Red Velvet, The Reveal

Here is my new red velvet cocktail dress!

This is what a vampire would look like in the daylight.  My goodness – I am so pasty I glow.

My mom found this Persian lamb (it’s synthetic) jacket that was a massive mess.  One sleeve lining was completely detached – thankfully someone thought to safety-pin the lining to the jacket so they were not separated.  The other was half ripped out.  The pockets were pulled apart, and some of the side seam was even ripped open.  What the heck?!  She wanted me to fix it, but I really do hate mending of any kind.  It is ridiculous, but when a store-bought garment button falls off (and let's face it - they ALWAYS do), it takes months, sometimes years for me to stitch it back into place.

It still is not perfect – I actually found another ripped seam at the back of one of the sleeves after I left for the day – whoops!  But it was not very noticeable since the lining is also black.  Thank goodness for small favors.

But I do want to say that whoever decided to massacre the insides of this garment should be very ashamed of themselves.  I guess it could have ended up in Goodwill’s garbage, so it could be worse.  There is still some work to be done, but I have lost the motivation for the time being.

Creation is fun – mending, not so much.  Am I the only one who feels this way?

And I forgot to mention that I added a back vent to the skirt (although I will bet that some of you that are familiar with this pattern already noticed the alteration in my post discussing the skirt construction) – those simple slits always make me paranoid that I am going to show more than I want to.  

Have you ever seen someone wearing a pencil skirt that does not realize that back slit ripped open during the day?  I do not wish to be one of those people.

By the way – that silk organza added to the back skirt pieces seems to have done the job – no baggy bottom at the end of the day!  Or perhaps the velvet is simply more stable than a woven wool  . . . I may never know.

Now I just need to add a couple of ribbon hangers to hang the dress properly.

It sure is nice to have a back seam zipper on this dress – it is so easy to slip in and out of!  Thank you Gertie!

Not too shabby for some leftover yardage and an unfinished dress that was beginning to look like something the 1980s would have rejected!

Dress:  Made by me, Butterick 5814 (sleeves c/o Simplicity 9025)

Coat:  Vintage, borrowed from mom (if I have to mend it, I get to wear it)

Hat:  Made by me

Brooch & Earrings:  Grandmother’s

Shoes:  Nina