While watching the film Water for Elephants based on the novel by Sara Gruen I realised what a great wedding theme this would make. In this part, as promised, I will help with ideas for stationary and decoration. It’s actually quite amazing what you can find once you start looking (and once you know what it is you are looking for!) and I have found some real little gems!

Recently, while in Milton Keynes, I stumbled upon a car show hosted by Allerston Taylor &  Regency Carriages. Beautiful cars ranging from classics to modern sports cars were on display, but the one that caught my eye was the 1932 Rolls Royce Open Tourer, a very rare car and one of the last red label Rolls Royces. Similar to the cars used in Water for Elephants, and obviously of the right era, they would be perfect for the bride to arrive in on the morning of the wedding. With a large selection of cars they can offer vintage and classic Rolls Royces, Daimlers, Vanden Plas Princess Limousines, Bentleys and Mercedes.

For the extra touches to your wedding reception I have compiled a selection of beautifully handcrafted and unique decorative items and stationary to complement your day.

Circus themed wrapping doesn’t come better than these wonderful little  boxes designed and illustrated by The Inklings of Tess. Perfect for wedding favours that will add an extra special something to your table decoration or to house special gifts for your bridesmaids. They come in packs of 2 or 4 different designs, the circus tent and moustache tent being especially brilliant and they will also offer a discount on bulk orders which is handy if you are inviting a lot of guests!

Inspiration to add colour to your day are these quirky ‘Admit One’ tickets by Peach Blossom:

Circus art print by modo creative :

Festival string lights by cable and cotton

And for that extra special personalised touch how about your own family named circus poster or canvas print? You can even name your own circus acts to be displayed on the poster too, maybe ‘The Sensational Acrobatic Ushers’ or ‘The Bearded Bridesmaids’! Get your own at I Love Design via Not on the High Street.com:

Circus themed wedding invitations are a little harder to get right. With the tendency of some stationary design companies to make a theme like ‘circus’ quite childish it is hard to get the right tone for what will be your guests first insight into the feel for your day. My first inclination would be to go for either something very Art Deco in design to keep in with the era or a vintage design that is a bit more fun and will complement the other aspects of your day rather than match exactly. Vintage Wedding Invitations have a Hollywood themed invite that can easily transfer to the glitzy idea of ‘circus’,

If you would like something that is more exact Gorgeous Creations have a lovely vintage circus design:

Hello Pretty do a simple but effective carnival design that can be printed in a huge range of colours, so if you have chosen a specific colour scheme there will surely be something to compliment it here:

Another simple yet chic option is from Paper Themes;

I hope this post has given you lots of inspiration and help getting started on your own personal circus show!

This is my favorite costume – the coral suit, with the poka dot shirt & that bow! ahhhhhhhhhhhhmazing

And her most memorable outfit was this gold floor length gown:

All the costumes on The Sound of Music were designed by Dorothy Jeakins, the first ever costume designer to win an Oscar!

Who is your favorite vintage character?

Batman

Debuted: May 1939

Secret Identity: Billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne

Powers: The extreme desire for vengeance towards criminals, and pretty amazing weapons

Costume: Sleek, all-black, with bat-like elements to frighten his enemies

Fashion Legacy: Black has always been a color that represented confidence, power, and mystery. The man in the batsuit protected the city of Gotham and further proved that black is always in style.

Wear While Fighting Crime: 1930′s Black Short-Sleeved Dress

Superman

Debuted: June 1938

Secret Identity: Unlike other superheroes, Superman is his real identity, while his alter ego is Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent

Powers: Extraordinary strength and speed, as well as the awe-inspiring ability to fly

Costume: Symbolically red, blue, and yellow, Superman is the ultimate archetype for a superhero

Fashion Legacy: All bulging muscles and sinewy limbs, Superman’s costume came right at the time when women’s clothing started becoming more shapely and body-conscious. We can all thank the Man of Steel for helping us flaunt our figures today.

