1.06.2015

weeee three kiiiiiings be stealin' the goooold...


oonaballoona | BWOF Nov 93 Wrap Shirt

I can watch a movie and forget 90 percent of it, but sing me a song and it's in there forever. Even if it's one line long. Every Three Kings Day I hear Mark Wahlberg yodeling Weeeee three kiiiiiiings be stealin' the gooooooooooold on a loop.

Not that I celebrate Three Kings Day or anything, I'm more of a mish mash in my leanings. But it provides a good excuse to keep the Christmas Tree up. Also, I always thought the Wise Men were super cool. I was "Rainbow Striped Bed Sheet Wise Man Number Three" for like five years running during my altar girl phase.

oonaballoona | BWOF Nov 93 Wrap Shirt

A colorful under collar stands in for my rainbow. Is your head spinning? Are you worried I might be sick? This somber silk/linen blend, with bits of gold toned nubbly weft yarns, was actually purchased for Ruggy, at King Textiles in Toronto. He couldn't see it as a man's shirt. I'LL BE STEALING THAT GOLD.

oonaballoona | Gathered Maxi Skirt | BWOF Nov 93 Wrap Shirt

Such a conservative fabric needed an element of surprise to survive in my closet. Solution: Burda WOF November '93 Wrap shirt, grabbed from Vicki at that long ago Sew Weekly NY Meetup. Wait for it....

oonaballoona | Gathered Maxi Skirt | BWOF Nov 93 Wrap Shirt

MY TIES STRETCH ALL THE WAY TO THE MANGER, YO!

oonaballoona | Gathered Maxi Skirt | BWOF Nov 93 Wrap Shirt

And the skirt brings the tacky factor to a far more appropriate level! The avalanche of novelty quilting cotton holiday wear that invaded my blogroll last December irreversibly infected me on Christmas Eve. I raced to Hancock's, and had a skirt for dinner the next day.

(In particular, Rosie WednesdayMiss Clara, and a third cutie I cannot find got me. Wise Woman the Third, are you out there? You posted before Christmas, you were looking lovely, probably by a tree...ETA! It was Erika, by a Santa!) (FURTHER ETA: I told you there was an avalanche, I also saw Aleksandra's Cardinal Cotton and even commented that I was going to make a run for Hancock's!)

oonaballoona | Gathered Maxi Skirt | BWOF Nov 93 Wrap Shirt

Dost thou spie my kingly gold beading? AW YEAH. YOU BROUGHT MRYHH?! FEH. I COME TO THE PARTY WITH GOLD. GOLD EMBELLISHED QUEENLY PARTS.

Yeah, I didn't get very far into the beading. The skirt is just two huge rectangles, french seamed & gathered into a waistband. Really, I'm wearing a bolt of fabric. My aim is to continue blinging it throughout 2015, and refashion into a knee length party dress for next December.

Is it wrong that my mind is already on December party dresses? Is my mind ever not on party dresses?

56 comments:

  1. Canadian fabric sewn with a pattern from a Canadian? We'll make you a Canuck yet! ;)
    (Love the combo of skirt and top! Unexpected and FUN!)

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    1. and i was *this close* to seeing her in person when i bought the fabric!

      also, yes please. health care and mountains.

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    2. Can I enter my name into the drawing for the title of Honorary Canuck? I need health insurance and not to brag, but I look pretty good on skis. ;)

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    3. I, for one, would be happy to have the both of you. Soon as you get your snowshoeing and igloo quals.

      Also? Love that top. Gorgeous.

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  2. LOVE the bling! ps I think i may have been the third :)

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    1. AAAAAAAAH!!!! yes yes yes YOU WERE!!!! i tried to go through several hundred blogs to jog my memory! man i love that dress. in fact, i was really hoping for a similar fabric when i went nuts on christmas eve!

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    2. I'll snag you some we still have it at work tomorrow. It was a whopping 3.99 a yard

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    3. It's 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 cuz it's gone!

