Giving Thanks...

...for spanx.

Introducing McCall's M6433, the 2011 Thanksgiving Dress.

It was nice to keep the tradition alive. I even got the dress done in early November, despite getting lazy with the blogging.

The sweater knit was an idea I got from the pattern cover, but it had a weird fit in the middle, kinda matronly. I remedied it with a cute little belt. The clasp was from the button section at JoAnn. I found it impossible to find a suitable belt buckle.

I got a billion compliments on the shoulder detailing.

Those little pleats really spice things up.

Snake Charmer

Once upon a time I created a great dress to wear for Thanksgiving dinner. I'm making it a tradition. Introducing New Look 6000.

The back is really not so messy looking as in this pic.

I left it unhemmed because I was pressed for time. The material is a crazy cool snakeskin I got at JoAnn back in the day. It has a high sheen layer over the pattern that adds to the reptilian feel. For the life of me I couldn't get the unpleated areas of the front to lay nice, so at times it looks like both sides are gathered. The cuffs and collar are done in a bodaciously bodied high sheen linenish blend.

The picture of the inside shows where I added darts above the bust and also the pattern's distinctive pleating on the side. I was all kool-aid-smiles when I stopped for coffee on the long ride home and the girl behind the counter said "That's a great dress!"
I was tempted to show her where I pinned my fingers together making it, but I just smiled like a fool and said "thanks".

Out of this world

The GalaxE Dress

aka Vogue 8280. I had the fabric cut by Sunday night and wore it to Thanksgiving dinner :)

I have to say that Vogue left much to be desired with these instructions... check out number 7 here- they didn't even finish their sentence.

The lace was scalloped on both edges and had beautiful body- not stiff at all. Just a bit of stretch.

It was a Jomar $1/yard special. The underlining is a cotton linenish blend with a beautiful sheen on the finished side. It was on the "designer" table at Jomar, a 4 yard remnant for $2/yd. I'm so glad I thought to use it under something, because it wrinkles like a bee otch. I cut my own belt and recycled a used buckle I had on hand.

It's everything I dreamed it would be :)

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Ah, family holidays... loving reminders of why we are the way we are. Take this for example :

me on my grandmother's sofa, circa 1977

That beautiful blend of bodacious prints was the calling card of my grandmother's style, and heavily influenced my sense of fashion. Oh, I know what you're thinking. You have no idea.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours :)

lovE