Wear While Fighting Crime: 1940′s Ruffled Black Lace Column Gown

Wonder Woman

Debuted: December 1941

Secret Identity: The female answer to Superman, Wonder Woman is really the warrior princess Diana of Themyscira

Powers: Super-speed, strength, and agility, as well as her trusty Lasso of Truth

Costume: Wonder Woman is the ultimate pin-up, with her bustier and boots combination, showing off her strength and awesome figure all at once

Fashion Legacy: One word: accessories. While all of her pieces have useful powers, our boots, bracelets and headbands give us a secret boost of our own, as they complete our ensembles and have a magnetic pull on the opposite sex…in our minds, at least!

Wear While Fighting Crime: 1940s Gold & Black Dress Clips & Earrings

So I watched Miss Pettigrew lives for a Day yesterday and I loved it. Amazing 1930s fashion and beautiful decor in her apartment. 2 thumbs up to the costume and art departments and Amy Adams was so adorable. Love her face!

Loving the 1930s evening style, so here be some clothing available online at net-a-porter.com to recreate the look with pinks, champagne, silver and gold colouring. I love mixing it all together!

Dress; Stretch Satin-crepe fishtail gown £2,185; Zac Posen
Shoes; Stud Embellished patent leather pumps £150; Michael Kors
Ring; Heart pave crystal ring £110; Marc Jacobs
Necklace; Gold Plated Swarovski crystal bib £385; Valentino
Clutch; Cayla glitter finished clutch £595; Jimmy Choo

xoxo

I recently watched Cracks- starring Eva Green and Juno Temple and I found the atmosphere and style of the film brooding but the plot a tad lacking. The over-all premise of the film is exploring the complex (and slightly disturbing) relationships at an idyllic-looking girls’ boarding school. Cue the charismatic and enigmatic teacher played by Green. It reminds me slightly of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie…but not as compelling.

Having said that it’s worth a watch and plot aside, the costumes and scenery are spectacular. This post is all about the style and Miss G works some wonderfully 1930s bohemian looks. Enjoy! x

Love this cape/shawl

1930s eccentric

And Deco vamp

Why I need a new headscarf

And I want the haircut!

“Andi”‘s mother—my grandmother, Selma, circa 1920′s-30′s

While I normally post an image each week of my mother, “Andi,” and her style from back in the day that is current/inspiring for my own looks today, I couldn’t resist sharing this photograph of another style icon of mine, my own grandmother.

I just had dinner with my dear friend Rachel of Nona E. Rose tonight, who’s accessories line namesake happens to be from both of her grandmother’s names. I realized how influenced we are by our ancestors and wondered, does good taste run in the family?

I would totally wear this gorgeous gown today. I love that my grandmother even belted it like I would (probably with a Nona E. Rose belt!). It’s also funny that just two days ago Who What Wear posted that celebs are rocking a sheer sleeve lately like I did this past New Years and Selma did nearly a century ago! Grandma’s a trend setter.

xo Liz

Remember in our History of Fashion course we talked about how paper patterns developed in the 19th century for home dressmakers. Burda magazine started producing paper patterns in 1952 and continues today, along with a website and blog featuring trends, competitions, designer diaries and free projects- we love those! Vintage lovers check out this free downloadable pattern for 1933 undies.

http://www.burdastyle.com/blog/you-can-have-underwear-that-fits-as-it-should

http://www.burdastyle.com/

Laura Thomas and Emma Cascarina  first opened the doors to their vintage boutique in February 2008. Since then they have had almost 4 years experience in altering and re-making vintage wedding dresses for countless brides to be.

Laura and Emma in the shop

The feel behind Laura and Emma’s shop is that ladies can come in and play dress up!  With an ethos that promises brides the perfect place to relax and design their dream dress, choosing  from a collection of carefully sourced vintage dresses from the 1930s to 1960s,  you can be sure to find exactly what you are looking for! Each dress is unique and can be tailored to your specifications. Choose from various fabrics and styles and add your own ideas  by mixing and matching details from other dresses.

