weekend in review

Spent most of Saturday evening reveling in our restored electricity (and wondering why, oh why, does Chow Yun Fat waste his time on throw-aways like "Bulletproof Monk"?). There was also much resetting of clocks, checking of email, and restoration of air conditioning (to D./Spice's great relief!)

Most of Sunday was spent cleaning up from the repercussions of having no electricity. D. (voluntarily!) cleaned out the fridge (and the freezer, with some prodding :P). We had to throw out almost everything, including condiments, but the inside of the fridge is now immaculate - my doG, you could almost store food in there!

I went to the grocery to restock, and cleaned out our bathroom. I also started the laundry - like I said, it's amazing what you don't appreciate until it's gone. I don't ever want to endure life without an electric washer/dryer set; I just really don't favor pounding my clothes on a rock in the Potomac (eww!)!

Thank yous to hadesgirl for checking in on us - I didn't get your messages until today (I'm bad about checking phone messages - got to work on that :P).

I hope all of y'all have recovered, finally.

Costumey goodness: The FIDM Hollywood Exhibits

Every year the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in LA does an exhibit of the previous years movie costumes - not only those that were nominated for awards, but also those that were very popular. My mother-in-law has tried to get me to go out there for the past couple of springs to see the exhibit - believe me, if I had the $ I'd take her up on it in a second!

At least they keep the archives online, but there still ain't nothing like the real thing!

On Vionnet

As I mentioned before, I got a lot of reading done during the power outage. One of the books I picked up was Betty Kirke's Vionnet biography. I picked it up in NY last year and like most of my other costume books, I flipped through rapidly, drooled at the pictures, and promised myself I'd read it more thoroughly sometime in the not so distant future, which of course, I didn't. Until this weekend.

I wish I'd picked it up sooner! I'd read repeatedly in Miyake's books that Vionnet was one of his main inspirations, but I never realized just how close they were in design philosophy. Both work less with traditional garment shapes, and more with simple geometric shapes wrapped around the body. Often a single rectangle forms the back and the sleeves, or a half circle with a few gussets makes a cape.

This book includes 30+ patterns of some of her more unusual designs, and I want to try them ALL! They have to be scaled up; maybe I can make them Barbie-sized or something for practice!

One in particular has an immediate use for me - a cape made out of two quadrants (quarter of circle - think a big pie piece) with a triangular hood with a long tassel at the point (I looked for a picture online - none to be found. Just take my word for it, it is amazing!)

I think I've found my wizarding robe for CC next year, all the more ideal because it's something I'd be likely to wear again because it won't look costumey.

I wonder what a wizarding fashion designer would wear? Hmm...