Goodbye March, Hello April!

Source; Google

Happy Easter!

I hope you're all eating a plethora of chocolate, spending a lovely day with family and/or friends! Unfortunately I'm stuck at work, but I've had a lovely weekend off with my boyfriend eating really bad food and watching Fifth Element. Multipass!

March has now been and gone, it's taken a precious hour of my beauty sleep away from me, and in return has given me some sunshine, good times, good food and a hell of a lot of birthdays.

I'm updating Instagram more and more lately, and this is a little mix of the things I've done recently. Dirty (but good) food from Bodean's, drunken selfies in Fontaine's toilets (classy), more good food from Hawksmoor and Chin Chin Labs, a beautiful Spring morning in Clissold Park, this adorable Turkish Restaurant in Drury Lane; and followed up with a picture of an outfit with a recently finished me-made dress, being a picnic blanket (blog post to come.)

How has your March been?
I'm still looking forward to Spring turning up and helping me kick my bad habits away - currently I have a big problem with wanting to sleep all the time and definitely not wanting to do the adult things. Like not spend money on new shoes I don't need, or wanting to go to work, or getting in and out of bed at acceptable times. Tell me, do those mystical "people with their shit together" people actually exist?

If so. Tell me your secrets.

Away from that. How goddamn amazing is this fabric from Tuppence Ha'Penny's Spoonflower? I'm in love with her whole Cocktail Hour line as it is just so great - perfect if you're a Midcentury-loving alcoholic like myself!

And speaking of fabric, everyone's favourite sewist released a new line recently - Gertie went and made fabric! This Horrockses-esque stripe is by far my favourite, although that windowpane chiffon with bows would almost make me consider working with chiffon (we all know it's the fabric of the devil.) I said almost.

I'm actually looking for some good fabric at the moment because I'm somewhat uninspired on the sewing front after finally finishing my bloody Swirl dress three months after Beccie's Swirl-along deadline. I've mentioned it before but I'm the worst at sewing for a deadline - any tips for organising my time better would be much appreciated!
Is there anything you've got your eye on at the moment, or any projects on the go?

I wanted to end this post with a bit of positivity, today in the form of the Artist Carol Rosetti. These are just two images from her expansive gallery, picked in particular due to their resonance with myself and my body issues. This set is wonderful, and expresses positivity in all walks of life, from body to age, gender, image, sexuality, disability and other things few and far between.

I'm currently on a mission to kick my mental health, to accept every part of me and to love myself.

I wish you all love and happiness, and the ability to love and accept yourselves too!
Have a great weekend,

Melody ♪

Why is it Called A Cocktail Dress When There is No Cock Nor Tail in Sight?

I never got to go to prom.

It's sad, and I'm obviously deprived, but I never got to go.
Apparently if you don't turn up to half your classes, are constantly late and are well known for being a "bright young woman with potential - if only she'd apply herself!", prom is out of question.

This is actually relevant, I promise.
I'm lucky enough to have a boyfriend whose work holds a proper Christmas 'do [could I sound more British?], and I get to spend a night at the British History Museum looking fabulous at a black tie event.

Black Tie events are kinda like proms, right? Just with more legal drinking, no after parties, and less likelihood of unwanted teenage pregnancies, right? Right?

Right.

If you're following me on Pinterest, you might know that I have a Cocktail Dress Inspiration board. The Inspiration part comes in the form of - I get to be that person that makes their own dress.
I'm going for cocktail for two reasons;

1. Wikipedia said I could.
2. I don't want to hire something and end up looking like this;

I sometimes have nightmares that I'll end up transported to the eighties and have to wear a wedding dress with sleeves like this.

 Okay, three, because it looks classy as fuck.
Okay, okay. FOUR. Because sometimes it IS cheaper to make your own - and it's the run up to Christmas. Meaning I'm broke.

So after a relentless search of Google/Etsy/Ebay/Pinterest, I really couldn't stop thinking about this dress from Aiseirigh Vintage on Etsy.

Look at it! It's gorgeous and full, and the overlay had my head dizzy! I mentally ticked it off on my list. I needed something along these lines. Dressy, but not "I will only ever wear this once" dressy.
Making clothes that only get worn once or twice is up on my "I really hate this" list, next to Georgia Jagger and the Go Compare Man.

And so pencil to paper, this happened;

So basically, I'm making a black taffeta dress, a simple sweetheart-neckline circle dress, but the fabric should have a nice sheen to it to create a more "luxe" feel to it, and an accompanying dobby print lace pullover, which will be a frankenpattern of both Gertie's Bow Tied Blouse and the kimono sleeves of her Wiggle Dress, from her New Better Book for Sewing.

What I wanted to create is an illusion of the mesh-topped dress, with the option of wearing the pieces separately, and as taffeta can be heavy, without creating any pulling of the lace when it's hanging up.

Basically, something simple, but pretty, with wearability outside of a Black Tie Event.

What do you think?
What would you wear to a black tie event? Post all your beautiful dress ideas in the comments, I fancy looking at pretty things instead of looking at the mess of fabric/patterns lying around my sewing table!!

Melody♪

Sorry for the break in posting, I'll post more now that my hand is slowly becoming less of a pain!