Laura met Emma while working as a Costume Supervisor Assistant on The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre London. They realised there was a gap in the market for a one-stop-shop selling specialist costumes and  accessories in the West End to cater for it’s wardrobe departments.  With 15 years experience between them working in the West End on shows such as Bad Girls The Musical and the National Theatre’s His Dark Materials they decided to launch Fur Coat No Knickers.

Although theatre production forms their shops main objective, the increasing vintage bridal market has made them a popular choice to go to.

As far as we’re concerned, there’s little difference between making actors fit for the limelight and making our customers look stunning for their special occasion!

Creating a made-to-measure dress for your big day will take on average 6 months to complete. They are happy to advise you on styles and shapes that will suit your frame when you book an appointment to try on the dresses. If you have an idea of what you want already or have a picture of the dress bring it along to your first consultation as they may be able to make it for you! Made-to-measure starts at £2000, not cheap, but well worth the money.

When you have chosen your style and fabrics you will be given fabric samples to take away so you can match it to the rest of your wedding day. The shop is also full to exploding with jewellery, accessories and veils to complete your outfit. They can also help you with shoes and underwear, it truly is a one-stop-shop for all things wonderful! As Laura says;

Making girls look HOT for their big day is the best job ever!  It never get’s boring as all our dresses are one off unique vintage and we love to help with the accessories!

The shop is open Monday-Saturday 11am until 7pm, except Tuesdays 11am until 5.30pm. Sundays 12.30pm until 5pm. Appointment days are on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Jacqueline West is the costume designer responsible for Marlena’s (Witherspoon) fabulous outfits and found her inspiration from films such as ‘Polly of the Circus’ and ‘Dinner at Eight’. She was nominated for Best Costume Design at the Satellite Awards.

Narciso Rodriguez dress & Valentino heels

Dior sequined embroidered tulle dress

Sophie Theallet silk dress

Dolce & Gabbana embellished shorts & top

While salivating over the dresses I thought what an amazing wedding theme this would make. How much fun would it be to tie the knot at your own circus show! Now I’m not talking about hiring elephants or anything but you could certainly have elements of the circus on a smaller scale.

How about a Mirror Tent? Originally built in Belgium between 1910 and 1922 they were used for cabaret, theatre, parties and weddings. Unfortunately many of these amazing tents have perished over time, although four Spiegeltents as they are known have been lovingly restored at The Amazing Tent Company.

Mirror Tent

Spiegeltent

The dress is going to be important to the theme of your day, whether you decide to go authentic vintage or just a vintage style I have listed a  few places where you can get your hands on a 1920s-30s wedding outfit.  Fur Coat No Knickers  is a good place to start, they have a good range of vintage dresses that they can make to measure.  The Vintage Wedding Dress Company  is also good as it has dresses that are original and start from £950 or they have their own collection of vintage styles called ‘Decades’ to choose from. Also I recommend Lindsay Fleming who has a fantastic 1920s flapper dress collection named ‘All That Jazz’ and ‘The Manhattan Collection’ which is more 30s to 50s in style.

The Vintage Wedding Dress company original vintage

Lindsay Fleming 'All That Jazz'

TVWDC 'Decades' Collection

Fur Coat No Knickers

TVWDC 1920s style

Lindsay Fleming 'All That Jazz'

A selection of Fur Coat No Knickers dresses

Lindsay Fleming 'Manhattan'

In Part 2 of the 1930s circus wedding theme I will help you find the perfect decoration and stationary to complete the day!

In-between two world wars money was tight in the 1930s, so women were no longer at liberty to indulge in fashion so had to find other ways in looking smart and fashionable. Clothes were repaired instead of replaced and accessories played an important part. Costume jewellery, especially brooches, necklaces and rings were favoured as a cheaper alternative to the diamonds and gems that had previously been the required jewellery amongst the fashionable classes.

