Tag: black

Black Linen Dress

Black linen dress

Okay, so I didn’t dive straight into the organic cottons, but I needed a new black summer dress and I had a piece of linen tucked away in the Shed. It was originally earmarked to become another Regency-ish dress, but I decided to try out a long version of the blue organic tunic instead.

The ruffle’s twice as deep, and I think I might go back and chop a couple of inches off it, because the dress touches the floor. I wanted it to be long, but that’s a bit too long even for me! I haven’t made a matching belt for this one yet – in fact I’ve been wearing it without – but I think it looks quite smart with the blue one.

Having worn it, I also want to go back and add pockets. It’s too late now to put pockets in the side seams (well, I could, but I don’t fancy unpicking overlocked linen!), so it’s going to be big patch pockets on the front. I just need to decide whether to make them in matching black, or whether to have the pockets and belt in a contrasting colour. Maybe I should keep the pockets plain, then I can choose whatever colour belt I’d like.

Regency-ish Dress and Bloomers

Regency-ish dress & bloomers

(Sorry about the terrible picture, trying to take photos of black lace is a nightmare.)

Today I have finally finished all the hand-sewing on this Regency-ish dress based on Simplicity 4055. Some of it was of my own making – I had to bind the edges of the armholes to stop the seams of the net sleeves from being scratchy. Originally I’d put poppers at the back, but it turned out to be a bit tight and every time I moved they’d pop open. Not good for dancing. So I unpicked the poppers, put in eyelets, and now it laces up. Not very Regency. Ah well. The length’s hardly period – and it’s even shorter than I’d intended, hence the definitely not-Regency bloomers to go underneath.

The bloomers started life as Simplicity 2777, view E. I left off the waist casing, and finished the top edge with picot edged lingerie elastic. I also left off the leg bands and ruffles, because I found a piece of very extravagant garter elastic in my stash. It was much too stretchy to use as an actual garter, but absolutely perfect for trimming these little shorts.

I’m still trying to get used to the shape of the dress. It’s pretty and I know it’s basically the same shape as me, but I’m so conditioned to believe that every woman should have a neat little waist that I feel as though it looks a bit frumpy. Hopefully that’ll wear off when I put it on and discover that it’s actually comfortable rather than digging into the waist that I haven’t got, which is what happens with most of my other dresses. Which is why I never wear them.

I’m wearing the outfit on Friday evening, so hopefully I’ll be able to ask someone to take a better photo for me!

So Fabulous!

So Fabulous!

My new shoes are so obscenely cute, they make me laugh every time I look at my feet.

Last year I went back to my favourite choir. For the Christmas concert, which required formalwear, I bought an ankle length black dress. Unfortunately my only pair of plain black shoes were flat, and my dress dragged on the floor. Despite being a dressmaker I decided not to hem the dress, but to buy a taller pair of shoes instead. Of course!

These little beauties are by So Fabulous! at Very. The range are wide fitting, which usually means frumpy and horrid, but in this case it means some brilliantly fashionable styles that I can actually wear without cutting off the circulation to my toes. Because this pair are very rounded, they’re actually so wide that I might even have to pop an insole inside them. But that only makes them more comfortable, so it’s a win all round.

I tried them on as soon as they arrived, and these just happened to be the socks I was already wearing that day. Between the curved heels and the chiffon ruffles and the stripes, I suddenly felt as though I was 25 again, and ought to be going out to a goth night! I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m going to get a lot of wear out of these little beauties.