mlsdesigns | Looooong time no update :(

I am still alive, just lazy!! I've also been very busy too, to be fair, the end of term is ALWAYS busy, and we've had several dance demos and we've been on holiday twice with a ball in between, home for one night to go to a ball, crazy us :) All this is no excuse though to not post in OVER A MONTH!! I'm so naughty.
Anyway, I'll try to make up for it with some photos, it'll give us poor souls not at CoCo something to look at before they start posting photos to make us green with envy :p

So, the first demo we did this summer was cold and a bit drizzly, so I decided I'd make myself a new warmer dress, using some striped linen I bought years ago. I wanted to try a bib front, and long sleeves with wrist bands. Unfortunately I didn't think to double check I had enough fabric, I knew it'd be tight, but not quite so tight! After I cut out the bodice and sleeves I moved on to the skirt, I was short 4", not including a hem :( But, my fabric was 60" wide, so one and a half panels left me with another panel to make flounces to cover the white cotton!
I think it worked out nicely, I wasn't planning the frills, but I love them!

So, I expected cold and rain? We got scorching heat!!! I tried wearing the dress with only my new bodiced petti and no stays, it was a bit uncomfortable, but not too hot at least!! But it did mean my 'bib' didn't fit too well, I hadn't had time to try it on properly before the demo, so I'm going to take it off and take an inch off each side.

I do have one little silly to share :p

So, I decided, since we were due a heat wave I'd make another dress, a nice cool cotton day dress (one linen dress and one silk one with elbow sleeves, I had a hole in my wardrobe that needed filling!) So, some lovely printed cotton from India (good ole ebay!) and LOADS of cussing with the bands, I had a nice cool dress to wear the next week to the next demo. Of course it was overcast and cold in the morning as we left! Took brollies and shawls, and arrived to meet the sun! Luckily the sun block was in the shoe bag, so back to the car for sun block, and I hid under my brolly all day! It's from the fifties, pagoda shape and pink/red, so made a perfect parasol!
Any way, I have a few photos of us dancing, but no 'proper' pics to show you.

Also in this photo you can see my_stitching and her husband :)

When I'm not dancing with my mother my partner is usually Bryony, the 15yr old daughter of our group's organiser, she makes a very good boy ;)

I have a close up shot of the back from when I was trying to do the neck band, mummy took digital photos for me to explain what was going wrong! How I love modern technology!

I also made a new hat, a lunardi with a pinkish straw brim and satin crown, but I wasn't wearing it to dance, so no photos :(
>
Wow, so many photos, I think I'll move the ones of the ball dresses to another post to save your downloads!!