Wife of wives…

…which is how Lalume, played by Dolores Grey, is introduced in ‘Kismet’ [1955].

Phoo-er,  I love that film [as I may have mentioned before], and its fabulously luscious old-Hollywood costumes.  We walked down the ‘aisle’ to the wonderful ‘Night of my Nights’.

Years later, I went to see a stage production, and was ITCHING to see how they would get all that luscious colour and loveliness onto the stage.  They didn’t.  It was a TERRIBLE production as Michael Ball himself admits, and the lost opportunity to be lavish and colourful was utterly thrown away in a cruddy minimalist version.  There were a million other faults, but to let THAT scene become just a vignette glimpsed through a ‘window’ high at the back of the stage…well, my theatrical side was bereft.

Anyway.  Enough of Kismet, here is MY wife of wives, modelling her latest wardrobe additions:  it can be very difficult to get her to give me some time for a photo shoot!

[A] Shirts, all from McCall’s 6076, described as a wing-collar style.  I don’t know about that, but it fits her as  a straight-up size 16, no alterations needed.  It’s very versatile, works as a shirt or a jacket, and looks very different in each fabric.  The sleeve/cuff construction is nice, and I’ve nailed how to make a contrast turn back cuff very simply.  I still plan a version with the sleeve seam left partially open…

Fabrics are the Alexander Henry motorbike print in blue, a hot air balloon/steam powered print in black/grey on white, purple moleskin and brown/gold clock print cotton.  I love the way they all look very different, but are from the exact same pattern, no variation other than contrast facings on some of them.

[B] The Game of Thrones inspired Danaerys tunic, Simplicity 1008.  Cotton/cupro monk’s weave fabric, cotton batiste lining, organza and ribbon work trim.

[C] Sleeveless tunic from an old favourite, New Look 6656.  I’ve made several of these for each of us, and although I need an FBA and some dart tweaking on mine, it again fits Dawn very nicely, with just minor grading from size 18 on the upper seams, to 16 at the bottom.  The buttons were in stash, painted shell that look like melted gold.  Fabric was from a recent market/Barry’s visit, and is cheap as chips, fairly heavyweight cotton.

[D] The 2 bodices, adapted from McCall’s 4713.  One in mock suede with brass/glass antique buttons and elastic loops, one in the final remnant of silk shot dupion from her wedding dress, with antique look clasps.  I may move the clasps for a slightly tighter fit…

I love sewing things for the missus, she’s a little gem [not a lettuce, you understand.]

Let peacocks and monkeys in purple adornings
Show her the way to my bridal chamber,
Then get you gone ’til the morn of my mornings
After the night of my nights!

One more little Kismet clip for you, the brilliantly saucy, how-much-double-entendre-can-we-get-past -the-censors ‘Rahadlakum’

“His handmaiden fanneth her… fires
And out of her pan
Riseth a tantalizing perfume…”

ROFL

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