Until the 1930s wealthy women had not really needed to wear practical day clothes. Although styles had been designated day styles if they were impractical it had not really mattered as long as maids took care of chores. Now women had more productive and busier lives and simpler pared down clothes gave a freedom of movement women relished in daily life. More luxurious gowns were kept for evening. New fabrics like metallic lame were very popular at night and were made to shimmer even more richly by adding plastic sequins and glass beads.

The 1930s was a time of great economic depression, even so it was still a period of industrial advances as machinery and techniques that were developed before, during and after the First World War, began to have an effect on everyday life. Fashion during this time benefited from many new inventions and innovations including zip fasteners and raylon – the first commercially used man-made fibre.

While Paris couturiers of the 1930s were the driving force behind changing trends, the 1930s are perhaps best exemplified by the Hollywood film stars who brought their clothes to life. Actresses such as Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich and Barbara Stanwyck epitomised the look with their penchant for elongated bias-cut, halter-neck gowns in shimmering silk fabric. Perhaps more than any other era in fashion, the evening-wear styles of the 1930s continue to directly influence evening-wear designs popular today. The elongated gowns, halter-neck dresses and the draped cowl neckline so frequently seen on the red carpets today owe a great deal to the 1930s. All the leading fashion designers today continue to reference this decade – when Hollywood glamour was born.

Some of the key looks of 1930s clothing were – Bias-cut gowns, Raylon fabric, Halter-neck backless evening gowns, fur, costume jewellery, zips and narrow suits worn with a hat and gloves.

Some of the notable designers of 1930s fashion were, Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, Edward Molyneux, Augusta Bernard, Louise Boulanger, Cristobal Balenciaga, Robert Piguet and Madeleine Vionnet.

Click here to find fabulous vintage clothing from the 1930s at My Vintage.

October 1932, and a crisis is facing the fashion world.

Luckily for us the writers at Britannia & Eve magazine were on hand to demystify matters. (Or make them more complicated. One or the other.)

The issue causing sleepless nights is that no one, but absolutely no one, can decide where the waist should be this season. Should it be high, or low, or somewhere in the middle? Apparently the good couturiers of Paris can’t decide either, and the solution is to have all three levels of waist IN THE SAME DRESS.

“Many clever couturiers,” asserts the magazine, “have made what one might call a ‘compromise waistline’ which is definitely in three places– one around the hips, one at normal, and one above. This requires much cutting and corseting… Molyneux has another method– he attaches the belt at the back in two little notches, leaves the rest of it free, and let it be wrapped about the middle or above, or below, as you like.”

“One house,” declares the magazine, “which made an immense success last season with high waists, keeps them aggressively high in front but lets them drop at the back just enough to suggest that even the highest may fall.” I wonder if they mean something like the example on the right below, which is by Chanel:

“Consider,” muses the magazine, “the tucks at the natural waistline in the dress from Jane Regny…and the false air of high-waistedness lent to the bodice by the cross-over fichu”:

The back of another Jane Regny example:

Then there’s this dress by Bruyere, “where a clever drapery obscures the waist in front, although a belt marks the normal waistline at one side”.

And a similar idea by Patou:

And “last, but not least in importance, is Patou’s six inch drop. An example of his hip-length waist and fitted medieval bodice is shown”:

Or, if you are still undecided, you can apparently “wear an enormous belt about ten inches wide and let people guess. Something like this must be done until the season is in full swing, and until we find that waists are here, there, or somewhere else.”

(You’d be presuming the ten inch belt is their little joke, right- not recalling many pictures of 1930s dresses with whopping 10” belts and everything? But then take a look at these belts featured in the article- and how modern they look with all their multiple straps and buckles!)

Well, I hope that makes everything perfectly clear. (Isn’t is a comfort that fashion was as fickle back in 1932 as it is now?)

As I metioned in my last post, I had intended to  use my knitting machine for the skirt, but the machine that I had wasn’t the right gauge.  So, I cast on my #2 circulars and trudged along.  Fortunately, I was able to locate a used knitting machine and ribber attachment in the right gauge and got them for a good price, along with some other goodies!  I will have it for the next skirt because I certainly don’t want to handknit another one of these babies, not anytime soon anyhow!

