of Mr. McAvoy. He is the hotness in Atonement (speaking of forbidden love) and wonderful in Last King of Scotland. Can’t wait to see this one, Anne Hathaway looks so cute on that poster.
Comment from Mary
Time: March 28, 2008, 3:09 pm
Hi Jennifer,
I have been meaning to comment and thank you for producing such inspirational podcasts! I just finished listening to the last one and loved it – I hope you have Anna Maria Horner back at a later date!
As for Jane Austen, I hadn’t read any of her books until this past summer; I’ve read tons of classics, but have enjoyed her books above any of the others. I’m currently reading Persuasion and am sad that when I am done, I will never be able to read a Jane Austen book for the first time ever again, having gone through them all. My friend describes this as “Jane Austen fever”, and I definitely caught it!
Comment from Dawn Elizabeth
Time: March 28, 2008, 4:14 pm
I have never heard of Becoming Jane and I’m a big Jane Austen fan. My daughter just received Pride and Prejudice adapted for children to read. I have to admit I just can’t get it through my head where Mr Collins came from. It seems ridiculous that women couldn’t inherit anything from their husbands. This book is watered down for a child but it’s still really good, we’ve been reading it as our nightly book.
Comment from Debbie
Time: March 28, 2008, 9:30 pm
Check out this web site http://www.lindafranz.com/chawton.htm
Linda Frantz is a devotee of Jane Austen and has studied a quilt that Jane Austen made. She has even written a book, Quilted Diamonds, based on the style of the Jane Austen quilt, sort of along the lines of the Jane Stickle quilt.
Comment from Elizabeth
Time: March 31, 2008, 7:31 am
You’ve never read Austen? I think part of my heart just died. I’ve been watching her movies on Sunday nights on PBS this winter and loving it. The movies and mini-series are wonderful, but don’t watch any until you’ve read the books!! You need Austen as your own first. As you read them, and then watch the movies, you will notice that the women are always crafting. It was intrinsic to being an “accomplished woman”. I could go on and on…. Read the books and then we shall watch some of the movies together. :>
Comment from ellen
Time: April 1, 2008, 7:33 am
Jennifer – of course you are a writer already – not fiction, perhaps, but your clear writing style and curiousity keep us all coming back to hear what you’re up to!
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