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What are you doing New Year's Eve? Or, 1950's Belle

    One day in late October 2017, I found an audition on Facebook for performers for a NYE event. It was a dinner and show party. The event was described as very elegant, so I was intrigued. Long story short, I emailed for an appointment, auditioned, and got the gig.



    The party was Mid-Century themed,  I was delighted to discover. I love that period in fashion, and the songs fit my voice very well. I auditioned and they surprised me when they said that I sounded like young Judy Garland!  What a compliment! Anyway, they asked me to make a list of songs that I could do, so they could make the final song list. Taking their comments under consideration, I did put some Garland songs on the list. I had to add something Disney too, because I'm me. I ended up with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "Some Day My Prince Will Come", and "The Trolley Song".


    

    Of course, I HAD to sew my own costume for the evening. I couldn't decide whether to go for a 1940's or 1950's look. There were many possible choices in the stash. A slinky, old Hollywood gown would have been fantastic. But in the end, I had to use a pattern I'd been itching to make for years. Vogue 1094. 


  

    I originally bought this pattern because the neckline reminded me of Belle's gold gown. (NOT yellow. I refuse to refer to it as yellow. Yellow is not pretty). And don’t even get me started on the atrocity that Emma Watson wears in the 2017 movie. “Yes, hello? 2010 called and it needs its mass produced prom dress back.”



    I bought the fabric online. It is a matte satin, so it's not too shiny (that makes it look cheap, in my opinion). I chose a beautiful deep gold. Yes, I will Disneybound at formal events. (Disneybounding is using the colors or elements of a certain Disney character in your outfit, but not going so far as an actual costume.) Several other performers and a guest or two recognized me as Belle, so that made me happy.


    Construction was fairly straightforward, until I tried it on and realized that I had a HUGE gap in the back between my shoulder blades. The waist and bust fit fine, but the upper back was ridiculous. So I made a tuck all the way down the back (1.5 inches deep at the top and tapering down to barely .25 of an inch). That worked well enough. So in the end, it just looks like a back seam. It has a full, long skirt that is just too fun to wear. I used horsehair braid on the hem of the lining. I will probably


    One of the other singers said she wanted to get me a tiara to wear! That made me laugh. I had a wonderful time performing that night, and guess what? I got to do it again the next year! More on that another time.


    Yours in hard work, creativity, and a dash of Pixie Dust


    Sarah





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