Retro Tea Time

Wonder of wonders, I have actually done some costuming this year already. Normally we avoid the summer months like the plague as the weather is just too hot. But it seems that we managed to scrape in with some slightly coolish weather to start the year before the heat has really set in. The week alone in Brisbane has been up around 36/38 degrees and it doesn't get much cooler than 27. At any rate, a few of us doled up in retro to take Cherie out for her Birthday last weekend. We went to a lovely little Cafe called Carnivale at Ascot. The decor isn't what I would normally choose for a retro tea, but we were all willing to try out somewhere new, and what a place. The service was fantastic and we really felt like we were being treated like royalty. The food was delicious, and plentiful. And I am fully intending to go back there sometime in the not too distant future.

For the occasion, I whipped up a new vintage outfit. I sifted through my collection of vintage hats and decided that I wanted to make something that would match one of them. This time, I chose my orange velvet 1960s hat. I chose to use a skirt and blouse pattern (simplicity) as I wanted more of a fitted look to go with the hat. A trip to Spotlight saw me set up with a houndstooth for the skirt and a cream polycotton for the blouse. Friday evening, I traced off my patterns, cut out my fabric and got cracking. I did make one change to the blouse pattern though, it was actually designed to be sleeveless, but I didn't really feel comfortable with that, so I drafted up some elbow length puffed sleeves to go with it. I really like how it turned out though, and I may actually make up the sleeveless version at some point. All in all though, I was pleased at how simply and quickly everything came together. And with a fabulous vintage hat on hand, I simply popped my hair into a French roll. Yep, no sleeping on rollers for me.