This outfit has definitely kept me occupied, but  there wasn’t any interesting progress to show.  I figured that posting pictures of my skirt in progress would be like posting pictures of a cake in various stages of baking.  Who cares, right?  In any case, my sincere apologies for my silence in the blogosphere.  Hopefully this update will make up for it.

The only bits I have left to do are the right sleeve, the casing for elastic in the skirt, the crocheted trim around the bottom of the skirt and neckline, and sewing on the buttons.  So my next post should come a lot sooner.

I should have this done in time for autumn.  I know that it’s a springtime look but since autumn in Arizona is just like spring, it should do nicely.

Women’s hair was worn fashionably short in bob and shingle styles. The shingle was considered the most feminine women’s short hairdo of the 1920s. The style featured short hair worn close to the head with the front and the sides cut to cover the ears and the back cut and shaped into layers of short fringe at the neckline to resemble shingles on a roof. The sides were cut at a slant, with the shortest hair at the nape of the neck and the longest hair falling at the bottom tip of the earlobe and forming a curl. The hairdo was parted at the center or on the side. The shingle hairdo sometimes was waved a bit, and it was less flat and heavy looking than the bluntly cut bob, an extremely short haircut. The shingle hairstyle remained stylish well into the early 1930s, and then its popularity gave way to looser, more traditionally feminine mid-length hairdos.

The cloche, a hat which hugged the head like a helmet with a very small brim, accompanied the rage of the short 20s hairstyles. It was first created by milliner Caroline Reboux in 1908 but it was not until the 1920′s that it became popular and loved by the Flapper crowd. The cloche was usually made from felt so that it conformed to the wearer’s head shape.Innovation in hats emphasized tidiness, neatness or quirkiness and became emerging advances in fashion trends.

Another month is in the books for 12 North Photography and what a month it was. I worked with some great recording artists; such as Jenni Alpert, Lee Green and Antimity. I shot some really fun creative fashion and I had a number of great experiences along the way, this is the month of July in review. (The Photo above is of the awesome Karla Frederick)

To start the month off The Blood Driven Tour brought a dear friend of mine and amazingly talented recording artist Jenni Alpert out to AZ. It was an awesome couple of days filled with fun, photos and a ton of really great music. To hear music by Jenni Alpert and get a free download of her song “Sweet Talk” CLICK HERE!

Looking back on this month I would have to say that it was definitely musically driven. I got to hang out with the new up and coming rock band Antimity and let me just say that their music is a breath of fresh air. Their first album is set to release this year and if you like rock music with a strong lead guitar I would definately look forward to it!

Along with Jenni Alpert and Antimity I had the great pleasure of working with the very talented and hard-hitting Phoenix rapper Lee Green. If you’re a fan of Rap/Reggae you should definitely check him out! Lee is currently working on his album “One” that is set to release this year! You can see his latest music video by CLICKING HERE!

This month in the world of Creative/Fashion I had a shoot that literally happened right in the moment. I was driving around in search of a new location for July’s “Fashion Through Time” piece which Tara Hutchison (the writer of FTT) and myself were working on. In that search we stumbled upon this great spot, which is located at the edge of a corn field in Gilbert Arizona. We got out and I started to snap a few shots and realized pretty quick that this isn’t really what we were looking for. BUT the location was amazing and it instantly inspired me. So being the trooper Tara is, she jumped in and modeled for me so that I could bring that vision to life.  You can see more photos from this shoot by CLICKING HERE!

As you can probably guess we ended up finding the perfect location for July’s “Fashion Through Time” and it came out amazing. It was my first time working with Christina Silvestri and she was an absolute blessing to work with. She truly knows what she’s doing in front of a camera and I hope to work with her a lot in the future. To read “Fashion Through Time – 1930′s” CLICK HERE!