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  3. Christmas is over, but now I'm going to be hearing this in my head..."We three kings of orient are, tried to smoke a rubber cigar, it was loaded and exploded BOOM We two kings of orient are, tried to smoke a rubber cigar, it was loaded and exploded BOOM I one king of orient are, tried to smoke a rubber cigar, it was loaded and exploded BOOM...silent night..." My friend Dee dee taught me that in the 60s (I think the rubber cigar is the one the CIA wanted to use to get Castro). Oh lord, I think it's time for all of us to lay off the eggnog.

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  4. How is it that I never find fabrics like that when I go in there??

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    1. would that we had time to go in together! i spent about 15 minutes finding stuff for myself, and a good 45 finding this for ruggy. i really thought he'd flip over it.

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  5. You are a lady after mine own heart. I love the skirt as it is and even more with the beading. Clever plans to keep the beading going once sewn. I need a project like this for my next trip away....knitting, crochet...meh! But the preemptive refashioning plans...that's me all over. Love it.

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    1. yeah, knitting/crocheting doesn't do it for me either. the beading really helped the machine free holiday! i'm going to plan some intricate handwork for away days.

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  6. I love it and such an inspiration for Christmas!

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    1. thanks pam! check out the gals' dresses too, they're full on christmas.

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  7. this is deliriously happy for one with grey top! love the under collar sneak!

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  8. I LOVE that silk/linen fabric - that subtle sparkly thing it has going on is right up my alley.

    The shot of the back of the outfit, with the long trailing ties, is really interesting to me because the silhouette of the outfit reminds me strongly of a Korean han-bok. And yet the pattern had nothing to do with han-bok - convergent fashion, I guess?

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    1. oh, those are beautiful! we're watching "marco polo" right now, and there's a fantastic mix of mongolian/chinese/asian/korean going on in the costuming, i can definitely see a han-bok influence in there, thanks for the rabbit hole!

      the magazine has this top in an "all about the blouse" feature, no han-bok, but i was surprised to find it's a christmas issue ;)

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  9. When you told me that you were headed out to buy Christmas cottons to make something, I shook my head. Now that I've seen what you've sewn, all I can say is that is so you! I can totally see you in February traipsing down the street with this on!

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    1. hahahaaa! i knew your reaction when i emailed you! i was shaking my head at MYSELF. but those cute dresses were just too much. i don't know, i might get a lot of bah humbug if i walk out in this post holiday weather...

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  10. You are crazy. But in a very good way ;)

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  11. May I say that you are just the cutest! Your fashion sense and sewing skills are outta this world.
    Love this outfit so much!

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  12. Amazing as ever! I love the zoom out to reveal the crazy (in the best way) poinsettia skirt! This is an awesome outfit together!

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    1. it's kind of like i'm a weirdo christmas plant in a forest...

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  13. fabulous skirt and no never too early to plan party dresses! Just love the embellishment - perfect to bling up.

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    1. thank you! my closet is quickly becoming an all year prom rack.

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  14. Oh oh oh! I adore this so much! Not only the Canadian connection (go Canada!), but the entire look. Floral skirt/solid top.... This has been a combo on my mind a lot lately. I looooove that wrap top and the dramatic tie at the back. You look amaaaazing! :D :D

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    1. thank you andie! you know, i think it's fortuitous that ruggy nay'ed the fabric, i never would have bought this for myself, and it goes with EVERYTHING.

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  15. I just love that skirt! It's so voluminous and party perfect and pairs so well with your top. Splendid!

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  16. I might be a second Lady No. 3? :)

    http://liveaboardtakesthesuburbs.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-christmas-new-look-6223-in-winter.html

    ^^ You commented on my Hancock's quilting fabric Christmas dress, anyway. ;)

    I love this. So Ulyana Sergeenko goes Christmas. In an awesome way. :D

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    1. you are 100% correct, wise woman!! THOSE BIRDIES! thank you for nudging me into the dark side;)

      and i love that comparison! her fit & maxi flare always has me drooling.

