Friday 28 September 2007

Miss Scarlett, In the Kitchen ... with the Sewing Machine


My daughter is going to a Murder Mystery party tonight, her character is no less than Lady Blah di Blah an aspiring 1930s actress. Sounds like fun but only if your mother has a staggeringly beautiful collection of vintage evening wear to choose from! Do you know I don't own one evening dress - school runs, trips to the supermarket and visits to the pub don't really require much in the satin and silk department. What is a girl to do? Well after a week of sighing and frowning, last night I dragged out an old black velvet dress I had when I was pregnant (It does get better I promise)! She was not impressed and the youngest thought it was hilarious that her sister was going to a party in mummy's voluminous, misshapped dress (revenge at last, she thought).
I had a vision and I knew that Janome would not let me down. Now I have no sewing skills, have never followed a dress pattern and have been known to glue gun fancy dress costumes together in the past and I seem to remember a certain snowman's outfit having a few staples in it! I am more House of Idiot (does anyone remember the French & Saunders spoof) than House of Elliot (I loved that series!) but it worked miraculously. I nipped in the waist, slashed and ruched the neck and sleeves and attached an old black fabric rose to the side. It looks good, just hope it doesn't fall apart tonight, mid-murder!


Along with the feather boa, splashes of diamante, my oldest was determined to squeeze into the vintage gloves in the first photo. She has tiny arms and wrists but just couldn't manage it. They are tiny, tiny gloves but gorgeous. So she is having to make do with this vintage pair of chiffon polka dot gloves that I found.


Someone who has (perhaps misguided) faith in my sewing skills is Samantha at Plump Pudding. Look what she sent me for my birthday. This gorgeous needlecase and pincushion. They are so pretty, you always choose the loveliest fabrics. Thanks Samantha for thinking of me, I know just how busy you are at the moment. Do you offer sewing lessons as well? At least I now look the part.



On the sewing front I found these vintage French sewing magazines and have decided to put them in my Etsy shop.

They have the most gorgeous graphics and lovely little patterns (they are in French!) and would be perfect for collage, scraps, sewing etc.


Doesn't she look lovely, I'm missing not having an evening dress now ( a shop bought one, not a glue gunned, stapled together Janomed one!).

One more mystery to clear up before I finish. Just the other day I searched and searched for an elusive ball of blue rags. It had mysteriously disappeared, now who would want it I wonder...

... another case solved!
Have a good weekend.

20 comments:

AC said...

I hope your daughter has a great evening.
Take care,
Alison x

Cape Cod Washashore said...

What fun! We never did anything that wonderful in school. The only time we were able to dress up during our school days was for Halloween, or unless you were in the drama club at school. =) Hope your daughter has a lovely time!

ginny said...

Hi Kim,
Thanks for leaving a message.. it sometimes comes at just the right time. You are always so lovely and friendly. I hope your daughter has a fantastic time.. we hosted a 60's one once.. great fun planning the decor and the food including butterscotch angel delight with banannas and grated chocolate. for dessert. My character was based on Marrianne Faithful.. i'll say no more!
Have a lovely weekend.
ginny
x

Samantha said...

Hi Kim,
it seems my gift was just in the nick of time.

What a bad puss - she looks as though she is having so much fun!

mollycupcakes said...

Lol your cat is very funny, little wotsit running off with the wool.
I hope your daugther has a lovely time, it sounds like great fun. Oh to be young again.
Have a good weekend sweetie.

Hugs.

Catherine x

Heidi said...

Well done Kim! It sounds like you are getting along very well with your new found friend Janome. I loved the series The House of Elliot too. They just reshowed it here in Holland over the summer but I missed most of it.

I just love the 'mystery solved'! LOL! That rag ball is almost as big as the cat is. Too funny but oh (s)he is having lots of fun!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like fun! I'm sure the dress turned out beautifully ~ did you take pictures? Your kitty certainly looks like he's having fun! ~ hugs, Lynda ♥

Sophie Honeysuckle said...

Love that last photo!! I hope your daughter has a fab night-would love to see some photos of the dress! Thanks for all your kind words of late-hope you don't get what I had..mine started with shivering all day...xx

Betty said...

How fun! I hope you take a picture of the dress sometime. Those black gloves are darling. I'll bet she looked adorable! Speaking of adorable, so is your silly cat with the yarn.

Cornflower said...

Loved The House of Eliot, and what gorgeous gloves!

Rachel said...

ohhhh House of Elliot....I bought myself some of the series on DVD (I just don' do that sort of thing normally) and had to go and get the next two sets and watched it all back to back - Jack.......Bea.............Evie...... Oh that feeling, Sunday evenings sigh - I must be getting old

Rachel

meggie said...

I love reading your posts! Another great one.
Hope Lady Blah di Blah enjoys her night!

Unknown said...

I LOVE the black gloves!! If she is just "making do" with those, I'll buy them from you! Jacki

Anonymous said...

Dress ups---such fun! Hope your daughter has a lovely time! So many pretties in this post...Happy weekend to you all ((HUGS))

pinkgreen said...

Hope the party goes well - how great to have a supply of dressing up stuff like that to hand. Could you have done such a good job for Colonel Mustard?! I have bad memories of a Brownie halloween fancy dress party where my outfit was made from a green bin bag!
Hope you're having a nice weekend
Cathy X

andsewtosleep said...

Hi Kim
sounds as if your new sewing machine arrived at just the right time. Hope your daughter had a good evening
Mary x

Mumi said...

I'd love to see that dress...I bet she had a great night. Just discovered your blog..i'll be back often, it's lovely.

Anonymous said...

I love the title of this post Kim. Hope that your daughter had a wonderful evening and I think that you did her proud!

Marie x

weirdbunny said...

There's nothing wrong with stapling a fancy dress costume together. It's probably an inside trick in the fashion catwork industry ! ~ love Julia x

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