Another creative shot I did this month was “As a Feather” which is the picture you see above. It is the first in a series I am working on that will showcase people floating is various situations. The first as you can se is of the subject basking in the sun. This photo was also featured on Picturesocial.com. So keep your eyes open for the rest in the coming months!

I know what your thinking; in the headline of this post it said a sad clown. So as promised here it is. I took this photo at “The Antique Plaza” in Mesa AZwhile picking up the dresses for “Fashion Through Time” I just saw it staring at me through the glass and I had to get a shot of it. I took it just as a snap shot to remember the sad clown because it just seemed like the world had forgotten it but when I shared it online to my surprise it got some really great responses. The image was even featured in “Eye’s and Faces” twice (which is a group on Photoblur.com) in one month under the title “When all have Forgotten”

Now that we are nearing the end of this post I thought I would share this strange piece with you. This image is the result of a lot of rock music and stage show ideas with the band Antimity. The subject was looking thorough a microphone stand which brought a strange almost caged feel to the image.

Finally what is July in Arizona without some pretty epic thunder storms? The answer to that question is really hot, but at least we have had some pretty awesome storms this month. I captured this image while standing on my back patio. Well that’s it for this month! I am looking forward to August!

It has been awhile but fashion through time is back and this month we are focusing on the fashion of the 1930’s with a historical emphasis on the impact of the dust bowl on farmers. When researching for this time period the only fashion one could really find is the clothing of the wealthy. Which is interesting since the great depression had a major gap between the rich and the poor that only got worse throughout these dark years. So you would assume there would be more photographs of the poor but unfortunately this wasn’t the case.

Due to the stock market crashing, unemployment sky rocketed and people being left without jobs or homeless. It was a dark time in America, but not just for the urban population of Americans, but for the farmers as well. It was already bad enough that the economy was collapsing, but in addition to this, no crop rotation, bad farming methods, overgrazing from cows and a previous drought made for dead crops and no income for farmers.

In addition to these coincidental bad occurrences, many migrated to these parts because they believed that a previous period of rain would bring better crops. These rains wouldn’t return and those who bought land and migrated to these parts were left with bad soil. A combination of all of the farmer malpractices for soil saw the wave of the dust bowl. Anyone who lives in Arizona can vouch for dust storms where great waves of dust overcome the city leaving dirt covering everything and the taste of sand in the mouth if you stay in it for too long. During the Great Dust Bowl the clouds of dust were so great that many referred to them as “black blizzards”.

Set in the midst of this depressing and desolate time to those who lived within it and the fashion they could afford to wear. Many poor women had only a few dresses in their possession and had to make do with what they had. With this, clothing was simple and plain consisting of a plain dress, stockings and shoes. Most clothing was sewn at home and then passed down through each of the children as they grew into it.

Fashion through time this month saw a return to a more simplistic approach through the eyes of 1930’s fashion. The three dresses we used were borrowed from Antique Plaza in Downtown Mesa located on Main street. We chose dresses with a more “country” feel to them with a loose but feminine fit. The brown and the black dresses are actual pieces from the 1930’s which we were lucky enough to use! The second dress has a very cute yet farm feel to it that can easily be updated by making it shorter and pairing it with black stockings or whatever your preference is. This one is my favorite look since it can be incorporated into a very vintage indie style.

The third dress is another vintage dress that salutes the Wizard of Oz and the longing that Dorothy has to leave her dark and dirty world into something better. Several of the photos reflect this attitude with a fashion edge to it with a girl who wants to go beyond the dusty and depressive world she has been born into. The make up we kept very simple with a lipstick shade from L’oreal called Rosedew. This shade can be subtle as well as striking and fit well with the depression era of a natural yet rosy lip color. The hair was kept free and simple with some of the hair pulled back into a twist with a 1930’s flair to it as it is pulled back to show the ear. I thought the free and flowing hair went nicely with the style of the dresses and gave a vintage yet updated look that can be manipulated to be more modern to each person’s taste. Thank you for reading this month’s Fashion through time and I hope you stop by again next month!

