Dress of the day 168 Silver-gold and purple silky evening caftan with silver tree. How to make a matching scarf, belt and hairband.
The comments I received on Facebook included the words: beautiful, charming exquisite, glam, cracker. 'Bet it's silk.' 'I feel a little envy, on a muddy Welsh farm.'
The drawstring at the waist is held neatly in place by a row of stitching above and below. This is a useful idea to remember when sewing your own clothes.
Caften Fabric
If you are using a bought caftan as a template or pattern for your own diy caftan, you can make a simple day caftan in cottom by cutting an old or new bedsheet. A ribbon can be threaded through two small slits at the right and left seams.
Silky Fabric
However, if you want a smart evening caftan made of superior cloth, you can copy this idea for a neat drawstring waist from my silver caften. Draw the horizontal lines at the waist of your garment with tailor's chalk.
Why tailors chalk?
What's special and different about tailor's chalk? Many parents and teacher's already have chalk in the home. You can order tailo'rs chalk on the internet. It comes as a pencil or a small solid triangle Tailor's chalk is solid, so it which washes out and does not crumble leaving bits everywhere like chalk for a blackboard.
Belt Finish
Another elegant design feature of this dress is the ending of the waist drawstring. The end piece is made from an elongated triangle. The point is sewn inside the end of the ribbon (made from the same fabric). Less messy than a fringe.
The piece edging the neck has four parallel lines of stitching. The sewing looks neat and stops the neck edging creasing.
Make A Matching Scarf
I sewed onto the scarf two smaller pieces of ribbon to tie it together so it does not slip off. In this picture a wore the scarf around my neck. I did not want the scarf tied at the front because it was hiding the neckline. So I tied it at the side and threw one end over my shoulder. Afterwards, I decided to put both ends over my shoulders.
Later I was in a zoom meeting and I wore the slim scarf around my head to tie back my hair. You could make two matching pieces, one as a scarf, the other as a hairband.
Shoes To Dye For
To complete the outfit I needed silver or gold shoes. For a wedding, you can buy white shoes from wedding suppliers. The white shoes designed to be dyed are designed to match a dress by the bride or bridesmaids at the the wedding, or by the bride after the wedding. I have not yet tried dyeing shoes. However, I have used black shoe dye on black leather shoes before the World Travel Market confernece in London.
Smartening up your shoes
If shoes fade or get scuffed or stained, a shoe dye on the toes or heels or all over could conceal the marks and bring the shoes up like new, and be orginal and different.
Contrasting Colour Shoes
You could carefully cover the heels and make the heels a different colour.
I love this dress so much I have decided it will be my New Year's Eve dress. It matches shoes in black, purple, gold or silver.
Every lady's wardrobe needs black shoes and a pair of silver or gold shoes for special occasions. I looked for a pair of silver and gold shoes to go with all gold or silver outfits instantly and save space packing. Silver and gold come in two colours, pale and dark. Some shoes combine two shades.
The Cost of Silk Caftans
The cheapest silk caftans on Amazon and Ebay and Etsy range from about forty to seventy pounds sterling for the cheapest, with mid price ones at about one hundred and thirty pounds, going up to two hundred pounds and even just under a thousand pounds.
You might be in the money, or decide to spend on a fabulous outfit for Christmas or New Year's Eve at Home if you can't travel overseas or get a restaurant booking. Or make an outfit your Xmas present, to yourself, or using money somebody gives you instead of buying you a gift. The cheaper option is to use silk bought in the sale, or a second hand saree fabric. r
The simplest DIY garment
If making a caftan seems too complicated, start with a t-shirt with a boat neck. Move onto a longer tunic worn over a long skirt. For your third garment when you have gained confidence and have more time, move onto a caftan with a v-neck.
A caftan is such an easy dress to make, Two long seems up the sides. Add a horizontal or v shape neck.
Make a belt using a ribbon.
Add A Belt
Or use any belt from your wardrobe. The colour, style and fabric do not matter. The belt can be hidden under the bodice pulled up and over the belt to hide it.
Not enough fabric for a long belt? Make a half length belt pulled together in a bow at the back. Use two short pieces sewn either side to tie on the middle of the back.
Buy a ribbon to match, or a belt to match. When buying shoes, take the shoes to the belt or ribbon department and buy a matching or co-ordinating belt. I used to take a second shoppng trip to buy a belt, and have to pack up the shoes and carry them around. Then, one day I realised it would save time to buy a matching belt or hat or brooch whilst I had the new shoes with me and was in a large store or mall.
Useful Websites & Resources
https://simple.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Mai
https://www.wiki-calendar.com/
About the Author
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, fashionista. Please share links to your favourite posts or one or more of the blogs
Books include Wedding Speeches and Toasts (Ward Lock/Cassell)
Quick Quotations (Lulu.com)
travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com
dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com
https://comicpoemsbynutter.blogspot.com/
https://comicpoemsbynutter.blogspot.com/2020/12/how-to-write-christmas-card-poem.html
For one hour online individual tutorials or group workshops contact
annalondon8@gmail.com
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