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I have decided I will go to the event with HRH and need something to wear. 

Of course.

My stash has increasingly become a sort of primeval bog that spits up artifacts from the past (you know those movies, those black and white shots of quicksand with chair legs and things bubbling to the top, or maybe only I saw that movie when I was eight). Well this week while searching for something else it spit up about 5 yards of merlot coloured silk shantung, and I looked at it and thought "party dress" so I RSVP'd.

Now I have been thinking about patterns. I note that my fashionista diva Erica B has said good things about Kay Unger and since Erica always looks like she would be up for cocktails with the Queen, and dressed perfectly for it, at anytime anywhere,  I took that as good advice. So I did some searching and found this great dress and review by Victoria in Savannah so I decided to turn my dark red silk into a Vogue 1182. I had already decided against an LBD because guaranteed that's what everyone else will have on and if I do some colour there is a chance that this dress could be wedding or party useful for some other occasion in my action packed social calendar. You know those events once or twice a year I go to that don't involve Rascal.

Of course this is going to call for a muslin and I will start that this weekend, putting aside all my numerous other more mundane projects. With the pleats and everything this looks a like complicated one for alterations.

Now I have a question for you.

Do you too have the most trouble when coming up with the best pattern and idea for special events? I can sew all sorts of everyday clothes and do just fine, but throw a New Year's Eve or a big party, or even a wedding at me and I just freeze. Maybe it's the pressure of feeling you have to do your best work and make all the right choices, maybe I am not enough of a fancy dresser (I lie I love to get all dressed up, just can't decide what to wear).

I rarely make a good outfit that I am totally happy with but I have hopes for this one. I feel I am sort of due.