Dress Of The Day with Angela

The overflowing Suitcase I had been packing for weeks The suitcase was full with extra items in piles either side. I kept taking things out, putting new things in, and starting all over again.  The Multiple Lists I kept trying to make a list. The red dress on day one, the green on day two, the red shoes, the yellow shoes. I needed five outfits if I wore the same dress on the journey down and the journey back. I wanted a day outfit and an evening outfit. I could take two reversible dresses. But did I have the right colour bras and slips?  Each time, I started a new list. I ended up with four lists and could not tell which was the latest. Chaos The whole room was a mess. I had so many tops and skirts and could not decide.  Urgent Solution Needed But I needed to tidy the house for family and visitors. I had to get everything into the suitcase and then put the spare clothes back in the wardrobe. (Americans say closet.)  It was a nightmare.  Count The Days I took eve...

  Pink night dress with pink 'red tape' belt. I wanted to add a belt. I looked at pale silky ribbons and bright, matt, fuschia tape. Although the pale ribbon looked neat, the bright colours made my heart sing. I found myself muttering, 'the pale satin look ribbons is more elegant,' as I started cutting the brighter ribbon, just to see what it would look like, as I had a long roll of it, and could afford to cut off a piece which might not be right. How do you attach the ribbon to the garment to stop it slipping off? You could sew a line of stitches, vertically or horizontally, in the middle of the centre of the back.  Alternatively, sew two half pieces from the left and right from the seam under the arms.  I looked at my dressing gowns. They had loops made from the dress material. Or the same ribbon width. My ribbon was already the right size and I would have to cut the hem to make the night dress fabric ribbon. Why bother? I folded the ribbon end from the spool over the...

  Pink Night dress with infinity scarf made from hem cut off. Selfie photo by Angela Lansbury. Cut night dress. I now see my feet. Photo by Angela Lansbury. My pink night dress from Marks & Spencer which I have worn for years was too long.. I pinned up the hem with large safety pins. The Problem With The Long Skirt i had to cut it. I didn't bother looking for my pinking sheers. I didn't wait to measure it up. I didn't wait until somebody else was around to help me.  I thought, 'I want this done now. I have been meaning to do it for years. The hem is trailing on the ground, threatening to trip me up. The hem gets dirty and permanently stained. 'I just spent hours of my time putting it through soap and nailbrush treatment. That was only partially successful. So I ended up soaking the hem in bleach in a bucket. I don't want it to get dirty again.' The Spare Material I was going to cut the ex-hem to make a belt. Instead, I put the circle around my neck like ...

  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.  ...

  Green night dress from Primark. Selfie photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. The Price Was Right My green night dress from Primark cost only 5 UK pounds. Pounds, Euros or dollars? Whatever. Pounds. It was a bargain. Advantages Weight It is lightweight. I can wear it as a summer dress or night dress.  Colour The colour goes well with blonde hair. Disadvantages - Cling It is a bit clingy. So it shows if you have eaten too much and have a bulging tummy.  Or a lopsided bust. Or a droopy bust if you are not wearing a bra. The Hurry Dress It is a great dress to wear in a hurry. Somebody is knocking at the door? To get out of the shower in a hotel room. To answer the door to the postman. (I suppose I should say post person, or post deliverer.) Anyway, it is a great slip on, pull on, in a hurry dress. Like a caftan. But more shaped. NW London branches are in Watford, Wembley, Ealing and Uxbridge. All with different closing times. The Harrow branch is open 9-7 pm. On Sunday 10.30...

  What can you take or send as a gift during hanukah? 1 A hanukiah (9 branch candelabra). Usually sold with the 44 candles you need. 44? Yes. Night one you light two candles, the helper candle and the first night candles. Night two, you light three candles, and so on up to the eighth night when you light - this is how it goes Night one 2  Night two + 3 = 5 + 4=0 +5 = 14 + 6 = 20 +7 = 27 + 8 = 33 + 9  = 44. If the family have that, you could bring.  2 Chocolate wrapped in gold foil. 3 Latkes (grated potato pancakes, fried in oil. 4 Donuts with jam centres. (Or kosher wine which you can buy in Jewish supermarkets, general supermarkets in the kosher section or wine section, or wine merchants.) 5 Dreidels Dreidls are spinning tops. The story goes that when it was forbidden by the Syrian King Antioch 4, Jews who gathered together pretended to be spinning tops as a gambling entertainment. True, or myth? As Edmund Rothschild said to me at lunch in Exbury, UK, 'Why let the t...