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  17. Bro. Another sewing project made with Ruggy fabric LOLOLOLOLOLOL! I'm really not sure why you buy anything for him!!!!!

    Love your poinsettia madness!

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    1. DUDE I TRIED SO HARD!!!!! i even kept the fabric hidden (because he's PICKY and i knew he would say no until he saw it made up) AND i showed him the great snaps i got to go with it (he liked those). my downfall was showing him the folded yardage.

      (or maybe it was my subconscious making the self centered call.........MUAHAHAHAHAAAA)

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  18. I think I saw you on tv the other day- a commercial with Brooke Shields?

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  19. I love this! love the vibrant color!!!!!

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  20. fun fact - in my part of the world, yesterday (when you posted this) was indeed three kings day.. love the idea of transforming garments, one year you get to wear maxi skirt, next one you transform it to party dress, next year it cen become something else..

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    1. i hope you celebrated with some goldschlagger ;) actually, scratch that, gold tequila. i HATE schlagger!

      i'm into transforming my old stuff now, instead of staring at it unworn. though this marks a new era of making with the intention of remaking!

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  21. Apparently, I haven't been on your blog for at least two days. That's somewhat weird in my recent internet-scouring.

    I started going through old Burdas, in the interest of restructuring my sewing supplies (they were all on the bottom of a wardrobe, which isn't as bad as it gets around here, but definitely not ideal for instant access!) Alas, I don't have that particular issue - we've never had all of them, far from it, and there's a curious gap in the early 90s, where I have some 80s and very early 90s issues in Russian from mom and grandma and then the Czech stuff starts in mid-90s...
    ... that long-winded off-topic was to say, I LOVE that shirt. :-) And it looks great in combination with a long, full, colourful skirt. The hanbok similarity really isn't too off.


    And music-wise, let's infect you with some Tonya Graves and Monkey Business. I've just started listening to them on YouTube. It's beyond me why only now.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9n4TpU5MDw
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCsDFdKLGsE
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9fyQlIT8sw (The Czech conversation in this clip concerns: the disgustingness of dipping your biscuits in your coffee. And the rudeness of throwing a biscuit in her face: let's shoot that again. Basically.)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ibItjCAGd0
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCo_DsST03I
    (Eeek, they do have a tendency of throwing in random Czech-based jokes and irreverence! Well, they're Czech, it's kind of what we're best at. And I suspect some Monty Python influence there, too. Oh, and donate to refugees.)
    Joan Baez! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTKuU_8Msw4
    I'll leave it there. It's part of my repayment for the Oona's Jumpin' July CD.

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    1. oooooooo i have some listening to do later!! thanks for the dialogue translation, that'll be fun to know they're talking about biscuits!

      i'm glad you still like that jumpin' july mix. i still listen to it when i want to get happy :)

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    2. It's only some songs I keep listening to, to be honest, but those are JUST RIGHT.

      I think I'll keep spamming you with music in the weeks to come, if you don't mind. It's fun to share.

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    3. (Oh, and when you get around to listening, that's actually not how Jan Hus is pronounced in Czech. :D)

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  22. Ohh, this is fun! I like the maxi length. I'm always glad to spur a little fabric impulse shopping!

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    1. spur you did!! it was like you ladies were in the truck with me!

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  23. I LOVE THIS OUTFIT. All of it is magnificent, and that skirt is what my dreams are made of.

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  24. I envy you and your festive garb!! Though after your previous post I actually did stop procrastinating and MADE MYSELF A DRESS FOR CHRISTMAS (it was a Belladone - I even uploaded a headless photo to celebrate). I made it with room in the waist for wine and ice cream - priorities. Looking forward to seeing the 2015 refashion!

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i thankya truly for taking the time to comment, i love a good conversation-- and hope you know my thanks are always implied, if not always written!