in a blue mood and loving it

ooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOH!!!  I AM SO HAPPY WITH THIS DRESS!!!

I'm not lying to you when I say I sang songs to this dress. I cooed and petted it. Diane Reeves and I serenaded it many an evening. The three of us harmonize quite well together, if I do say so myself.

When she is quiet (or, at least, as quiet as this print can be) she looks like this. But when she gets frisky...

PEEP SHOW YO!

I adore this panel print. She is silk. She is Anna Sui. She is from Mood, los angeles locale, I haven't been able to find her online, but she's still available there. I defy you to stand in front of the Anna Sui section there and not choose something. DEFY.

I first spied this delicacy rolled up in the remnants box. Misha (my mood LA muse) happily unrolled it for me, then, upon seeing my dismay at the lone panel, pointed me to the actual bolt. I walked out with 4 yards (16 dollas a yard!) and another 6 yards of feathers.

Yes, feathers. The feathers did not make it to their final destination of le hem. I was vehemently voted down, several times. More on that to come.

And she is completely draped!  had 4 yards.  hat equaled 4 panels.  My remnant amputee panel was lonely, so after a good swig of courage (whiskey), I sliced the remaining 3 panels into separate squares, then box pleated each square once to hide the smaller design. The middle of each pleat became center front, side seams, and center back zipper (a slash zipper insertion right down the middle of the box pleat). I sewed the 4 pleats down to about mid hip level. Each panel was then reattached, making pretty much a large tube, which I then took in until I had the shape I wanted. Makadesense? No? I could whip up some drawings if you desire...

the side seams open and close at will as well.

And the panels ended up to be just right for my desired length. Well, I mean, there were supposed to be 5 inch long feathers which would have made it floor length...  but apparently that would have made the dress "tacky". Again, evidence and arguments to come.  However, I could not be stopped from using a leatherish bias tape along the neckline (which you can see in the first shot).  

I don't know how to end this post. All I can think to do is holler THIS DRESS ROCKS AND I AM A GOLDEN GOD but somehow that has an air of pomposity to it. That said, this dress rocks and I am a golden god. 'kbye!

this creation was made using my monthly fabric "allowance" as part of the Mood Sewing Network.

momballoona up next!

take pictures in seattle, my mom said during our birthday chat this morning.  so, most colorful of august birthday celebrants, whom all flowers flock to, here is our first seattle picture... a birthday bloom for you!  i studied this very rose during our cross country call, a perfect technicolor flower for a perfect technicolor mom.  

HAPPIEST OF COLOR FILLED BIRTHDAYS MOMBALLOONA!!!

if only we weren't on the lam again

i feel a bit like your kalkatroonaan cruise director, what with the gentle nudges towards maps of the world and online jazz concerts (which was BRILLIANT), but peeps, if you're in the city of angels, i haz your friday night planned.  did you know crafted of los angeles will be throwing an etsy shindig?  these are the same gals frolicking at promaballoona in purple tulle, eighties floral, and a soupcon of tres chic black and white.  they know how to party.  if you're in town, take my advice and head for the nail bar, then beeline to the wine showcase.  sipping wine while the paint dries?  that's just good planning.  rsvp right here!

me?  oh yes, i'll be in town... in front of several suitcases, trying to figure out how to fit seven months of living into four bags.  we're slipping out in the wee hours of saturday morning to our next hideout stop, seattle.  seattle, baby!  and none too soon.  it's actually grown toxic here.  first, nature attacked, in some wild new pollen heretofore foreign to us.  five minutes of fresh air and we're both coughing and hacking like we just returned from silkwood.  this is not right.  flowers love me.  then... food began to attack.  shellfish took ruggy, mozzarella felled me.

this is most definitely not right.  CHEESE LOVES ME LIKE FOR REAL, YO.

i can only assume we are being singled out by the very soil we walk upon. i have come to the conclusion there are two possible reasons for this unprovoked aggression:

1.  we have been partying / entertaining for three weeks straight and it's catching up with us.

2.  los angeles has had enough of us and wants us to get the hell out.

i do believe i'll go with número dos, as we show no signs of calling it quits on the partying.  cool, LA, we catch your drift, it ain't no thang.  seattle calls!  i know you lovely peeps have some cruise directing of your own to do! anything we shouldn't miss?  anything we shouldn't drink?

(just kidding, we're going to drink EVERYTHING.  including the rye whiskey we're packing.  godsakes, never leave a man behind.)