The Cat's Pyjamas!

So StyleHearts, I have a lovely plan for kicking off the labor day weekend. The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles holds an annual Art Deco Festival, (a weekend homage to one of my most fave periods), on none other than the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Art Deco is a design style that spans from the 1910's through the 1930's. 

And I for the first time EVER, will be there! The kickoff events will be a Welcome Cocktail Party and a Bon Voyage Pajama Party! Of course, this calls for some serious sewing and some fabulous research to be done! So I share with you the fruits of my initial labor.

In researching pajamas of the period I found that there are not only fabulous samplings of lingerie and pj's to pull from, as pictured above, but a whole category of pyjamas I knew nothing about!  Beach Pyjamas! Fabulous, beyond wide leg, lounging pant sets and leisure jumpsuits for the beach and created by Ms. Coco Chanel herself! 

Murder! I've got so many great choices. Maybe I'll go with more of a hostess pajama. Perhaps a little gold lame, a lace turban, the works! Or perhaps I'll go whacky and wear a cat suit! After all a girl wouldn't want to get the high hat at an ace romp! That would be all wet.

Ruby Does SweetLeigh!

One of the most amazing singers and performers you will ever see local L.A. rock goddess Ruby Friedman Facebooked me with a quick note saying, "I remember you sew!" I replied with a "Why yes Ruby, I do!" Ruby of Ruby Friedman Orchestra needed me to do a fabulous rehab on an ill fitting 70's maxi she had vintaged for a show in London the following week. Uh, yeah!  Right up my alley!

First things first Gorgeous Ruby happens to have a perfect hourglass figure. The dress had it going on in the waist but was falling short in the hips and bust line. So we needed to solve that problem while makin' it a little more rock n' roll. I removed the zipper, and converted the top closure into a double key hole with long ties. Then I edged the keyholes out with some fabric salvage from what was formerly a sash belt. 

To make the dress a little more comfortable for sitting and mic acrobatics, I reworked the underskirt and replaced the zipper to keep it fitted but wearable for the stage. Then we decided to make the underskirt a mini to both keep her from melting under stage lights and show off Ruby's fab legs. In the end it was about keeping it rock and roll updating the whole look.

Pretty fab in the end, made even more fab when Ruby pulled out these killer Jeffrey Campbell shoes she decided to wear with the dress. I refrained from saying "I die." The girl is a Rockstar all the way.