Tipping the Velvet is a historical novel written by Sarah Waters published in 1998. Set in Victorian England during the 1890s, it tells a coming of age story about a young woman named Nan who falls in love with a male impersonator, follows her to London, and finds various ways to support herself as she journeys through the city. The picaresque plot elements have prompted scholars and reviewers to compare it to similar British urban adventure stories written by Charles Dickens and Daniel Defoe.
Spanning three generations, an American family of eight is shown in period attire worn for housework, farming, and formal occasions. Wardrobes include lace-and-ruffle embellished gowns, a judge's robe, military uniforms, an elegant suit of green velvet, Indian-inspired frontier attire, and much more. 8 paper dolls, 32 costumes.
Impoverished aristocrat Isabella Vernaducci will defy death itself to rescue her imprisoned brother. She'll even brave the haunted, accursed lair of the lion -- the menacing palazzo of legendary, lethal Don Nicolai DeMarco. Rumor says the powerful don can command the heavens, that the beasts below do his bidding... and that he is doomed to destroy the woman he takes as his wife. But Isabella meets a man whose growl is velvet, purring heat, whose eyes hold dark, all-consuming desire. And when the don commands her to become his bride, she goes willingly into his muscled arms, praying she'll save his tortured soul... not sacrifice her life.
A handsome collection of 45 finely detailed, ready-to color illustrations—sure to appeal to costume historians, designers and colorists alike—depicts clothing styles from every social class of the 15th and 16th centuries. Includes portraits of an Italian peasant couple in wedding dress, children of a German royal family garbed in velvet and accompanied by a soberly dressed nanny, an English lord and lady in riding outfits, and much more. Informative captions accompany each illustration.
Velvet is odd. Instead of dolls that talk and cry, Velvet brings a milkweed pod for show and tell. She wins the class art contest using only an eight-pack of crayons. She likes to collect rocks. Even her name is strange - Velvet! But as the school year unfolds, the things Velvet does and the things that Velvet says slowly begin to make sense. And, in the end, Velvet's classmates discover that being different is what makes Velvet so much fun.
