Dress Of The Day with Angela

Photo from Harrovian Toastmasters.  Angela in red kimono, presented with certificate of participation for contests, and placed second in Speech Contest, 1st in Evlatuation Contetst.. Photo from Harrovians, Toastmasters International club. The Kimono The kimono is red, my favourite colour. I had to have it. The label is Debenhams. Surprise. It is a night gown, a dressing gown. Odd name, that. Mostly for undressing. It is silky. I was looking for a prop for a speech about learning languages, featureing examples from Japanese. I had language cards. The feedback I got from my other Toastmasters International club in London was that the cards were too small. So, I thought, I needed a larger prop. Blow up the cards to A4 size. That meant a lot of work. I was thinking about a hat or belt, or small tea cup, still too small. Then my eyes caught sight of the kimono. Perfect. Certainly large enough to see. Memorable. And visible in a photo. Only one small problem. I de...

  Buy an open ended zip the right colour to match or co-ordinate or contrast with your towelling wrap or dress. find the fixed point at the top or bottom of the area you need to join with the zip. Mark the top and bottom on both sides with safety pins or pins. Undo the zip. Cut thread as long as the zip, with some over. If that is too unweildy or the cotton in lumpy and likely to snag, use a shorter length. If the zip is short, to avoid re-threading and loose ends, cut thread longer than the zip. Sew down one side. Make sure the teeth are in the middle to meet the other half of the zip. Check the colour and size of stitches on both sides. I try to hide the stitches on the top/outside. Hide by using matching colour thread. Make the smallest stitches on the top or visible side. Oversew the start and end. You ight oversew at intervals. That way if you catch the thread or break it,you don't lose the entire line of thread in a long ladder. However, you don't want the stitching so ti...

  Angela Lansbury wearing a pink vintage dressing gown with pockets. Photo by Trevor Sharot, cropped by Angela. The Dressing Gown The dressing gown is vintage. Comfy Clothes. Fabric by Alice. The fabric is pale pink with a pale blue imprint. Memories of Plus Size Comfy Clothes 'Shop'  I used to buy the plus size clothes made by Comfy Clothes who had a sales storage cum shop in Queens park. I thought their garments were expensive. But they were large so they used a lot of fabric. They were carefully designed in co-ordinating colours so you could make matching sets. I particularly liked the short sleeved dressed with sleeveless tunic overdresses  in a slightly darker or lighter shade of the same colour.  They also had fabric bags (without zips, which I had to add). And hats? Their clothes were stacked up flat. Ready to be mailed out. Saves on hangers. Folded carefully, they do not crease, although cotton. Because there is so much fabric, they are bulky to pack.  ...

  Angela is wearing a hooded dressing gown, burgundy colour, fleece, from Marks & Spencer