The friends I made during Covid

Like everyone else, when Covid hit I was unprepared for just how lonely it would be having to stay away from loved ones and friends. I needed a hobby to give me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. If you can’t meet new people – why not make them?

This is Liselotte. She is just coming to the palace for her first season, and is excited to be presented to the royal family! She hopes the Queen will pick her as one of her new ladies' maids. I taught myself how to do basic hand embroidery from Youtube videos – a great hobby during the lockdown.

I found being surrounded by a kaleidoscope of embroidery floss so comforting, the colors cheering the depression the daily news caused.

Liselotte needed friends, so here are Countess Marissa Pointe-du-lac and her rakish husband Claude. They live mostly separate lives, His eyes are constantly on the search for fresh young fillies to flirt with, while his wife keeps a tight rein on his spending and secretly plots his murder. She wears a special opal necklace at all times because it is said to change colour if it comes into contact with poison – she doesn’t trust Claude too much either! He’s always after her fortune. Of course, if you want to buy poison or make someone fall in love with you, you need the services of a wise woman.

Who better to visit than Witch Hazel? And her prices are so cheap - only the blood of your firstborn son, or a peacock feather from the royal flock.

Liselotte was shy when she first joined the court of Versailles, so Joseph took her under his wing. His story is an amazing one, I encourage you to google his life. Born a slave, he became a famous composer to the French court and I created a mini version to honor him for Black History Month.

Every palace has its share of scheming minxes, and Madame Celeste is no better than she ought to be! Her elderly husband died after barely a year of marriage, leaving her single, but poor. She spends her days trying to win over the attentions of the eligible bachelors, although she doesn't mind a few ineligible ones too! Her large diamond necklace was a gift from King Louis himself, and she wears it to remind the other young ladies that the king favors her.

As soon as I saw this doll's face I knew he needed the long black wig of Armand from my favorite movie, Interview With The Vampire. At some point he will be joined by the rest of the characters, and I will make their St. Louis home for them to live in for all eternity.

I realised after only a few weeks of hand embroidery that my regular sewing scissors weren't ideal. I ordered some Fiskar's 5" micro-tip scissors with a comfortable grip. They were delicate and sharp enough to cut the tiny threads so close you couldn't see the ends, and didn't hurt my arthritic fingers to use. Fiskars has a whole range of cutting tools for people with arthritis, it is such a relief and makes crafting possible even when I am in a flare.

I needed a King for all my fine ladies, so I based this doll on the actor from the tv series Versailles. The outfit is even based on one he wears in the show - even down to his tiny shoe buckles!

Affairs are common in the royal court, and the Queen herself found herself with some explaining to do when she gave birth to her daughter Louise. Te child was raised away from the Palace, with other nobles. She later became a nun.

As covid dragged on and on, I found myself searching new series to binge watch. I fell in love with the costumes from The Borgias. So Juliet was born, in her rich velvet and silk gown with a jewelled hair net.

Every Juliet is supposed to be seeking a Romeo, though I am not sure I approve! This Romeo is a little older than Shakespeare's version, so hopefully he will think twice before killing himself without checking Juliet has a pulse :D

Rosalita is the daughter of a Spanish Duke and is just visiting the court of Versailles for a season. She is unimpressed with the size of the court gowns, she can barely walk through the doorways and takes up a whole sofa if she tries to sit down!

Caspian is a fine gentleman who brings silks and fine fabric to the court for the ladies to buy for their gowns. He is a very fashionable young man!

Evangeline is perhaps my favorite female creation. Her skirts took two weeks to embroider with hanging cherry blossoms. She looks sad because she has fallen in love with a young lady at home on her family's estate. Her love is forbidden and her father sent her to the palace to be married off to some repulsive old Duke. She has secret plans to abscond to a nunnery.

Her escape plans will be aided by the Duchess, who sympathizes with her plight. She often looks out for the younger girls, interfering with plans that their fathers have. She was married off herself as a 14-year-old, and learned to despise men. When he died and she inherited his estate she swore never to remarry. All the men in the royal courts are a little afraid of The Duchess.

As winter approached and we were still stuck at home, my thoughts turned to beautiful candlelit ballrooms and festive parties. Sapphire is attending her first ball and her mother has grand designs on the neighboring Baronet. She has dressed her daughter in extravagant beaded silk and furs, and adorned her in all the family's diamonds in hopes of dazzling the young lord and distracting him from her daughter's somewhat plain appearance. Sapphire doesn't really mind, she wants to be married as soon as possible so she can start her own family.

Also attending a Yuletide ball is a young Jane Austen. She has embroidered holly berries all around her gold silk gown, but she is not interested in dancing and feasting. She is there to people-watch, keeping notes in her pocket diary to use for future character creation.

As Pride month came around I was ready for my most ambitious creation of all. Every royal court needs a cross-dresser. Adora Vonn Tits is a great source of entertainment and fashion drama in Versailles. She wears the most ornate bloomers embroidered all over in roses and seed pearls, with a fabulous corset and gown that makes all the ladies jealous. She is the Queen's bossom companion and will gossip about all the new arrivals at court.

Samuel is a young and innocent youngest son of a poor Earl. He has been sent into the clergy to earn his living. He is a little overwhelmed by all the fancy and grand people at the society events, but attends with good cheer and very little on his mind. Adora loves teasing him, but not in a cruel way. She is very fond of him really.

I hope you have enjoyed meeting all my little Covid companions. They helped fight the boredom and loneliness of a year indoors.