<<< Read Fashion Through Time – 1920′s

<<< Read Fashion Through Time – 1960′s

Written by Tara Hutchison

Modeled by Christina Silvestri

Photos by Larry Stone of 12 North Photography

Hair and Makeup by Tara Hutchison

Authentic Clothing Provided By – Antique Plaza

In an atmospherically-lit blue mansion which looks even more stunning by night than it does in daylight – Kheng Hua first greeted the crowd as a host, and quickly addressed the fact that most know her as Margaret in Singapore TV comedy series Phua Chu Kang. This journey, we find out, is about Kheng Hua’s own discovery of the blue mansion as well as Tay Poh, when she was asked by George Town Festival Director Joe Sidek to produce a play about her.

As we sat around the open-roofed, granite-slabbed courtyard built according to feng shui principles to “collect” wealth by way of water, Kheng Hua presented the scant facts about the enigmatic woman – Tay Poh was 20 years old when she married the 70 year-old Cheong; she was the only wife named in his will and managed his estate after he passed away; she wasn’t the last wife as there was an eighth one from Shanghai; she had only one son with Cheong; and she died in 1933, when she was 42.

From the ground floor, we were invited to troop upstairs via iron filigree spiral staircases – into the family hall where the lecture/monologue/performance started proper. As we sat on rows of Chinese benches, and pictures of Tay Poh were projected onto the walls, that’s when we were taken on the investigative journey about Tay Poh.

Kaylene and Kheng had looked through newspaper archives to ferret out news about her, for example; failing which, images of the advertisements of the time were projected to show what was vogue and in fashion (eg: Bovril, and society dinners at the E&O Hotel!) Kaylene had in fact shared in an interview about how part of the challenge of writing the script was separating myth from history.

Case in point: they had been sent pictures of a lady who died and whose funeral was held at the mansion; which was assumed to be Tay Poh but upon closer look, they realised not only did the lady not look the same, but the fashion wasn’t of the 1930s.

Kheng Hua toggled between narrative and dramatic performance – which kept the pace of the production ticking. One of the more entertaining segments was her channelling an entertaining tour guide for the house – who dishes out the gossip, rumours and pre-suppositions about the house’s inhabitants in her tour. And in dark film noir style, a clip of Kheng Hua’s emotional scene in the Singapore movie The Blue Mansion was shown as well – when she played the wife of one of the sons of a rich tycoon who died.

With that, the story of the person was interwoven with the actor, the house and other tangibles like cheongsams of the Cheong Fatt Tze estate which could have belonged to Tay Po. The stylish dresses were gorgeously pictured in a slideshow, as Kheng also mused about them.

The climax of this journey of discovery was when Kheng Hua donned a 1920s styled cheongsam and assumed Tay Poh’s poses as seen in her photographs. Doing a corporeal study – she compared Tay Poh’s stance against hers. Tay Poh’s picture shows her centred into her abdomen, while Kheng Hua tends to pitch her torso forward as if springing into motion.

The ghostly theme was revived again towards the end, and the weather on Saturday night also got in on the act with rumblings of thunder and flashes of lightning – which all thought was part of the excellent sound and light effects until we realised that it was for real! (It later stormed for a good half hour to 45 minutes after the play – entrapping the audience within the mansion)

No. 7 was an evocative performance, befitting of the grand dame of the mansion itself and its former matriach – even if threads of her story were left unstitched. It kept the audience piqued and dangling on questions like how did she die? And why so young? And what happened to her son’s children? An open-ended ending is but a befitting conclusion to a production about the enigmatic life of a woman. Some mysteries in life are meant to remain so, all the better to feed the imagination with.

The number 7 is about Cheong Fatt Tze’s seventh wife, and it’s going to be a site specific performance starring Singaporean actress Tan Kheng Hua – who acted in the Singapore movie The Blue Mansion, but who’s best known to Malaysians as Margaret in the TV sitcom Phua Chu Kang.

