Year: 2010

Embroidered Robe and White Nightgown from Romeo et Juliette

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Yesterday, I saw an encore presentation of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2007 performance of Roméo et Juliette through the Live in HD series, which they broadcast to participating movie theaters. I love these, and I’ve gone to as many as I can since last year. It would probably be a great experience to go to one live, but as it is, you get an amazing view of the costumes this way!

Shakespeare in a language besides English loses a lot of charm for me, but add singing and it becomes enjoyable. (Aside from the ending, in which Romeo downs the poison, then Juliet wakes up about five seconds later; they have a fair few minutes to express mutual joy in song, and all the while I am thinking that it might not be very romantic to induce vomiting but it would at least be worth trying…) I hated Romeo’s powder-blue tight pants, but Juliet, as it should be, had lovely costumes; this robe and nightgown set was used heavily, particularly the nightgown, which she was wearing under everything after the first party scene. I don’t think my drawing does justice to it at all, but at least now Ivy and Grace have something to lounge in.

By the way, I regret that I can’t see the encore presentation of Carmen late in July, because I will be a little busy after flying cross-country with two whiny, neurotic cats the day before. The rest of you, though, should try to see it, because it’s fantastic! I love Carmen, and I did get to see this performance before so really I have nothing to complain about.

poll by twiigs.com

February Birthday Dress with Purple Flower Patterned Tunic and White and Yellow Primroses

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So this would be… four months late? Forgive me, Sage, EmilyRose, Celestina and the rest of you with birthdays in February. Or think of it this way: the presents are opened, the check from your grandma long since cashed, and yet there remained one unexpected gift!
… Yeah, maybe not. I’ll try to be a little more prompt next year… And I believe I still have January and April to catch up on, but technically Sylvia and Iris already got January and April dresses, so I thought that of the three choices, those months could wait. In any case, February’s birthstone is the amethyst and the birth flower is the primrose, so that led to today’s color choices. Also, trazy, I need to thank you for forcing me outside my comfort zone — that technique of light patterns on a dark background is not too hard (if the light part is done with a dark enough pencil that you can see it) and looks striking. Expect to see it show up a few more times until I get it out of my system!

Well, that was a short contest! To win the contest, someone had to guess one of the ten movies I rated the highest with movielens, and Sofia won already, with her guess of Casablanca. (The other nine: Whisper of the Heart, Vertigo, The Thin Man, Some Like It Hot, Robin Hood (Disney version), Porco Rosso, North by Northwest, Dr. Strangelove and All About Eve.) Congratulations Sofia!

poll by twiigs.com

Colored 1700s Gown in Gold, White and Pink

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Trazy won the contest before last, for being the closest to guess our wedding anniversary (August 9th). She wrote: “i think i would like the newest balck and white dress to be colored in the gold colors, and have some kind of royal feel to it. I want the bows/decorations/trimmings to be pink, and the rest either white, gold, tan, or something similar. the skirt should have some kind of lighter golden swirly royal pattern, a lighter gold than the background…”

I would write more about this dress, but this one took me four hours to color, and there is a sort of tingling feeling in the tip of my left thumb, plus I’m having trouble feeling the pad of my left index finger now as I type. I might have overdone it… but it was worth it!

poll by twiigs.com

Colored Elf Gown in Blues and Greys with Grey Lavender Edges and Silver Trim

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Emily won my last contest, for guessing that I had had visitors from 115 countries last week, and this was her request: “Can I choose a dress that has already been colored? Because if so I would like the Lord of the Rings elf gown from 10/5/09, but (kind of opposite of how it was colored before) in blues and grays, maybe a bit of very blueish lavender, and silver trim.” I really like how it turned out… hope you do too, Emily! (And don’t worry, trazy, I haven’t forgotten yours! I just want to do it justice, and I’ve messed up on the pattern too many times today…)

In my imagination, the elf who wears this dress and the one who wears today’s dress are good friends. The one who loves bright colors (we’ll call her Cathiel) has, over the years, influenced her friend’s color sense; you can thank her for the purple at the edges of this one, which seems quite muted to her but was a big leap forward for her sober-minded friend, who we’ll call Rhylar. It also means that she can thank her mother and aunt (who, unsurprisingly, disapprove of her style) quite sincerely for their optimistic gifts of pearl grey and clay rose robes: she assures them that she will put them to good use, and she does. They make wonderful gifts for the more conventional Rhylar. They like to find a picturesque spot and practice duets; Cathiel is a middling flutist, while Rhylar is decent on her harp, but a gifted singer. Often the former will lay aside her flute, close her eyes and just listen to her beloved friend sing a song or two, and if part of her attention wanders and she mentally changes Rhylar’s rust-colored gown to a snappy, sunshiny yellow, it only heightens her enjoyment of the scene.

poll by twiigs.com