Stormy Skies

So, as promised, a view of my new skirt -

It's the 'mlle. pointy hem' skirt with some alterations.  I got this fabric months ago, intending to make a top of it.  But then, as i pondered on it, i realized it's a little heavy for a blouse.  Then, i thought i'd make a skirt - but couldn't decide on the cut. Finally, i noticed how often i was reaching for the mlle pointy hem and it occurred to me that the same cut in a darker fabric would be just the ticket. Especially with winter coming on..... (Honestly, it's a wonder i ever accomplish a flippin' thing, as long as it takes me to get a move on.)  

I took these pictures on a day with scattered showers. We had clouds scudding across the sky, and strong sunlight moving in and out of the clouds, with showers now and then (and here and there). I've found the best lighting for showing off the colors and details of clothes is a uniformly overcast sky, so these pictures have some 'blasted out', overexposed areas. But i like the way the weather mirrored the look of the skirt's print - it shows some of how i feel about this skirt, not just how it would look to any old passerby.

Eeek!  The sun snuck up on me on that one! 

A couple of weeks ago, I got three yards of this velvet-striped black ribbon, planning to use most of it to make roses for a neckpiece. I whipped up this bow on the spur of the moment and like the general idea of how this bow turned out. After wearing it i've decided to tweak it to get a better shape. & i loved the way the two necklaces look draped together! However, it was a total pain in the ass to keep looking the way i wanted it to. I need to come up with a better system - do any of you have any words of wisdom?

 A couple of close-ups so you can see the fabric, the lace on my half slip, and my 'sanctified' tights ; )  The hole is far enough above the knee that the G.P. has no idea, and the tights keep me just as warm as before the hole.

Jacket: Yak Magic (thanks, mom!)
Tunic (worn as Blouse): Converse One at Target
Tank: Jockey
Skirt: own design
Tights: Hanna Andersson (thanks, mom!)
Belt: vintage Coach
Shoes: Maine Woods
Necklace, Earrings: own design

Dinosaur Dreams

Another 'bombing around town' outfit. As it happens, i'm bombing around town today as well....so this will be a short post.

First - those are black lacy 'low cut' peds from Chinese Laundry via T. J. Maxx. They stay in place, shield the foot from friction, and don't sprout holes (like these evil Peds from HUE).

Secondly - i couldn't get the camera to pick up the stripes in this jacket on this day. So look over on the coast or at UC Berkeley to see those nice stripes.

Thirdly - i lied. Mostly this is a short post because i have nothing to say, of interest or not. However, some intrepid paleontologists have unveiled the discovery of two new dinosaurs in Utah, namely Utahceratops and Kosmoceratops. In my opinion, the latter species should rightly be spelled 'Cosmoceratops' as it '...boasts the most ornately decorated dinosaur head known to date, with 15 horns.' Ha! The next time some Ignoramus sp. give you grief over your own concern with ornamentation, remind him or her that the evolutionary process saw fit to encourage and maintain maximum ornamentation as long as 76 million years ago. That's even before the Americas had come into being as continents!

hhmmmm.....that's giving me a whole new perspective on the pyramid studs on this bag.

Lace Tank: Jockey
Jacket: McCalls Pattern M5594, made by me
Skirt: own design
Shoes: Clark's Passion
Belt: vintage Coach

Happy Toes

Oh, i was happy with this outfit! I wore it on the weekend, the fourth day of above 90 degree temps, for a fertin' round the house (sewing tomorrow's skirt) type of day. I love this skirt, but was a bit befuddled about how to wear it in a casual manner or in hot weather. It's made of a poly chiffon, and is too sheer and scritchy to wear on it's own. For some strange reason i had a mental block about wearing it with just a little silk half-slip and bare legs...........UNTIL NOW!

I love the way it looks like a little black dress with the black lace tank. Very unfussy. Most of the day i just wore it with the Betsey Johnson belt and felt dressed and comfy. I just threw the hat on for the photo, it's one of Mr. E's vast collection.

I'm really drawn to the flexibility of separates that can be worn as a dress - either two pieces made from the same fabric expressly for that purpose, or separates that can be made to 'read' as a dress. I accidentally bought extra fabric for the skirt i was making the day i wore this posts' outfit (coming up tomorrow - can you tell i love how that skirt turned out?). It looks to be enough to make a simple shell. This will be the second time i've made this type of combo. The first was a copy of a combo featured in Vogue Patterns Magazine in the early 1980's. It comprised a circle skirt and camp shirt in a warm yellow tropical print. I ended up wearing the pieces separately much more than as a dress, mostly because i didn't have many occasions for wearing a dress but also since the dress option wasn't as flattering as i'd hoped. But the idea simmered in my mind ever since....

Any advice/experience/stories out there about the two piece dress?

Hat: Scala via Berkeley Hat Company
Tank: Jockey
Belt: Betsey Johnson
Skirt: own design (material spotted by Mr. E)
Big Toes: paternal side of family