The Red Dress

Happy New Year!

I trust you all made the most of the holidays and having done so, are now (like me) ready for things to get back to normal.

I have been looking back at last year’s resolutions and am pleased to say that I have (for the most part) kept them.

I could do more exercise and I still haven’t learnt the piano, but I have knitted socks, made edible toffee and joined a book club; so I’m calling 2008 a success.

And I’m very pleased to say that Henry is still wearing odd socks every chance he gets.

I’m not making resolutions this year. So there.  

My only achievement over the holidays has been to finish my red dress.

And boy, am I glad I have.

The combination of a vintage pattern (with some 80 steps to follow), the silky, slippery fabric and complicated shaping made this dress a real challenge. 

The dress is very different to anything we would buy today, with it’s high neckline, shoulder pads and gathers around the waist. 

But, I guess I could have worked that out before spending a year making it…

What I love about the dress, however, is how it makes me feel.

The dress is rather demure and feminine, and makes me want to be extremely well groomed, refined and elegant.

In fact, the red dress has already made me paint my nails.

If I were feeling very brave (and believed for a moment that I could actually make them) I would order this fantastic vintage Vogue pattern and make one to wear with my red dress.

Why aren’t we all elegant and feminine and glamorous anymore? Well, maybe you are. But I dress pretty much like my sons: jeans and a t shirt.

Actually, maybe I will make a resolution.

In 2009 I resolve to be better turned out; in fact, I’m going to pronk.

Yes, I will ‘pronk’ my wardrobe and ‘hygge‘ everything else.

 

 

 

16 Responses to “The Red Dress”

  1. kelly Says:
    January 3rd, 2009 at 5:02 pm

    happy new year janet! and many congratulations on the dress…it is fabulous and i think you should be brave and make the hat which may look rather wonderful with jeans and a tee too : ) i love your resolution…to be a well turned out girl has got to be good and as for pronking count me in!! xx

  2. French Knots Says:
    January 3rd, 2009 at 5:33 pm

    Wonderful dress, it drapes beautifully on you. looking forward to a pronked 2009!

  3. Ali Says:
    January 3rd, 2009 at 6:37 pm

    You look wonderful. Can I pronk and hygge along?

    I hadn’t come across pronk before – but from my jeans and 8 yr old sweatshirt perspective today, it sounds wonderful.

  4. Michele C Says:
    January 3rd, 2009 at 9:49 pm

    Very nice! We should all dress up a bit more outside of work, I think. It does feel good when we get down to it. I was at B&N again, and saw the January Sew Hip and have looked through that now. Love the needlepoint dog on the bag.
    — Michele

  5. Jennifer Says:
    January 3rd, 2009 at 10:22 pm

    The dress looks great, Janet! Well done – you could sell dozens. It does feel better to make an effort sometimes although the jeans n t shirt look is so easy and comfy. I would love to have it in my wardrobe….

  6. Mary Says:
    January 3rd, 2009 at 10:28 pm

    Such a beautiful dress – you wear it well.

    And I love both pronk and hygge – what fantastic concepts!

  7. lazylol Says:
    January 4th, 2009 at 3:55 pm

    Best Wishes for 2009
    Love the dress. I should definately pronk more lol.

  8. Georganna Says:
    January 4th, 2009 at 6:31 pm

    Gorgeous dress — wish I had the gumption to make one like it!

  9. Tam Says:
    January 5th, 2009 at 11:14 am

    The red dress looks gorgeous-nice job!
    ~Tam 😀

  10. jude Says:
    January 5th, 2009 at 2:57 pm

    pronk and hygge. fabulous. happy new year!

  11. victoria Says:
    January 6th, 2009 at 9:53 am

    The red dress is absolutely gorgeous. So stylish!

  12. tracy Says:
    January 6th, 2009 at 2:25 pm

    Happy New Year to you too x
    you look lovely in your new dress – how clever are you – i dream of making my own clothes but i am such an impatient sewer that i can only start small projects!
    i will take your idea of pronking more though……
    t x

  13. Karen Says:
    January 7th, 2009 at 2:55 am

    You look very elegant in your new red dress.

    Happy New Year!

  14. vanessa Says:
    January 7th, 2009 at 5:20 pm

    Your dress is exquisite………………. and even more so for the fact that it comes from a pattern out of a different era………………. I love all that demure stuff…………….. But it looks very contemporary at the same time…………….. I just love it.
    Oh, and I’m all for NOT having new years resolutions…………… then there’s nothing to feel guilty about breaking!

  15. marné Says:
    January 14th, 2009 at 8:05 pm

    Your dress is fantastic, it’s so flattering and elegant, I really love it. The fabric is perfect.

    I painted my nails recently too, and felt very sophisticated (until it started chipping ) :o)

  16. Pamela Langford Says:
    January 22nd, 2009 at 7:33 am

    I love your red dress.

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