Sunday, January 1, 2012

new years eve... tunic?

via 

Happy 2012, everyone. We made it! I hope your New Years Eve was filled with champagne and dancing (if you're into that), and your New Years Day has been filled with...naps (if you're into that). I woke up this morning to blustering winds, no power, a downed wire in the back yard, and fallen tree limbs that cracked the chain link fence. I thought, "The end is here, and I never even got to try a Colette pattern." All is well, though.

So, I unfortunately ended 2011 with a failed garment. I decided to make a last-minute dress for our NYE party and began working on it New Years Eve Eve. I didn't have a pattern that seemed right, so I made something up that wouldn't need a zipper, facing, lining, bias tape, set-in sleeves, or anything requiring skill, dexterity or patience of any kind. I felt okay with how it was coming along and then... whoops... chop goes the scissors. Front and back:


Uh, yea, my cool new "dress" ended up being a weird & shiny TUNIC. It's above mid-thigh, which is too short for my taste so I declared it unwearable. I'm sure some leggy ladies could pull it off, but this lightweight fabric cinched by a waist belt rides up like crazy on me. Not good for dancing or, you know, raising my glass to toast.


I don't even know if this fabric is my style. It's one of those polyester materials that's labeled as a "silky print" at the fabric store. It was 60% off so I thankfully only paid $2.99/yd, or $5.98 total. The woman cutting it thought it looked like snake skin, but I prefer to think it's cobblestone, or tetris blocks. Orrrr maybe it just looks like confetti at a Halloween parade. 


So I rushed out at 6pm yesterday and snatched up a shiny blue skirt on sale at a local boutique so I'd have something to wear to the party. I could have tacked on some length in the waist or on the bottom of this dress, but I ran out of time. I could still do that but I honestly don't know where else I'd wear this dress. I could make it a blouse that I tuck into black skirts...? What do you think? Is it worth saving?



If you're concerned about that odd dark square on my chest/shoulder, it's just my new tat. Temporary tat. A party favor from last night that I have yet to wash off because I've been too busy sleeping and staring googly-eyed at the Internet all day.


Best wishes to you and yours for a year of perfectly marked hem lengths.