4 February 2016

Ranting, Railing and Regaling on Imperial ReGaylia


It doesn't take much to deduce that there's very little that's coherent about my blog posting; it's plainly all over the place. And it would be pointless to deny that it well reflects how, in everyday life my brain too veers off at (seeming) tangents, appearing to constantly fall victim to distraction. But I like to think I am "Distracted with Purpose". I remember Russell Grant's affirmation when speaking of Aquarians (he's an Aquarian himself I've discovered) that, "There is method in their madness", a statement which time and again has pretty much summed up my life choices. So with this explanation in place, I'll skip back to wisteria season 2015 once again, when the pictures for this post were also taken, and show you the 4th dress I made in my ongoing quest to master Sewing Stretch Fabrics.





It was the glowing reviews which attracted me to this pattern, Vogue V8615, out-of-print now but still available. I wanted to put the CustomFit to the  test, and as I would be using a stretch fabric, I decided to follow reviewer's recommendations to omit the back zip as well and make it pull-over. 


To be honest I wasn't convinced that this would be a "me" dress at all, but the pockets were nice (I know, weird to choose a pattern on the strength of "the pockets"!!), and, as with everything else I've sewn since I began again after a 20 year break, it was more about the exercise and the learning process, than about the finished article itself. I bought my first ever ponte knit fabric for the bargain basement price of €3 a metre, and set to cutting out the size 14. I allowed the width of the regalia pattern to dictate the skirt length (which ended up midway between views A and B), and I cut the 3/4 sleeves.




Ponte knit on the roll had never thrilled me. It always brought to mind crimplene, a fabric I'd shunned in teenage horror many years ago, but after having so recently grappled with slithery stretch fabrics, I found myself feeling very grateful to this stable knit, which on first glance looks like a woven. I imagine the term ponte, meaning bridge in Italian, was coined because the quality of the fabric spans many qualities both of wovens and of knits.
As I sewed, that iconic quote from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, burgeoned on my thoughts ... "Ah, chrysanthemums. Such serviceable flowers." That's it! I can't love ponte, but I must acknowledge it's serviceability. But by now, with this project still unfinished, I was bored. I'd set out to teach myself how to handle various stretch fabrics, and I'd more or less succeeded. I didn't like this dress. I hadn't made a toile to correct the fit in advance. I hadn't bothered to underline it. I'd been dubious about its outcome from the start, having just knocked it up as an exercise. But I was brought up with the WWII slogan "Make Do and Mend" regularly repeated by my grandparents, and waste is an anathema to me. So I dashed to finish it at least, and (although it's far from perfect) I'm rather pleased I bothered.



I didn't like the thought of a thick self hem, so I bound the bottom edge with a fabric from my stash which was a great match for the greeny/yellow of the pattern. The bodice is too wide at the shoulders and my sleeve insertion is horrible, 




but with a vintage contour belt to cinch in my (pre WWW) waist and a green fox fur collar, I wore it to a lunch party held for Marco's birthday - one of the gorgeous boys who run B&B casapiù in Porcino. "O guarda" they exclaimed, "è arrivata la Tsarina!" (Oh look, it's the Tzarina !), and from that moment my horrible dress and I received nothing but compliments all afternoon. Thank you boys, how could I not love you?




The "Tzarina" is not amused





Oh, hang on .... Yes she IS!!!!




If I ever made this again, I'd forget stretch and use a woven fabric with a zip. I'd make a toile to improve the fit, and this can then serve as the underlining (Ha, just picked up that thrifty tip from the Demented Fairy!!!). I'd probably change the neckline by raising it at the front and deepening the back V; and I'd add a waist stay to better define the waist and help support the weight of the skirt.


With the neckline being so wide I virtually had to treat this as an off-the-shoulder number and find a suitable bra. Enter the Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless in which I'll allegedly be able to dance through the night, and most of the next morning, without once having to hoik it up. So I put it on and twirled and danced ...

  





..... and danced and twirled











Then for some reason I stopped, stood in 4th position and looked skyward





This shot just cracks me up! The thing is, I'd read on Oonaballoona's blog (do go and visit it - you'll love her too, I guarantee) that shooting photographs upwards makes you look taller, so as my daughter Cami was my unwilling photographer on this occasion, I instructed her to follow Oona's advice. I'm not sure I appear taller but what this shot does reveal however is the PHENOMENAL anti-gravitational force of my "wonderbra" and now's the moment for me to let you into a little secret ...


