Le Modiste: Celebrating the last days of Summer!

Annually, the Art Deco Society of California. http://www.artdecosociety.org/ has their last days of summer picnic at the Dunsmuir House in Oakland California http://www.dunsmuir-hellman.com/.This afternoon is always a fun and celebratory affair where we can dress up in our Deco frocks and hats, linen suits and boaters, then spread out picnic faire and dance the afternoon away!

I didn't go last year and missed it terribly.  This year I pulled out a dress that I started for the event and finished it.  I used a Decade of Style pattern http://www.decadesofstyle.com/, that I have used before with great success.

White linen, lime green vintage buttons, jade-like rings and lace

Everything was from my stash!  Didn't buy one new item.  Even the side zipper was a recycled item.  Anyway, I used a dress weight, white linen for the dress and belt.  The green lace made up the raglan sleeves.  The buttons were vintage ones but the rings were a find at JoAnne Fabrics!  Perfect color match!  The one thing I did that was different from the pattern was add this neck detail:

It is a typical detail for 1930's dresses and blouses to have bound openings and either scarf ends or some sort of fabric bow or tie threaded through the openings.  I tried this and I liked it.  This is how it turned out:

It was a pretty warm day, so the linen was very comfortable!

Aren't the cars fabulous!

On the Wagon as little Violet plays!

 Here are some more pictures of the overall event.  It was a glorious day of champagne, food, dancing and lots a well dressed folks!  Enjoy!

Next up:
Draping a Robe Anglaise, en fourreau (or English back).
Continue working on my Elizabethan embroidery sample
Up-cycle a bustle ball gown with a day bodice jacket
Possible Mid-Victorian Visting ensemble.

Gatsby Summer Picnic - farewell to Summer - did we have a summer?

Hello!  Though California experienced one of the craziest summers of cold(ish) weather, the Art Deco Society of California still helped us all say goodbye to summer Sept 12th, 2010.  The Annual Gatsby Summer Picnic at the Dunsmuir Estate in Oakland, was a success!  The weather was fine and everyone was in good spirits even though economy blues we are all experiencing is scarily similar to the 1930's.

Now of course I had a dress I could have worn.  In fact, I pulled it out to press it and wear it.  This is it above from a previous Gatsby Picnic.  It is actually a vintage piece I picked up ages ago and the only one I have left that still fits!  But!  Once again, I had the urge to make something new.  What is the old saying - you have a sewing machine, why not?  Is that an old saying?  Anyway, I knew I had a back up if a).  I didn't get to the new one or b).  I did and it didn't work out.

So, I had some lace fabric in a coral pink and a champagne colored lining material in my stash and started throwing something together the Wednesday before the picnic.  Did I make it?  Yep, I did.  It is so simple in its design so that helped.

The car in the back ground is one of the cars that Joseph Kennedy used as Ambassador to England.  A friend of mine owns it now and it is fully restored.    Anyway, the dress is simple and it worked out really well for me as it was warm that day.  I finger waved the front of my hair and curled the back in two rows of horizontal curls - I was wearing more bobbie pins that I would probably have given a hedgehog a run for her money.

I wrote this post a while ago, uh way back mid September and here it is mid October.  Geeze!  How did that happen?  Anyway, dear readers I am back and hope to post more often.  Keep in touch.