The Princess Flora headpiece - hand-made large powder blue silk dupion rose on a base of embroidered gold and green silk-dupion leaves, with a spray of soft white goose feathers and white merry widow veiling.
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Princess Flora headpiece
The Grand Anarcho-Dandyist Ball
My gals are also wearing hats of mine - Bridget wearing the Rainbow Corner hostess hat, and Cara the lovely Red Deco cap (now sold). And don't they look lovely? We got quite creative trying to make victory rolls for the two of them (my hair is too short, alas) without the use of a proper hair-rat, so had to come up with ingenious uses for everyday objects to use instead....but I won't go into details....
If you've not heard of the Chap magazine - where have you been?! It's a great publication for the caddish dandy in us all. I'm not entirely sure a woman can even be a dandy as such, but there is certainly such a thing as a "Chapette", and I'd like to think I am one of them.
The Chap ball was marvelously fun and everything I'd come to expect from the magazine. There were gentleman in white tie and tails playing the saw as we walked in, old type-writers to bash out messages which could then be delivered by liveried servants to other guests, fantastic live music by such excellent performers as Twin & Tonic, and charleston dancing from The Bees Knees. Highlight of the night for my gals and I though was the wonderful Mr B the Gentleman Rhymer. Such a surreal moment, looking around the dancefloor and seeing men in monocles, top hats and cravats getting down and dirty to the ukulele-enhanced "Chap-Hop" re-imaginings of hip-hop greats!
Mr B performs his set. Cara and I admire a man in tweed
that sings "You've got to fight for your right to paaaartay!"
Cara and I find a passing Cad to pose with.
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
My mother and I in our Christmas best. This is the vintage dress if bought from Beyond Retro for the S.S.Atlantica ball earlier this year. I altered the neckline, to give it more of a sweetheart neckline (it was a very high neckline before). I think I'll wear it a lot more like this. I need to get some nice ribbon to edge it with, but if I can't get an exact match for the ribbon and buttons running down from the waist I'm thinking about getting a nice burgundy red ribbon and re-doing the whole thing.
Thursday, 10 December 2009
Prohibition, November '09
A long-time fan of the Blitz parties, I was very intrigued to hear that the organisers were returning to the event they are most famous for, "Prohibition". This night is, as the name suggests, a 1920s themed night. It's not, as the name suggests, a "dry" event. Far from it.
I've always loved the '40s and '50s, but recently I've fallen hard for the 1920s. Maybe it's the haircut? I'd love to think I would have been a flapper - albeit not a very good one (I went to a charleston class last week and failed in the most epic fashion. I've come to the conclusion that I have dyslexic legs...)
I'd roped a few people along this time, and I have to admit that I was worrying slightly about whether they would enjoy it - nights like this are quite difficult to dress for, especially for normal people, who's wardrobes (unlike mine) do not resemble dressing up boxes. In the end though, my friends dressed wonderfully and really looked and felt the part. I wore a glittery headband and my handmade red flower with embroidered leaves, and my friend wore a black and white feather and pearl headpiece I made for the occasion.
We began the night in truly decadent style, sipping extortionately-priced cocktails from the private penthouse bar at the top of the Centre Point building on Tottenham Court Road. The view from the top was incredible, the whole of London twinkling beneath us.
We began the night in truly decadent style, sipping extortionately-priced cocktails from the private penthouse bar at the top of the Centre Point building on Tottenham Court Road. The view from the top was incredible, the whole of London twinkling beneath us.
After a cocktail or two we shimmied over to Old Street and hit the party - and what a party it was! Fantastic bands, great music played, gorgeous people. The cocktail menus hidden inside old books was a nice touch, as were the candles in old champagne bottles, the silent Louise Brooks film projected on one wall, the roulette table and, here and there, the guests innocuously sipping cocktails from china teacups.
I had a bit of a dance with an old friend, a fantastic dancer who always asks me to dance even though he knows how rubbish I am. We did however get a round of applause from all the people on the dancefloor this time - presumably applauding him for keeping me upright. Fun though! The tempo of the 20s jazz is so upbeat - it's a great workout, and also, I defy anyone to not feel happy whilst listening to such fun music!
A little tip though: fringed dresses? Yeah, they kind of get stuck on EVERYTHING that comes within a meter radius of you. Amusing when it's the back pocket button of a rather nice gentleman, not so amusing when you're attached arse-to-arse with another girl and have to end up ripping her gorgeous beaded vintage dress to free yourself. It's either that or resign yourself to the fact that you are going to be siamese-dress-twins with a complete stranger for the rest of the night.
A little tip though: fringed dresses? Yeah, they kind of get stuck on EVERYTHING that comes within a meter radius of you. Amusing when it's the back pocket button of a rather nice gentleman, not so amusing when you're attached arse-to-arse with another girl and have to end up ripping her gorgeous beaded vintage dress to free yourself. It's either that or resign yourself to the fact that you are going to be siamese-dress-twins with a complete stranger for the rest of the night.
Little Red Robin Hood hats
I must keep up to date with this blog, but life seems so busy at the moment I can barely catch my breath! I have decided to really throw myself into making hats - a little business which will probably never take off, but gives me so much enjoyment. There's something about slowing down and taking things one stitch at a time, which is a really nice way to calm down at the end of a busy day.
I've set up an etsy shop but really need to get some proper photos taken - I've asked a friend to take the photos, and another to model for me. Problem is everyone is so busy in the run-up to Christmas, it's so hard to find time, so for now there are photos of me doing the honours. I'm waiting for the delivery of a wooden canvas mannequin head too, so that I can take some good clear pictures, which seems to be the thing that really helps sell an item.
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