The Hats of the World

......So. I'm taking part in Reader's Writing Camp or whatever it's called. It's something to talk about writing, wholesome themes in books and...other stuff that writers deal with I don't actually know I'll figure it out.





A couple of the things it specifically focuses on? Platonic love. Realisitc romantic love. Obvious Good versus Evil.

Yes. Alright. I'm just going to sit over here and die laughing.



Platonic love is easily covered. That's basically the only kind I write. Romantic love? HA! Yeah, nope. I'll try my best but my only romantic couple is basically only married for convenience. Lovely.


And oh boy good versus evil.....  Anyone that reads my stories knows I tend to side with the antiheroes and the complicated loyalties. Boiled down, of course, everything is strictly good versus evil but....  Life is very often more a matter of good people doing bad things and bad people doing bad things and it all ends up a very muddled mess of grey. 'Good' and 'Evil' can seem complicated to define.

Especially when you take into account the story I'm currently focusing on by default: it's about CRIMINALS. Literally. They do good things. They have loyalty. Honour. Integrity. Love. But they're criminals. They murder and steal.

So much for clear states of good versus evil......

Sorry, that stuck in my head first.

That, and I haven't written here for ages - not that anyone cares.

I want to make a stuffed pineapple.

But that is almost totally irrelevant.

....except I still really want a hug. Can't be helped! Must ignore it.

I'm a seamstress. I think I can probably call myself that....  Or, you know, 'desperate enough for good clothing that I sew up curtains to get it' but 'seamstress' is much simpler to say, oui?

 This is my current project.

Not the pattern though - I'm copying the picture and praying that the dress turns out halfway right.....

I'm doing the red dress - but without the jacket. But basically, that. I have this dark red sheet that has a faint sheen to it, oddly enough; and this white Panama with a black band that I am DYING to wear with this dress.

A black choker as well and....voila!

An elegant, dark, vintage dress - what more could I ask?

(Besides, you know, that it turns out right.....)

 This gown.....

Has been on my 'to make' list for the last year? Two? I don't know.... I've had the cloth for a while since the black satin was on sale. It will be my most expensive dress - and this is mostly the reason I've waited so long to make it.

It's a Christmas/Formal dress - although sadly not floor length - so I plan to give it longer sleeves. I'd love to edge it in black lace too.

I have a black necklace I want to make for it, and of course a black petticoat.

The trickiest part will be the bodice. They never turn out perfect.

.....the skirt doesn't either but at least this will be a circle skirt rather than any Forties skirt.

I have a new reason to make this dress to as long as the Graduation gift of getting to attend an Opera isn't rescinded.....

(Which it very well might be - but! Hey, for this once I'll be an optimist. At least I'll have a gorgeous black dress. At which point there will never be funerals ever again...)

 Now.....

This one is tricky.

The dress was my first gown when I was only an inch or so over five feet. Empire waisted, whide scalloped neckline, my bust was already too large to fit but I laced up the back and made it work. It was my Christmas dress.

I've since outgrown the bodice even with the lacing, so I cut it off and converted it to a skirt.

It sort of works - but the underskirt is too tight now....

So! Since hopefully I'll have more options for Christmas anyway....  Let's convert it to a more Vintagey fashion!

 Because of the sheer amount of....well, sheer material on that black skirt thing, this style is also possible.

If I don't use this cut for another black dress (Yes, I like black. Sue me. It's safer too.) I have this other sheer-ish material this will be perfect for.

This other material is champagne coloured with little black raised dots all over it. Hard to describe....  But beautiful. Very Fifties-Cocktail party material. I adore it

 And the fabric bought for this one was just.....

Priceless.

It's light material - almost sheer, but not really; cool material. As in, good for summer. It's a light yellow with black polka dots all over it. And sprinkled throughout the dots, replacing them? TINY CATS!!

Why is this so wonderful? NOVELTY PRINTS! The Forties were full of them. Some were downright weird.....

But that picture is about the closest approcimation to what I want for it. With shiny black buttons to accent it, and some black lace, of course.

Maybe I'll get another hat made as well.


I also have the gorgeous navy blue sheer material that I am going to make a 1940s floor length formal gown out of.

Will I have anywhere to wear it? Who knows. But one should be prepared, oui?

....now I just have to find the time to make these.....  And pray they turn out well.