Masquade Gown Part 1

Our Spring Banquet at Hallstrom this year has a masquerade theme!  I was so excited when that theme won.  How often do you get to go to a masquerade ball?  I mean really!  So of course I'm making my gown.  I didn't want to go in a formal and just wear a mask.  That doesn't fill the masquerade bill for me. It you are wearing a modern dress it has to be couture quality. :-)  Lots of folds and feathers.  Otherwise, you need to wear something historical, like a Marie Antoinette gown. :-)

I was inspired by Celine's Maire dress.

I am using Simplicity 4092

 Fabric:

from fabric.com- Eggplant taffeta, fuchsia taffeta, and lace (I can't remember what it is called).

Lined and underlined with a sturdy pink tablecloth I got second hand for $5

I am overlaying the bodice with lace and beading it randomly with purple shell rocks, white freshwater pearls, and purple glass beads.

Stay tuned for further progress!

I'm currently having a lot of trouble with the sleeves... :-(

Pictures from the ball

Is everybody ready?

     Ok, so this ball was not all it was made out to be, but it was still fun.  Last, no, two Thursdays ago at our co-op's academic fair some people stayed late and learned Ms. Hannah's modified version of the first dance in P&P 2005.  So one, two, skip a few we get to last friday.  After a very dainty dinner (tea party type thing) all those who were there and would like to be examples to come up on stage.  Of course, I volunteered.  As it turned out, everyone who was up there had the same partner that they did the week before.  This was the most fun part.  After this was up basically all they played was country and some other stuff that I can't even name.  At any rate, I DON'T DANCE TO THAT KIND OF STUFF.  Thankfully, no one asked me to dance.  We went to the dance with some friends from our chapel who also go to Hallstrom.  It was a Hallstrom only thing, so everyone there was home-schooled and, supposedly, Christian.  I say supposedly because, well, some of them aren't.  That is very plain.  However, our co-op is supposed  to be a Christian co-op.  Oh, well.  There were and are some very nice Christian families that go there.  After dinner my parents stopped by to see us all dressed up, so that was nice.  I truly am sorry I didn't get a lot of nice pictures, some of these aren't even mine.  Anywho.... Enjoy!  I'll post pictures of just my dress at a later date.

Jamie (my brother who doesn't and wouldn't dance but went to a ball anyway.)

Our group. (Carolyn, Jamie, Moi, Shawn, Shannen)

Carolyn, Me, and Shannen (the photo forces me to use bad grammar.  What an excuse, I wonder if it would work in real life... :))

Our table, minus Shawn (whos taking the picture)

Andrew, Jamie, Rebekah, Joanna (me), Shannen, and Carolyn

Hannah, the dance instructor

Jamie my dad and I

Shannen and Shawn Lesko

Ok, so I was tired of pictures, what can I say?  I'm NOT photo genic

A general lack a guys 

Andrew and Jamie.  How did they ever put up with such torture?  :-P

Listening to instructions

On the stage from left to right: Bethany, Bea, Me, Matthew(my partner), Gabe, Michael, Justin

5, 6, 7, 8...

Waiting for the music

Inaugural Ball

Our, uh, latest First Lady and President at one of their inaugural balls.

   A few weeks ago I was REALLY dry on ideas.  I just could not think of anything to post.  Not so now!  Our homeschool co-op has a spring banquet every year for 8th-12th graders.  In the past I have not been interested, but who can pass up a ball.  A BALL!  The theme this year is The Inaugural Ball, since we had an election and inauguration in the recent past.  It is tomorrow, and I cannot wait!!  Some of my friends that go to our chapel here are also going, so it will be lots of fun.  You can either go formal, or you can dress as one of the past presidents/first ladies.  I'm going formal.  There is going to be a dinner, but the main event is the dancing.  A dance instructor named Hannah is going to come and teach us a English Country Dance form Pride and Prejudice, but there will also be waltzing and maybe a little swing dancing.  I am so excited!  I plan to take lots of pictures, but with my brain I'll probably forget to charge the battery or something.