Oh brrrr! Outdoor photos in December! In Vancouver! In my Pretty Party Dress! Trust me, it was a very short few minutes sans puffy jacket. Okay…’nuf said about my foolish ways…I want to catch you up on a couple of stellar happenings chez A Colourful Canvas. First up…no words really to describe how much fun my most recent blogger meet up was…you’ve been introduced to Suzanne from Suzanne Carillo before here…When Suzanne and I first/last met in May 2014, we conspired to have the most awesome Melanie of Bag and a Beret join us at our next visit…and WHOOP….it all came together just a few weeks ago. {Errmmm…that reads like it took us eight months to secure an attendance with The Diva Miz Baggs Herself…hahaha} The three of us Canadian peeps spent the day in Gastown, Vancouver’s oldest historic neighbourhood. Lunch, long and leisurely as per Suzanne’s request {we aim to entertain our out-of-town guests in the style they are accustomed to}, followed by some cool and quirky thrift store shopping, made for three very happy blog friends. Melanie and Suzanne, both brilliantly funny writers, have waxed poetic about the day here and here….and, errm…I don’t want to come off as a bossy boots, but I am strongly encouraging you to read their posts…NOW…No. Wait. Not NOW NOW…but NOW, right after you’ve read my post NOW. And by the way, both Melanie and Suzanne; they’s not just funny gals, they are wildly creative…ROCKSTAR PAINTED PANTS AND JACKET and Society6/Suzanne Carillo. Suzanne, Sue and Melanie Up next, My Pretty Party Dress. and isn’t it ironic, my dress today was sewn from the fabric I purchased when Suzanne and I shopped together in the spring. Whaaaat? I know. A little bit of finesse was required when laying out my trusty Simplicity 2444…you see the fabric was a finished piece, like a sari I think, and each end had an embroidered edge and then the flower pattern was artfully woven from each end back towards the middle of the yardage (about 1.5m in length). The front and back skirt rectangles were cut from each end, and then I played around a bit aiming for the most pleasing bodice layout. Although this is pattern 2444, it is my heavily altered version, originally drafted for my Betty Draper Roses Dress. A reader had asked for instructions on altering the bodice as I’ve done; it involves … Continue reading MY PRETTY PARTY DRESS : : SIMPLICITY 2444