Birthday Happenings

Well, as predicted, I left it too late to complete my new dress. By Wednesday, the Birthday Dress was coming together much better than I'd expected and I didn't want to ruin it by rushing. I knew wasn't going to have enough time to finish it to my high standards so I decided to put it aside.

Here's where I got up to...

I'm really pleased with the bodice gathering, I managed to do it in one go with no unpicking! Surprisingly, it really does pay do make a muslin first. I took nearly two inches out of the length of the skirt but it's still too long and I'll need to take in the bodice a smidgen for a more flattering fit. The plan is to wear it next weekend so it will be finished in the next few days. Hopefully...

Now, back to my birthday celebrations!

Things kicked off on Thursday evening with a show at The Famous Spiegeltent. I've been a Johnette Napolitano fan for many years and it was great to see her perform live. I last saw her back in the early 1990s when Concrete Blonde toured Melbourne, and while it may have been over 20 years (wow!), it was well worth the wait. Johnette may now be in her 60s but boy can that woman still sing! 

Johnette Napolitano at the Spiegeltent

Friday morning began with a home cooked breakfast of crepes and nutella (choc-hazelnut spread), followed by a busy afternoon preparing for our garage sale to be held at 9am the next day. There was a lot to do and before I knew it, it was time to head off for dinner.

Bathing beauties on Eastern Beach, Geelong

Eastern Beach on Coiro Bay, Geelong has long been one of my favourite places to visit and I've always wanted to dine at The Promenade Restaurant. The restaurant is located on the upper level of  the Beach House - the former kiosk of the Art Deco bathing pavilion. 

The swimming and recreation area of Eastern Beach were built in the 1930s and featured a shark-proof enclosure, a children's pool, kiosk and dressing room pavilion. The area began a slow decline from the 1960s and later decades of neglect saw the area fall into disrepair. In 1993, the Geelong council announced plans to restore the area to its former glory.

The concrete staircase & fountain.

The Promenade restaurant was very intimate and we were given a table over-looking the swimming enclosures and the bay. Sadly, we missed the sunset but it was quite relaxing watching the boats come in to dock. The food was excellent, as was the service, and we left feeling extremely well fed.

As for my outfit, I had to go with Plan B - the Last Dance Dress which was made under similar circumstances if I recall...

While it was a busy few days and I didn't finish my dress, I still had a lovely birthday.

-Tamara



The Birthday Dress - Part 1

It's my birthday this Friday and to celebrate Mdblm is taking me out for dinner. I am hoping to have a spectacular new dress to wear for the occasion but I'm concerned I may have bitten off more than I can chew.

Advance 2824

I chose this pretty 1940s afternoon / evening dress from my collection and I knew I had some beautiful forest green micro-crepe in the stash which would work perfectly. Sadly, I found I only have enough green for a blouse, but I did have 3m of flannel grey in the same micro-crepe which would suit. I'm not entirely convinced it's a good colour for me but I really didn't want to have to buy more material. 

In the past, I've found the fit of Advance patterns to be average at best so I decided to invest some time in making a muslin. I'm also not feeling all that confident about the gathered front on the bodice so a test version is probably a good idea. Here's where I'm up to:

Bodice front with gathering stitches

After staring at the instructions for what seemed like hours, the light finally went on and I was underway!

After sewing the centre front seam and clipping the excess, I attached the stay just below the neckline V and made gathering stitches on each side of the seam. While it is a bit fiddly, the neat thing about this design is that all the messy gathering and clipped seams are hidden beneath the stay. No need for additional finishing on this bit!

The muslin of the bodice is done and, as expected, it will need a bit of tweaking in terms of fit. The micro-crepe will make the bodice front appear a lot softer and will fall much better than this crappy cotton, but it's at least given me a better idea of construction.

I cut the dress from the micro-crepe yesterday; the skirt was completed last night and was a dream to sew; and I'm now back to working on the gathered front. Phew!

Time's a wasting so I'd better get back to it.

- Tamara

Sunday Afternoon at the Cinema

I've wanting to see The Artist for weeks now and with a free afternoon this Sunday, we headed off to the Art Deco beauty of the Rivoli Cinema Complex in Camberwell.

Exterior of the Rivoli Cinema, Camberwell Rd, Camberwell

The Rivoli Cinema was originally opened on the current site in October 1940 and was designed by noted Melbourne cinema architects Taylor & Soilleux. The interior was innovative in its design with a large, split-level auditorium seating a total of 1644 people (circle & stalls); an open-air roof garden;  toilet facilities, milk bars providing refreshments; concealed lighting; and an extensive lounge.





The roof-top bar & garden.

The Rivoli was one of the few Melbourne cinemas to survive the post-war decline in patronage, and while it has undergone two major renovations in its time, many of the distinctive Jazz Moderne and Streamlined Moderne elements remain.

The Rivoli's art deco staircase and floating ceiling.

As you can see, the Rivoli was the perfect setting to see The Artist but I'm afraid say the film didn't quite live up to my expectations. The surround sound in our cinema was on the fritz and we could hear explosions from the film next door, making it difficult to become absorbed and it detracted greatly from our viewing experience. I think it may need another viewing when it's released on DVD...



How was your weekend?



-Tamara