This bra has been engineered to incorporate the spectral hands of an able shotputter who untiringly hoists and thrusts the whole time I'm wearing it. Bloomin' marvellous, innit?






On behalf of my Wonderbra I'd like to clarify here that the small protuberance you see on my chest is the result of a lack of underlining, coupled with my haste in wanting to finish this dress. It should NOT be mistaken for the impression of a nipple. No no! I'll wager there isn't a nipple in the world  (however well toned, and however crippling its "Look at ME" complex) could make its presence felt (or seen) through  the wonderously constructed, impenetrability of "The Wonderbra".

Now, just as a closing thought, and returning to my unsubtly mis-spelled title. Does anyone know who it was  that thought it'd be a good idea to purloin the English word "gay"; a word that wasn't yet redundant; which hadn't passed out of common usage; a word which was still gainfully employed as a delightful adjective and girls name? Seemingly out of the blue it was imbued with another significance!!! I wouldn't mind so much but it seems such a waste of an opportunity to enrich spoken English, (which could really do with some help in counteracting the leaching that's become the norm: such as the pervasive use of "like", mindlessly slotted into conversation every ten words, and the generally misused "awesome"). Other languages aren't suffering a "dumbing down" of the same proportions. Take Italian for example. While Italy has embraced the now international term Gay, it has however maintained the translation of "gay", which is Gaia, both as a name and an adjective. See what I mean? For Italian it's been a win-win situation with no losses.
Now, I don't personally know anyone who at birth was named Gay by her proud parents, but there have got to be hundreds of thousands of Gays in the world, and just as many Joys, Hopes, Belles and Glorias! I'd be interested to know what it's been like to live with the name Gay in modern times. (Interestingly the significance of the noun "gaiety" has remained fairly unaffected, and I think Gaiety actually makes a very pretty name).    
You know what?... yesterday I invented a word, and I used it in my post.  It's a verb - To strot.  And for simplicity's sake I think it should be a regular verb  :) 
Strot signifies that stiff-legged gait, something between a strut and a trot, that women employ when they feel too self-conscious to break into a full-blown run, but they know they need to get moving. 
So similarly, since "gay" in it's modern guise is mainly applied to homosexual men; and as all the homosexual men I know are beautiful and creative (or they aspire to be), I can of course feel another word coming on here. This time it's the noun, "Beautive". Go ahead and google it and you'll find it doesn't exist yet. That's because I've only just invented it!!!!   hahahahahahaha :D 
OK, enough of my musings. I think I'd better run the above past that beautive Master of English Language, Stephen Fry and see whether he'd like to be officially endorsed as "The Original Beautive". I'll let you know when he gets back to me :) 

And on a very final note, I just want to show you my greenish fur collar which I got for €8 in a second-hand market. 





I removed the tatty brown lining, then washed it in the bath a couple of times in the hope of enabling it to take the green dye better. Although it didn't turn as full-on green as I'd hoped, it has a definite green tinge (more so than is visible here) which has lifted it from dull and confirmed middle-age, to slightly more youthful and quirky. I relined it with shot silk shantung from the stash which I hemmed and sewed in by hand. I added a silk strip sewn diagonally across one extremity, and I can pass the opposite end through it if I want to wear it as a scarf. And in the winter I want to wear it as a scarf A LOT!!



Ooops! Mustn't keep the Tzar waiting! Just one quick coffee and I'd better hoppit!

This Blog is pro-autism
Thank you, Sallyxx

19 comments:

  1. Love THE way that drapes on you............ So entertaining girl!

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    1. Oooooh Steve, you Charmer, you!!!
      WELL DONE for recuping your login details; it's so great to have you here - you're a much better man than me :)
      Love
      & baci,
      Sal xx

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  3. Loved your last posting about Umberto and his painting,

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    1. Thanks Steve. Yes, his enthusiasm for his project was very apparent wasn't it? I'm planning on taking him to the carnival in Venice on Monday. I wonder what he'll make of it! :)
      Love Salxx

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  4. My childhood friend is named Gaye and my dog Joy. And they seem to love their names...or grown into them. Your dress however...when you buy a dress it's just not the same, now that you've written so much about your frocks. How boring to buy one off the rack!!! Yours have personality! Waiting for the prossima!

