Black-tie attire: check.

Back in February, I got an unexpected email from a good friend from MIT now off in the original Cambridge for her PhD: an invitation to be her +1 at her college's May Ball. At Cambridge University, every "college" (sort of like a Hogwarts house but Cambridge has way more than four of them) has its own May Ball to celebrate the end of the school year. Not all May Balls happen in May: my friend Tanya's May Ball (officially called a June Event) will be held in late June. I've heard talk of May Balls for years now: crazy, black-tie, all-night-long parties unlike anything else to be found in any European university. The invitation came with a steep entry fee for a budget traveler like yours truly, but it was potentially a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So, tossing aside any budget for a summer holiday, I dove in and happily accepted the invitation.

About a day after accepting my invitation to a May Ball, it hit me: I would need a gown. If you don't know me too well, let me just say, I adore sewing gowns. I made all of my prom gowns, my cousin's wedding gown, and my MIT Senior Ball gown. Sadly, I have found no good excuses for a gown project over the past few years even after my Master's graduation present to myself: a new sewing machine. Suddenly, the opportunity had arrived in my inbox without my even realizing! Well, merci beaucoup, Tanya!

Minus the possibility of a few extra finishing touches on the waist-band beading, I've finally completed my latest masterpiece! Here is my project, from start through rocky spots to sweet end.

The project began with a dress pattern, a few meters of fabric, a string of beads and ribbon, and thread.

It's always a bit daunting yet thrilling to imagine that somehow these shapes of fabric I'm cutting out are going to be transformed into something wearable.

 Gown-in-progress: piles of dress pieces and pattern instructions stacked in my sewing shelves.

Disaster! Following the pattern strictly gave me a bodice with waist-band well above my actual waist. (My long torso is my dress-making bane.)

There were definitely some hiccups along the way: after discovering the extent to which the original pattern's bodice was truly designed for someone shorter than me, I had to buy some new fabric and totally start over, making my best guess at how to lengthen certain pieces. Let's say this stage took a lot of trial and error. I won't share the photos from those subsequent trials and errors.

At last satisfied with the fit, I bribed Esteban with food to help me hem the dress. My cat was also eager to help.

Tada! At last my bodice fit and my waist-band was properly beaded.

I'd wanted to find a white background to photograph the dress against. Turns out the best I could do was standing on the back of my couch. This is definitely my most risqué formal gown creation yet, but I'm satisfied that it's not something I'd have found in most stores.

And voilà, the view from behind. Sunset-level lighting does a number on my back. Yes, I'm a yogini, but under most lights I don't look like something straight out of an anatomy text book...


In summary, a couple of months, countless hours, and too many late nights later, I am very proud to be able to share my latest creation! Now to find more excuses to put to use my new black-tie attire... Suggestions are most welcome and whole-heartedly encouraged.