I dropped by to chat with Kheng Hua on Monday, as she was rehearsing for the play.

The number 7 has popped up A LOT in relation to the play. It’s uncanny, says Kheng Hua.

Firstly, it’s wife number 7.

Cheong was 70 years old when he married her.

The Cheong Fatt Tze mansion – aka The Blue Mansion – took seven years to build; and seven years to restore.

Cheong had seven children he officially recognised.

The playwright’s company is Spell #7
The George Town Festival is in July, the seventh month! (And did you just feel a little shiver just now?)

Not that any of these was planned, of course, but coincidental.

Anyway this is a picture of the wife, Tan Tay Poh, which hangs in the courtyard of the mansion. She’s really petite, and if you’ve taken the tour and seen some dresses (which are GORGEOUS by the way!) which supposedly belongs to her, she looks like she has a 12-year-old’s body in the modern day context!

So what will No.7 be like? Firstly, it won’t be a period piece, says playwright Kaylene Tan. Kaylene, also from Singapore, is known for her site specific/location works which give a sense of space. So don’t go expecting to see Tan Tay Poh’s life story played out; and especially don’t go expecting to see something like Emily of Emerald Hill!

(Kheng Hua says she had jumped at the opportunity to do this piece when Joe Sidek, the festival director, had asked her to. She came to know the Mansion while acting in the Singapore movie The Blue Mansion – even though she saw the house as a set at that time, and not as a house! But after staying in the magnificent place, her interest was piqued.)

Secondly, don’t expect to sit down at the Mansion and watch the performance as if on stage. Viewers, limited to 77 a night for July 1-3, 2011, will be guided through the house – from the front hall to the courtyard, to the upstairs hall – by Kheng. Hint: wear comfortable shoes!

Thirdly, the Mansion will feature like a “second character” in this one-person performance, as will other material objects like the clothes that also inspired the work. These are absolutely gorgeous 1930s cheongsams that look perfectly fashionable today still.

It’s great that Penang gets to see a specially-commissioned performance from such stellar artistes; and done professionally as well.  This will raise the arts level in Penang up a huge notch – as also has many unique production elements. It will give Penangites a chance to see Kheng Hua as a stage actress, for one, something she’s known for in Singapore but less so in Malaysia.

No. 7 sounds like it will be an examination of our views towards heritage and conservation, besides what it’s like to be a seventh but most powerful wife. Get your tickets soon!

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

No.7

1st, 2nd, 3rd July

7.30pm    - audience arrives
8pm         – show commences
9.30pm    - cocktails in the courtyard
10.30pm  - programme concludes

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Jalan Leith

Tickets: RM150 (only 77 seats per night)
Bookings: +604 261 6308

This is both the front and the back knitted in the round up until seven inches into the stockinette section.  At that point I put the back on stitch holders and tacked the holders to the front so that the weight of the stitch holders wouldn’t pull on the garment.  I separated the front and back here because the stockinette sections for the front and back are meant to be different sizes (9 inches for the front and 8 inches for the back).  This is done to allow for the bust, to keep the ribbing in the front from riding up when worn. 

This project has been a lot of fun to work, and the yarn is working out great.  I steam pressed it which has given it a wonderful drape and accentuated the lace pattern.  Yes, I did press the steam iron directly on the knitting.  Normally that should not be done, but pressing this particular yarn brings out its best qualities.

I have decided to try to do the skirt on my knitting machine.  We’ll see how that works out.

I wish I was a better photographer.  We’ll just have to wait for Rob’s good pictures when this project is finished.

One interesting side note about Tea for Two:  Raveler Mary Beth pointed me to this blog post which features a vintage knitted ensemble that bears a striking resemblance to Tea for Two.  Don’t you think so?  It would appear that the knitter even chose the same color as the one used in the Minerva pattern photo.  I can’t help but wonder if she used this very pattern to make her garment, with the addition of some lovely modifications.  Hmmm…

Until next time, happy knitting  (and Happy Father’s Day too!)

Sandra