OH! this looks just too too divinely wonderful! Are you going? Do, please, post pictures of the event, if you have the time!! :) I love everything that Viona does!!

A potato bag! ... now that made me laugh!! :) Something tells me that your outfit will be FAR from potato bag-ish in appearance ... :) !! I can't wait to see it!!

If you meet Viona, please tell her that she keeps me sane! I live in a very provincial town out in the northwest of America, and am bombarded on a daily basis by the worst of fleece and Gore-tex clothing, and REI in general (that's the local "outdoors" company). When I feel like I am going to faint under the horrific visual onslaught of the anti-elegant mass that passes by me each day, I sit and look at Viona's site and it helps me forget all my woes ... she has created a truly wonderful fairy tale realm on the internet for those of us who are stuck in provincial/"practical" land!! :)

What do you mean, you're making an outfit??????????? I'm going to look awful in comparison now!!! :-)
BTW, I may be requesting to purchase some jewellery bits off you to add to my outfit!

If I might make a suggestion ... anything made of jet would look absolutely superb against a blue potato bag! ... especially if it is an ultramarine potato bag ... :)

I can't wait to use that term the next time I am sewing ... "potato bag" is just the most perfect way of expressing what I think of the products of my sewing skills!! :)

My dearest and I were brainstorming colors/gemstones that go with royal blue today ... we came up with topaz ... that is the more golden colored variety ... :)

I can relate to the decades of black ... I embrace color from time to time, but am always drawn back to the richness and melancholy of black. I do like Victorian purples with it though ... and blues!! :)

That sounds lovely!! My wedding gown was my mother's, and by the time I wore it, the color had become a beautiful antique off-white ... the only reason I could justify shedding my black for a day ... :) With royal blue, that color of white will be perfect ... and not at all Christmasy! Can't wait to see the pics!! :)

I'm thinking possibly a couple of bees in gold; I'm making some wrist-cuffs, so it depends on how wide they turn out by the time I've finished - want something to stick on them as an embellishment.
How much notice would you need? I could always collect them off you at Kensal Green, once I've made my mind up on what I want.

I'm still slightly flummoxed by what to wear as a top - needs to tie in what I'm planning for skirt and hair accessories. Making a jacket but not sure if it will be suitable.

I found a lovely pattern for Victorian style bolero's (butterick B5232) as I was getting fed up of the jewellery restriction caused by wearing a shrug.
*touch wood* they seem quite easy to make and as I was making one version ready for Lincoln, figured I'd try making another out of some left over black satin fabric. No great loss if it doesn't work out!
spidosaur has told me about Goldhawk Road for fabric, I must try there sometime!

Should be OK, about the width of my wrist by the look of it!! The fabric I've cut for the cuff is about 12cm, by the time i allow for hemming and trim, the bee should fit on there fine with a bit of space top and bottom.
Otherwise, if you do have a couple of the small dragonflies (the curled up design) spare, just in case - wondering if those may be a bit small though.

Stating the obvious but just in case, you have booked your tickets for the ball haven't you?

Did you go in the end? I was there too. (I found this entry by googling Sarabande.)