A Dedicated Follower of Fashion

Ugh, it's been the kind of busy past few days in which you're pretty much going the whole time, but haven't actually accomplished anything material.

Also, I decided to to try the apparently more-usual method of covering and then assembling the 1880ish hat (rather than the reverse, which is what I usually do), and it's pretty stupid. Won't be doing that again.

Also, sewloud invited me fairly last-minute to a movie premiere in Philly (her husband was a cameraman, so they got a bunch of tickets), so I made myself up after work (couldn't find my fake eyelashes though, tragic), wedged myself into my gold and black 1920s dress, skipped dinner, and off I went! Robin bought me a very ginny G&T as compensation for having missed dinner, which worked.

Bloodrunners, in case you wanted to know. (You didn't.) It's a movie about vampires set in the 1930s, hence the period-ish dress (Still more period than anything in that movie. For reals). Bad but not as entertainingly bad as I was hoping. Robin got a costume credit, for which she is patently horrified...the costumes and hair were pretty sad. Apparently they're currently trying to sell it to some tv channel, so if you ever happen to catch it on tv, I do recommend getting one or three drinks and watching a bit, just so you can be drunkenly appalled by the information that this is a "period piece." I was hoping that the good guys would all die, especially the annoying couple, but no dice. The vampires mostly had slightly less horrible suits so I wanted them to win. Oh well.

Also we heard a baby crying briefly toward the end, and were like, who the f decided to bring a baby to this...? After the lights went up...oh, apparently the star. Guess that's allowed. So I can now say I've been near enough to Ice-T to see him on a distant balcony in a theatre. Ermagerd. Only Robin and Rob were allowed to go to the afterparty, oh how terribly sad, so I had to come home and eat dinner at 11:30 like a normal person. Well, "normal"...

I said I'd finish something, and I actually finished it?? Don't get used to it.

Am quite pleased with this quickie dress! The only bad thing about it is that the tulle sleeves catch on lots of things, especially the unfinished edges of the sequin fabric. Especially the hip ties. If I were very dedicated I'd go back and bind them or something, but...eh. See how much they annoy me at the first wearing of the dress, and go from there.

Somewhat belatedly I realized I might feel dumpy in this sack, if everyone else wears slim teens dresses or kicky later 20s dresses...but, being the only one around dressed up tonight, I like it very much! And if nothing else it's very shiny.

The hair and accessories could use a little work, I know. ;)

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I sewed a very little bit on the forepart tonight...I, somewhat accidentally, spent most of my sewing time on a black 1920s slip. Oops? There's a Downton Abbey-themed cocktail party at the Laurel Hill house in September, and I need a new dress. No, I do. Really.

I still have the fabric for a 1913 evening dress, that I've had for years and years, but sense kicked in and told me that a 20s dress would be much quicker. Actually...I really decided against the 1913 dress because I don't have any shoes for it, and I couldn't find any good cheap as-is shoes en ebay. On the other hand, I can wear the obnoxiously gold t-straps with this new 20s dress. It's a black net with gold (flat!) sequin embroidery I found at work last October, and it just screamed "easy 1920s dress!" at me.

Since it's Downton Abbey (which is still set in the early 20s), and since I've already made a later 20s dress that I wasn't in love with, I'm going to do a 1921-ish style this time, with that potentially dodgy long length. It's (very) vaguely inspired by a dress in Costume in Detail. The slip's of a reasonably-opaque rayon lining fabric, and is possibly the dumpiest-looking slip in the world. Still have to do fastenings, straps, and the hem - but the hem will wait til I make the dress.