May 09, 2008
The Zipper has LANDED!
Alrighty folks, we have a zipper. Also, stay tuned for a Very Special Villain Dress Giveaway!
I have some good news and some bad news.
Good: I put zippers in several dresses that were languishing about the apartment: the orange silk from a while ago, the golden too-short wearable muslin (will add ruffle later), and the blue short snort as well as both red wedding dresses.
Bad: Two of those dresses are now too small for my ample bosoms, even though it seemed as though they would work before.
Extra Bad: One is the sexy Vogue dress that I made first. So sad. I will keep it around in hopes that I can add some panels to it one day. J requested specifically that I do another one of this dress. Next time, I'll make the next bodice size up.
Bad: I could not managed to shoehorn the girls into the cute blue strapless number either. Shucks. What went wrong? Maybe because I went down a size from the version I made last year. Not quite ready for that!
Good: I am going to give that dress away to some (always deserving) reader! It is pretty petite, though there is plenty of room in the waist and hips. So, if you or someone you know would like a fully finished Villain creation, just email me and we will see what happens! principia (at) gmail dot com is the current address. I considered doing a "Cinderella Project" donation, but I'd like to see if anyone in the blogosphere wants it first. It's cute! And free!
Good: I got a nice invisible zipper in the strapless dress and it looks pretty great! I'm not sure if I am totally in love with this bra, though. I think I'd like something a teensy bit less padded. The shape is great, but it just feels a touch too much, you know? It looks like the strapless is going to be the one. It is too bad about the other dress, but the zipper pulled something fierce. It was a good zipper, though, if I do say so myself. I have debated whether or not the strapless looks too bridesmaidy, but I think it doesn't. If, when I post a pic, you think it does, I would appreciate it if you didn't tell me. You don't want to break my heart, now, do you?
Bad: I ate greasy Chinese food AND pizza today. I am going to fitness hell. Tomorrow J and I are going running. Really! I posted it, so I have to stick to it now!!
Goodish? Badish? Oopish?: I mentioned last time that I accidentally bought a ring on eBay. (I really truly thought that someone would outbid me!! It was a foolish thing to do and I have no excuse!!) It came today. Did I mention it is a diamond ring and just loverly? I have major reservations about diamond engagement rings (feminist and economic). I also like sparkly things. Every time I stare into its Asscher cut beauty, I will force myself to contemplate the political ramifications of my rash, rash act. My rash but awfully perty act. We hadn't exactly budgeted for such a thing at this time, but. it should work out fine, though :D Naughty Villain!
Posted by loyd0008 at 08:15 PM | Comments (0)
May 08, 2008
Small Favors
Hi y'all! Thanks so much for the fellowship love. I can't even tell you what a difference getting that $ makes. (Especially since J's *entire* paycheck goes to rent every month, but I digress...)
I got my new schmancy bra in the mail the other day. It is Le Mystere (apparently Oprah's favorite brand, but whatever). I feel a bit like I'm wearing a breastplate, but the girls aren't going to be moving around, that is for damned sure! This means that Journey to Zipperville may commence. Zounds! I move forward with some trepidation. If it were a center application, I think I could rock it, but I haven't put in an invisible zipper in ages. I guess that center application just isn't appropriate? Or what?
What I have been working on in the mean time: favors! I still have to put the pinbacks on these, but all the flowers are made. How do you like The Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend presiding over them? They are our cake toppers!!
These are the tissue holders I made for the shower my mom is throwing. Not sure if that many people will actually show up, but a gal can never have too many tissues, right? Especially during allergy season. I had some trouble with allergies after moving to Minnesota and they are in full effect here, too. I never really had them growing up, but it looks like my allergy luck has run out. If I don't take my Claritin in the morning, I am done for.
In other news, I have been doing tooth whitening trays. Oh My God. NEVER LEAVE THEM IN MORE THAN 30 MINS. I was up all night once because the pain was unbearable. Even after a multitude of ibuprofen. Teeth are looking a little brighter, but I'm sure I'll dull them up again with all the tea I drink. Can't give up that tea, though!
Ok, all for now. Hopefully I'll be able to send some postcards from Zipperville soon! Wish me luck!
Posted by loyd0008 at 10:28 AM | Comments (3)
May 02, 2008
WooHOO!!!!
I was just informed that I got a fellowship for next year!!! Even bigger than this year's.
:D:D:D:D
This makes my life better in so many ways, especially since I might have just accidentally bought a ring on eBay...
