In Progress : Oscar de La Renta

I’ve been obsessing about this dress, the short one, for about a week. It would make an outstanding Tetris Dress if successful in recutting the top part to suit my vision.

I cut a muslin yesterday for tinkering with the pattern. I’d prefer a square neckline and I must raise the back a bit : I am approaching 50 and I can no longer let my breast free of support and no ! taping my breast for the night is not an option, I want to wear this everyday.

I spent most of Sunday afternoon scouring the web to find tutorials on bagging, machine stitching a lining to an invisible zipper, fitting a bodice, and so on…

It all looks like an incredible waste of time, but I am a lazy seamstress and I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to avoid recuts, alterations, mistakes and any hand sewing if it can be avoided.

Thanks to all the valiant people, like The Slapdash Sewist, for sharing this information online. It does help, a lot !

Vogue Paris Original 1557

I make dresses I can’t wear anywhere. Sometimes twice.

One of the reason I don't wear this one, is that I can't walk with view B, it was designed for standing only.

A World Of Thanks

I opened up this blog, intending to speak of nothing but the futile, the artful, the pretty and the superfluous things that make life liveable.

Then the earth shook in Haïti where I once left a little piece of my heart. It killed hundreds of thousands and left the mourning population shelterless and bereft.

This is my first post and though this blog is supposed to be on the light side, I would like to start by giving a world of thanks to the numerous people who have helped La Maison des Anges in Haïti.

As with any thank you speech, I will forget some people in the throes of emotion. Please forgive me for my thanks go to you all the same.

A lot of people on Twitter lost sleep over Haïti trying to help and they are still doing it. I found most of them on @mirelamonte/haiti's list. I was very surprised to see how available people (Yes even you big NGOs) were over Twitter, answering queries, giving tips, GPS positions and helping out with finding people, meds, tents, food, lost children, care and solace. They seemed to be up at all hours, relentless in their pursuit of information, their goodwill amazing, their efforts selfless.

Thank you :

@federation @rachellehoude @lorihcg @mirelamonte @internethaiti @ramhaiti @melymello @meira_davi @crimson_cougar @le_jacmelien @haitiaidnetwork @rqskye @amstyl @weddressproject @carelpedre @ushahidi @howardkoepka @pepperfire @internethaiti @pierrecote @carlosmiranda @bhmhaiti @gneissguyco @adamhousley @kenjoslin @UNICEFLive

SPVM and the CAF.

Serge Boulianne from Les Escoumins, Armelle Normand from Brest, Florence Hoffmann from Paris, Lisa from Arizona, Esther from Spain, Chantelle from Florida, Allie from The Carolinas and Jules the Ikeahacker for helping out with @shaunking tent drive http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2010/02/ikea-tents-in-haiti.html