Lady Justice

As some of you know, when I'm not sewing and crocheting, I'm probably at my job at Chicago-Kent College of Law. While my job is incredibly menial (copying, proofreading, printing, teaching computer basics to professors, un-jamming staplers), it does have its perks. Mr. N and my friend Lauren and I experienced the best of these perks this past weekend when we attended the Barrister's Ball (also known as Law School Prom) onboard the Odyssey II for a dinner cruise.

Never one to shy away from a fancy occasion, I immediately began thinking about what to make. I challenged myself to use only fabrics and notions I already had on hand. This was rather difficult considering the only fabrics I had enough of to make a dress were several yards of various silk brocades I acquired while working as an intern for prom dress designer Loralie. Loralie hadn't wanted to use these fabrics, so she gave them to me. Silk brocade, while beautiful, has a tendency to be extremely colorful, over the top, and difficult to work with. Since taste and elegance were the name of the game I had to carefully consider this design. I also only had a week to do it. Something about this fabric made me think retro '60s vibe a la Mad Men (which is extremely hot right now, for good reason). While I don't have many pictures of the brief process, here's the dress near completion:

I hated this pretty pretty princess fabric before I started working with it, but I grew to really enjoy its gold shimmer. Here's a detail shot of the neckline:

The gold band is simply the wrong side of the fabric. It worked out beautifully!

Here's Lauren and I walking down Navy Pier to the boat:

Mr. N and I waiting to board:

And, finally, the best thing to do while you're drinking champagne on a yacht:

Ahh, the glamorous life. We're so glad we (did not) attend law school.