Posted by loyd0008 at 06:36 PM | Comments (4)
April 29, 2008
Short Snort
Here is a dress I made yesterday. I don't think it's quite as wrinkly as it looks in the pic. I made it with the "non-rehearsal rehearsal dinner" in mind. I think it will be pretty darn cute. I can wear it with the red heels that match the wedding heels and then switch to red dress/blue shoes the next day.
My mom keeps pushing those Aria dresses on me. She really really really wants me to get one. They are nice and all, but aren't my dresses good enough??
Posted by loyd0008 at 04:40 PM | Comments (1)
April 27, 2008
Latest Incarnation
Ok, here's the latest version of the dress. This one has: new bodice with no interfacing (works much better!!), slim sash (too slim?), and I'm actually wearing some sort of bra in this picture. I will get a fancy new one for the real deal. It is being held together by a pin and the sash on the left, so if it is skewed looking, that is why.
Posted by loyd0008 at 11:09 AM | Comments (9)
April 26, 2008
Do Yourself a Favor
If you are ever in Boston, please eat dinner at Les Zygomates. We had J's birthday dinner there last night and it was, as always, amazing. They also surprised us with a champagne toast and fondue dessert (free!). They treated us like kings! I can't promise free stuff for everyone (I suspect that is because of the pending reception...), but I can promise excellent service, lively atmosphere, a great wine list, and the best food ever. Seriously.
Posted by loyd0008 at 11:06 AM | Comments (0)
April 25, 2008
(Strap)less is More
Ok, so there is no zipper or hem, but here it is. I can make a slimmer sash, if need be.
The bodice is a touch lumpy since I used very thick interfacing in the lining. That will take a little tweaking, but should be manageable. Thoughts??
Posted by loyd0008 at 03:29 PM | Comments (8)
Aria of Effect
So I tried on some more...
...and then I made one.
Yesterday I went to Aria and tried on some (better looking) dresses. I was surprised with the results: I liked a strapless dress! I'm not huge into strapless, but this one was very nice and I felt really good in it. I made an appt for J and I to look at it next week, but in the mean time... I made one. Here are the pix from Aria. I'll post the one I made tonight.
Loved this one short! Maybe for the "rehearsal" dinner.
Another sexy French chanteuse dress. Yum.
Here is the strapless that I loved. Surprising... so simple!
Posted by loyd0008 at 09:21 AM | Comments (0)
April 20, 2008
Costumey
I made this dress yesterday. It was supposed to be for the honeymoon, since Jamaica is pretty much the only place I can imagine a neck that low being ok. Well. I should have known that it would not be so easy.
I decided that it was pretty much unwearable without a modesty panel and that the gathery bits were really essential. Now, unfortunately, it looks more like a costume, though for what I am not exactly sure. I have yet to zipper/hem it, but here it is. I have only a little powder on, so don't be shocked when you don't see my eyebrows. I really have none without coloring them in.
EDIT: I think that the picture that was here is just too embarrassing, so I took it out. It's all cut up into shower favors now anyhow! Take that, ugly dress!
This little shirt, which I whipped up this morning, fared much better. So easy! So easy to wear! I really love that pattern.
For some reason I really dislike going down to the zipper store, so I will probably start something else before I finish the above dress. I mean, if it is even worth finishing. I suppose I could find a way to make it into a nightgown sans zipper. Maybe it would be less silly looking if I made the gathery things the same color as the rest of the dress? And the panel too? Hmm. I just don't know.
J just said that he wants to go to the zipper store. But he lied. He really wants to play Magic and videogames all day. What a shocker!
Posted by loyd0008 at 01:32 PM | Comments (3)
April 18, 2008
With Flair!
Today we went to a cute little dress shop on Newbury Street called Flair. The sales associate was very nice and I tried on a bunch of things. Nothing, luckily for me, stood up to my own work. Yay! There were a couple cuties and some real losers. Also, The Villain Wears White (gasp!):
This was cute and sort of 50s. It was tea-length and didn't cut my calves off as much as it seems in the pic. Too bright a red for the wedding, though.
This was the only one that fit right off the hanger. I felt like a French chanteuse - tres sexy! I like it more for a special occasion dress than a wedding dress.
And here is Mme Villain! She is pinned in back and while she might need to come in a bit more in some places than in others, the sides do meet, so I won't have to add new panels. Score! I'm not going to touch it until a little closer to the date, after I get some undergarments that will work properly. Hello, Spanx!
So, whatcha think?!
Posted by loyd0008 at 02:57 PM | Comments (11)
