“Mistress Firebrand” 18th Century Shoes GIVEAWAY!

My hasn’t it been a long time since we’ve done a giveaway! This time we’ve teamed up with Donna Thorland, esteemed author of Mistress Firebrand, a tale of an American actress caught up in the American Revolution, and Kimberley Alexander, historian and blogger at Silk Damask.

Donna wanted to inspire readers with a bold pair of 18th century shoes that the heroine, Jenny Leighton, might have worn with her striking yellow gown. The original pair date from 1760-1780, and are made of brocaded silk, laced in silver ribbon, and bound in yellow grosgrain.

Shoes, 1760-80, The Met

For our pair, we started with “Georgiana” 18th century dyeable sateen shoes, dyed them grey and painted on the leaf motif in red and yellow fabric paint. We laced the vamps with metallic silver trim and bound the edges in bright yellow petersham ribbon.

The best part is that this kind of decoration is *easy* to do! So to celebrate Donna’s novel “Mistress Firebrand,” and encourage you to get creative with your own 18th century footwear, we’re giving away a gift certificate for the value ($135) of a pair of “Georgiana” Dyeable 18th Century Shoes from our shop.

Daunted by the idea of dyeing, painting, lacing, and binding your own shoes? Don’t be! I’ll share a step-by-step tutorial on how we made these from a basic white pair of “Georgianas,” using fabric dye, fabric paint, spray-painted lace, and petersham ribbon. The possibilities are endless!

p.s. The winner of the giveaway will receive a gift certificate in the amount of $135, the value of one pair of white “Georgiana” dyeable 18th century shoes. Dyes, paints, buckles, and additional materials are not included.

The actual pair of shoes shown in this post are not being given away, but may be auctioned or sold at a later date.

The winner is not restricted to a pair of “Georgiana” 18th century shoes, and may spend the gift certificate on any item at www.AmericanDuchess.com. The gift certificate must be used all at once and may not be split into separate transactions.

The giveaway is hosted by Donna Thorland. Orders, returns, and exchanges will be handled by AmericanDuchess.com.