The Grand Anarcho-Dandyist Ball

I made this green silk dupion dress before christmas for the Grand Anarcho-Dandyist Chap Ball, and the hat to go with it. The hat has a shaped black felt base, a hand-made golden rose and hand-embroidered green silk dupion leaves, pearls and a pheasant feather. It's called "The Glorious Twelfth" hat (okay, so I know that the Glorious Twelfth is the first day of the red grouse shooting season, not pheasant, but let's not be picky.)

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.

Raggedy magpie.....

Design for a hat - really can't wait to get started on this one!

EDIT: finished!

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.

Louise Brooks

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.

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.

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.

Green Burlesque Bruiser hat - mini black felt bowler hat with green trimming and ribbon, black feather spray and merry-widow veil - £25 (plus p&p)

Visit my etsy shop...

Saturday the 17th of October was my fourth Blitz party - and they just keep getting better and better.

In the past I've booked tickets for this event as soon as they're released, and a good thing too as it's often completely sold-out by the night itself. This time though, I had decided not to go. Things have been a bit tough lately and I was firmly resolved that all I wanted to do was crawl under the duvet and sleep for a hundred years. In the end though, the siren call of the Blitz sirens was one that I could not resist.

Enlisting Cara, my old partner in crime, we snapped up some last minute tickets and set about planning our outfits. So far I've attended as a sort of home-made WAF, a 40s nurse (literally home-made, putting my newly acquired sewing machines to good use), but have never gone in Civvys. However, with my grand master plan of world domination (or failing that, a bit of pocket money) through hand-made hats led me to think that I should be seen out and about sporting some of my creations, if I'm ever going to persuade people that they would also like to perch them atop their heads.

My "Little Red Robin Hood" hat looked even more fabulous than usual against Cara's pale hair. I wrapped up in my furs and feathers, we donned our red lipstick, my seamed stockings and Cara's truly authentic eyeliner lined legs, and set out into the night.

As usual the event was packed, the drinks expensive, the music fabulous. Everywhere you looked were people of above average looks, wonderfully turned out. So many gorgeous gals in tea-dresses and victory-rolls! So many men in smartly pressed uniform and shined shoes, garrison caps at rakish angles. Myself having recently joined the ranks of the spurned and cast-off, and this being my first Blitz party footloose and fancy free, and must say I quite enjoyed the view!

Music provided by the gorgeously exotic Twin and Tonic, and the toe-tapping Ta Mer.