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    1. Hiya Jenny, Gaye and Joy are absolutely right to love such pretty names; and as I'm not planning on having any more children, I think it'll be my next dog that I'll be naming Gaiety!
      Thanks for the compliments regarding my "frocks" so far, though I'm hoping we'll be seeing some improvement in the refinements of the prossime :)
      love&baci
      Sxx

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  5. I need to strot on over there to see your beautive self! Wonderful words. Wonderful dress! Wonderful bra! If only I could complain about my poor sleeve insertions and wide bodice - you have to make something before you complain about it. I'm glad you finished this this one WITH pockets, of course you had to finish it. Max twirlability. And your colouring job on the faux fur was inspired.

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    1. Yes, I'm rather excited by the thought of all the words just begging to be invented. When we vere very young, a friend and I used to concoct "Frisky milkshakes" from icecream with baileys, malibu and the like; our "Alcofrolick" Milkshakes became well-known within our circle of friends but the term went no further. Now however, I've got a BLOG. I can expose the Whole World to my creative linguistic genius and confound philologists for centuries to come!!!
      baci Sxx
      ps sadly for the fur's prior owner it's a "friendly" fur, not a foe!

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  6. Dearest Sal, I'm really enjoying reading your blogs ... and the ranting too! You have a gift at being entertaining, informative and insightful. I do love your glamourous poses. I so wish I could sew! xxx

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    1. Thank you. Have you ever tried to sew? You may surprise yourself and discover you can do it if you try.
      baci Sxx

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    2. Frabjous! I resisted knits for many moons, and only became a convert when I got an overlocker. Oh the simplicity of knocking up an easy-fit dress in an hour! And oh that fur collar...wants it my precious...

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    3. "Frabjous"! The penny drops - Lewis Carroll was doing the nonce word thing way before me.
      As to converting to stretch? I feel I'm over it now; but with the exception of the odd T-shirt dress, and of course scuba. Bless the hero who invented scuba.
      baci Sx
      ps I want your jodhpurs :)

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  7. Hi Sally I just read all the posts I've missed, shame on me! All I can say is that you are one gorgeous lady, an inspiration and I am really happy I got to meet you!

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    1. Thank you so much Sasha; and that's lucky for both of us because the feeling is entirely mutual.
      I was stunned by your last post. The work you did on those jeans, and the way you styled and modelled them was perfection.
      baci Sx

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  8. LOL...what an entertaining read, thanks Sally! I'm pleased that you persevered with the dress. The patterned skirt really steals the show and that says a lot given that attention demanding Wonderbra! Pockets are a make or break deal for me too.

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    1. Thanks Sue, how lovely to have you here.
      If you don't mind, I won't let Wonderbra know what you said about her being upstaged by the skirt. She's already something of a Prima Donna, and it'd just make her even more uppity!
      Baci Sallyxx

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  9. Hilarious reading, Sally, thank you for brightening my evening. I adore this dress, love you twirling, gazing skywards, and generally rambling about the pro's on con's of materials I really don't understand at all. The wonderbra did wonderfully well and seemed to keep things nicely aloft. Thanks for all your lovely comments on my blog sweetheart x PS Is this real fur?
    Anna
    Anna's Island Style

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  10. What a lovely comment Anna ... thank you so much.
    Oh I know, I DO go on and on don't I? but I can't seem to help it; one thought leads to another and I find there's nothing I want to omit. I remember your first comment on my very first post. Comprehensive, was the adjective you used! Three months into blogging and I've understood that (if humanly possible) I should break up my epic posts into smaller ones - and I can still add links to retain the continuity I like. That would make the job of translating lighter too which would be welcome. Gosh, it's a constant work in progress isn't it?
    MMMmmmmmmm, the fur is NOT a "foe" sadly. But it is vintage, so I comfort myself it had died LONG before it ever met me and my green dye.
    Love Sxx

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I'm so glad you visited today - please stop and say a quick "Hello". Sx