Carolina Herrera (fabric) Party Dress

It was a stressful week - this dress took hours to make! - but I was able to finish my Carolina Herrera (fabric)  Burda 03/2010 # 104 dress in time for the party Saturday.  I really love it!

The dress is meant to be essentially a pullover - the pattern's closure calls for only a loop and button - so it's supposed to be A-line and rather blousy in the back and middle.  I modified the shape significantly: I inserted back darts (see prior post)

Regarding the Happy Birthday balloon, I became further entrenched in the 30's by turning 31 on Sunday.

...and used a 12 inch invisible zipper instead of the loop and button (I had to add a 5/8" seam allowance to the back, and cut the pattern with a back seam), firstly because I didn't want to have to tug the rather delicate fabric over my head, but secondly, I took the bottom in so the skirt is more straight than A-line.  Because this made the dress more fitted, a zipper was definitely required. 

To counteract the still-present blousiness, I hemmed the dress pretty short.  I like the final effect of a less-fitted dress with a sexy short length.

Because I went luxe on the fabric, I had to go budget on the jewelry: the necklace is from one of my favorite accessory stores, Love 21, Forever 21's accessory-only sister store. 

I've bought pieces from that store, all <$10, that garner mad compliments!  Once, a lady at the airport asked if my necklace was from a foreign country.  I had to tell her the truth!

So my version is not as intricate as the dress Carolina Herrera made with this fabric:

Carolina Herrera, Spring 2011 RTW, from style.com

But hey, I think mine's allright, too.

* * *

I'm home in western Pennsylvania with my family for the week for Christmas.  Tonight I'm going to try a recipe for "Black Jack Gingerbread" recipe, which I found in my great-grandmother's recipe book that my Mom handed down to me last year. 

My grandmother, who had emigrated to the United States from England in the 1950's, must have brought it back with her at some point, and I'm so lucky to now have it.  It's a hand-written book full of traditional British recipes such as Sussex Potato Cheese Cakes, Christmas Pud, Breton Cake, Saint Catherine's Cakes, along with less-intriguing instructions for Minced Kidneys and Spanish Liver & Bacon (the addition of "tomato sauce" apparently makes it Spanish). 

I found a notation on the back that the recipe is Grammy Senior's recipe, so I think it's my great-great-grandmother's, or her grandmother's.  So cool! 

Then, it's off to the local dive bar for 25 cent wings...

Hoping that you're enjoying the holiday season!