Sweet Rosie Revamp

Last year the search was on for a lovely Ivy City Co. dress that slipped by me in 2023 called Sweet Rosie.  I tried to console myself that it couldn't be as pretty in real life as it was in the photos; I went on a search to see it being worn on a real person and tracked it down on the blog With Wonder and Whimsy.  I was smitten!  It looked even better in WWW's pic than the shop's.  So, I kept searching for months until I finally secured one second-hand!

The print is so lovely and I love the tiers, ruffles, and the shirred top.  I was thrilled to try it on, but when I did, I realized that this sleeve is not flattering on  me at all.  I did these outfit photos, hoping against hope that I was wrong, but upon reviewing them, I couldn't have been more disappointed to be right.  Flutter sleeves just aren't for me.  Saddened that after so much searching this dress just wasn't right for me, I folded it up and put it away for the year. 

Lately I've been thinking about which dresses I want to bring out for my spring wardrobe, and my mind drifted back to this dress.  Perhaps the cabin fever has inspired a little creativity, but I suddenly had an epiphany that it would be the easiest thing in the world to alter the sleeves!

This post may seem rather long, but I'm going to walk you through it photographically step by step.

1.  First things first, located the sleeve seam and determined it was wide enough for an elastic cord to run through, about 1-1.5mm in thickness.  I measured a piece of elastic cord by wrapping it around my arm, allowing a little overlap, and then doubled it, cut, and cut it in half.

2.  Next I ripped a few stitches at the seam closure as this is the most difficult place to run elastic through.

3.  I pushed a small safety pin, narrow enough to fit along the inside of the seam, through the elastic and tied a knot at the end so that the pin wouldn't unravel the thread around the elastic.  This really is key.

4.  I stuck a straight pin through the opposite end of the elastic to keep it from being pulled through the seam all the way.

5.  Finally, I used the safety pin to push the elastic through and begin gathering my sleeve end.  Because this is such a tiny edge, it took much longer than I thought.  It took me about 30 to 45 minutes to get both done.  That's OK, I just found a sunny window and enjoyed focusing on the work.  At the end, I sewed the elastic ends together and restitched the seam closed. 

I decided to pause after the first sleeve to show the difference between the two.  I was already happy with how this was looking.  Keep scrolling for the finished product!

Now this beautiful dress is just perfect for me and I am more excited than ever to wear it this spring.

Outfit Info:  Ivy City Sweet Rosie Dress is from 2023.  Shoes and Necklace are old.

The Monarchy

I've been watching The Crown.  I find myself simultaneously engrossed in the story and repulsed by the characters.  It's not the spoilt rich people in another country continually squabbling over their piddly-ass problems that keeps me coming back.  "Oh, mummy, I want to marry this  handsome blue-blood, not that one."  "Oh, dahling, we must keep up appearances for the peasantry, even though it is sooooo hard."  Blech; but I keep watching, because: the acting is great, the casting is great, and over all, I'm completely in love with the character of Queen Elizabeth II.  She is truly admirable.  

In spite of being surrounded by a family who does not seem to understand the role of a monarch as a servant and a leader, she finds herself alone in maintaining her integrity and poise and answering a call to service.  I suppose we all feel that way at times, as though we're the only sane one in a world full of fools and madness.  Personally I wish I had half the poise and dignity of Elizabeth II; perhaps if I did I could handle it all in a more queenly manner, but alas, such qualities are rare gems indeed.

What I lack in regal qualities however, I certainly make up for in beautiful dresses.  It's hardly a substitute, but we work with what we have.  I picked up this beautiful Monarch Foxglove Selkie dress as a sample last year, but didn't make it out in time to photograph it in the fall colors.  I suppose the deep rich rust color of the dead of winter will have to suffice in lieu of autum's golden hues.

A Black Pearl

I've owned some fabulous jackets and coats in my time, but really none of them compare with the Pearl.  This coat doesn't really fit into my plan for spending less, but it was so cheap and closer to my size that I couldn't resist!  It does fit much better than the fox version although it was cheap for a reason.  It's obviously been well worn and is quite pilled up.  Thankfully, I don't mind and in fact, I think I feel more comfortable wearing the inexpensive/well-worn coat than one that's still pristine and cost a pretty penny.

