Go home, chocolate beer, you're drunk

I actually cheated and tried the chocolate beer a couple of weeks ago. My flatmate was right, it is gross. Well, it depends really. If you were expecting some kind of chocolate-flavoured liqueur, it might actually be quite nice. But if you're expecting a beer, I'm sorry, but it's just plain rancid. However, I didn't want to write it off that fast, as I am quite a big fan of my friend chocolate, so I tentatively tried it again. My palate was right the first time, it's foul. So this is what happened to it:

 

 

Actually that's just for shock value really, shame to waste beer in any form. Waste-not, want-not and all that. So I gave it to my better half, who incidentally features in the following photo that shows off the midnight-blue 1960 dress I made for last weekend's wedding. Instead of embellishing the bodice however, in a stroke of luck I found some scrap fabric that matched my shoes perfectly, so I made a sash out of it. Will have to pay more attention next time I work with stretch satin though. One corner of my whole-circle skirt is slightly longer than the rest, as gravity took advantage of only one bias-cut edge and no others. See that extra-long bit to the left of my skirt in the picture? Yeah...only noticed it when I was sprucing myself in the wedding-venue bathroom. Dammit.

 

 

 

Speaking of weddings, stage one of Operation Epic Bridal Gown is complete, but only my bride will know what that means :) The instructions for the pattern were not the simplest, so I took to the internet for answers. All the websites I found referred to the pattern as having 'easy to follow instructions'. Easy to follow instructions my foot. But after trial and error and reading and re-reading the instructions, I finally got there. Will be sending photos to my bride in a few minutes for her to squee over.

 

For next post I have a beer with the coolest name ever. I for one am looking forward to it. 



Weddings and Waitangi Day

Man I love days off work. Knowing I don't have to go to work when I should be somehow gives me more motivation to sew than any other time. And man did I take advantage of that time today.

I almost-finished another dress I might wear to the wedding this month, as I'm not convinced about the duvet-cover dress. It's not my best work. Plus I like to have options. It's Retro Butterick 5748 from 1960, which is pretty much the latest year I'll go in terms of historical fashion recreation. Anything after that is just fugly.

 



Going to embellish the bodice with something just not sure what yet. And as it's midnight blue satin it will also go awesomely with this gorge pair of bright blue t-bar shoes I bought recently, which the duvet cover dress certainly doesn't satisfy.

Then I had some beer.

Thought I'd start with the reliable old favourite Monteith's Golden. Next post I will try Boundary Road's Chocolate Moose, as featured in my cover photo. Flatmate didn't want it as apparently it's gross, but I will make my own judgement on that next time.

Also worked on one of the bridesmaid's dresses some more, and started proper on the epic wedding dress. There is so much fabric!! And it's going to look absolutely divine, if I do say so myself. Wish I could show you, but it's a secret.

Next post: chocolate beer and hopefully finishing that 1960 number without it looking too 1960s.

A fulfilled sewing wish

Hello all!

I remember drooling over this pattern when I was about 19 and have been wanting to make it up ever since. I didn't manage to get myself a copy before it went out of print though, however I recently found one on TradeMe and snapped it up.

I think this is the pattern that first got me hooked on the 1940s style. Here is my version, made from half price polyester suiting fabric from my favourite fabric store Arthur Toye and part of an old curtain.

I think the fabric I used was a bit too thick for that frilly bit but whatever. Plus I think I've finally mastered invisible zips, but for a tiny bit of buckling on one side at the bottom of it. Happens every time! Maybe will look up some online tutorials to learn how to avoid that.

This Wednesday is a public holiday and my bride's wedding is fast approaching, so with final measurements on their way soon, I'm going to use the free time to start on the epicness that is her dress. Since there was no beer in this post, there will definitely be beer in the next post. (I was drinking beer while sewing today but too shameful a brand to show online). But don't worry Becs, there won't be TOO much beer!

See you Wednesday peeps!