Festive Duds

By Christmas Day i'd finished my bubbly twinset. What a treat to be thinking, as i usually do in the holiday season, 'what to wear, what to wear......' and, instead of biting my nails in frustration, think, "Oh! yeah, right!", go to the closet and pick up this little twinset. Done!

Bit by bit i move closer to my dream closet, one by one i tick off the items i've so painstakingly identified as worthy of a spot in my wardrobe. At times it feels so slow!  But more and more often i'm able to realize the fruits of my labor.

I'm not feeling 'wordy' at all about this outfit, but it was a lot of fun to wear and quite physically comfortable as well. Elastic waist and loose overtop is perfect for your feasting-type holidays ;)  In future i'd like to try this look with some sheer/patterned hose. But we've been experiencing a chilly winter this year, with temps around freezing many nights, so i wore wool blend tights instead.

I really like the cut of the little shell in this pattern. I've been wanting to develop a TNT (Tried N True) pattern for a tank/shell for quite a while. This pattern looked very promising so i'm running it up in the leftover fabric from my latest leopard print jacket. I love the pretty little jewel-type neckline of the original pattern, but alas high and close necklines don't flatter me at all. I ended up tracing out the neckline from one of Katherine Tilton's tees onto the body of this little shell, and i am very excited about the results. I've worn a tank just about every day since mid-November, it's been so cold, and i only have 3 or 4 in my dresser. A wider selection would be welcome for aesthetic and practical reasons!

The only trouble with this twinset is finding your way into it. Which side is out, which end is up, front versus back, and so on - it's all so confusing when the material itself is so transparent and similar on both sides. Thankfully i had a wee brainstorn, and marked the inside back neck of the shell with a little embroidered rose.

These are my favorite type of handmade roses. I've seen them called 'bouillon roses' (from the embroidery stitch used to create them) and also 'rag roses'. They're so three dimensional! I stitched this one onto one of the bubbles in the scrap, then trimmed the bubble out when i was done with the rose. I then stitched the 'rose-ed bubble' onto a similar 'bubble' at the center back neck, using tiny stitches and (most importantly) matching thread.

ah, sigh.....how beautiful are those things which are whimsical, frivolous, and banally practical all at once? I can't wait to wear this twinset over my cadmium red medium tank.....

Happy New Year! Best Wishes to you and yours! May you have extravagant luck in your own wardrobe and outfit pursuits this year!