I sort of wish I had waited until Collectif reopened to just get a coat in the right size, but after months of waiting, winter was on the way and I couldn't wait anymore.  Pilling aside, it's a great coat and I know I'll get years of wear out of it.  

Outfit Info: Pearl Coat by Collectif

No Ifs, Ants, or Buts About It

I'm beginning to realize that my blog is turning into an archive.  It's a place people stumble across because they are looking for a dress to buy or more likely looking to sell a dress and need to know the name and snatch a few photos for their listing as well.  While I'm not crazy about having people steal my photos and not at the very least give me credit for them, I really do understand the need because product photos just aren't out there anymore.  Once they're gone from the website, they're gone for good most of the time.  Ten years ago when people loved a dress they saved it to their pinterest, blogged about it, etc.  Now you have to search the company's instagram and hope someone out there tagged them in a post if you want to see what the dress looks like being worn, what its name is, and how long ago it came out.

This particular ModCloth gem came out in the summer of 2014, in case you're wondering, and was aptly named No Ifs, Ants, or Buts.  It was truly one of those pieces that we all drooled over during ModCloth's Bea & Dot golden age.  Back then I imagnined myself taking long picnics with my family in the Japanese countryside while wearing this dress, but alas, it just wasn't in the budget, so I let it go.  Recently I saw it on a resale site for extremely cheap and as I was desperately searching for just the perfect dress to go with these velvet strawberry earrings that I got for Christmas, I decided it was high time I made this dress mine.  10 years is long enough that there's no way this could be considered an impulse buy, right?

Outfit info:  ModCloth's No Ifs, Ants, or Buts Dress by Bea & Dot.  Earrings by Krameric Millinery, Collectif Strawberry bag, Shein headband.

Vintage Vision

I have a longstanding relationship with books.  To be honest I spent the first 15 years of my life really hating to read.  I always scored well in reading assignments, but I never understood the concept of reading for pleasure.  Why read about the adventures of others when I could simply go out and have my own? 

For my very first job, I was hired at the tender age of 16 as the Book Department Manager at a comic book store.  The shop had thousands of books in no order whatsoever and my job was to catergorize and then alphabetize them all.  And I did.  I was also in charge of purchasing.  My coworkers were the coolest kids in the world and I felt way out of my league trying to hang with them, but when it came to this monumental work task, I felt right at home with all the books.  I spent hours and months on this project and in the process probably took home and read more books than I ever would have otherwise.  

Not long after this I remember sitting at my desk and thinking about what kind of person I wanted to be now that I was nearly a grown up.  I wanted to be someone who was well traveled and well read.  The travel part took a lot more work, but I did manage to make that happen eventually, but the reading part I decided to start right away. I began with the classics such as The Count of Monte Cristo, Jane Eyre, A Clockwork Orange, and Madame Bovary to name just a few.  As I required myself to keep turning those pages, a love for reading emerged.  It's a bit like eating your vegetables because they're healthy and eventually realizing that you actually like them. 

I still enjoy reading, especially in the evenings before I fall asleep. (At this point I feel the need to interject that well-written, thought provoking stories are harder to find among modern writers.  Much of what passes for popular literature is trash.  When sex is your selling point, you really don't have a story.  I know that makes me sound like an old prude, but once you have read truly amazing books, you just cannot settle for brainless smut)

While I'm not a fan of most newer books (occasionally I do get my hands on a gem.  I'm currently enjoying The God of the Woods by Liz Moore), I was pretty smitten with this Vintage Vision sweater when a ModCloth ad came through my Instagram feed.  Books, cameos, and cozy sweaters are among my favorite things, so, promo code in hand, I decided to purchase.  

Already this sweater has faired well after being washed, dried, and worn.  It's thick and well made, though it is not as long as I had hoped.  I haven't purchased directly from ModCloth in years and I am very pleased with this purchase.  I don't know if I'll ever go back to the crazy obessed love I once had for all things MC, but I am definitely pleased with this sweater.

Outfit Info:  Vintage Vision Sweater in Twilight Marina from ModCloth