BODTA banquet 2008

BODTA stands for "Bureau of Theatre and Dance Activities."  It's one of the department's student organizations.  At the end of each schoolyear, they stage a formal banquet in order to honor the graduating seniors and celebrate the year's achievements.  It's basically a cross between an awards show and a low-pressure prom, but prom food is probably better.  It has become tradition that I either build a dress or re-vamp a vintage dress in time for the event.  My students always enjoy the surprise.  So, here's what I built for this year.  It had to be a rush job, so I used a commercial pattern rather than drafting my own, which felt rather dirty, as though I was cheating.  But I was happy with the result.  It's a 1950s Claire McCardell knock-off, in my usual silk dupioni.  Our pre-banquet photo shoot with my camera on a timer on the tripod has become an annual tradition, but I still can't figure out how to get the lighting right in our apartment. Good luck trying to make out the details. It's so much prettier in person than in the picture. Oh, and I got my hair cut that afternoon! So you can see what it looks like when it's straightened, which happens on only three days out of the year - the frequency with which I get my hair cut.