Ever since I was a little girl, I always dreamed of having a “Santa” dress. The rich red velvet and white fur trim around the neck, cuffs, and hem would give me festive feelings of delight. Watching the classic film, “White Christmas”, would heighten this desire every year.
Vera-Ellen, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Bing Crosby in “White Christmas”, 1954
Despite my intentions, the hectic holiday season would always get in the way of my December dream. However, when I was approached to give a program to a retiree group highlighting the Christmas songs of the ages, I knew my time had come. The premise of the program was for me to wear an era-specific costume to match a song that was to be played after I modeled its corresponding outfit. The audience, in turn, had to guess when the song/carol was originally written based on my costume. For the 1990s, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” was on the list.
Mariah Carey in the “All I Want For Christmas Is You” music video, 1994
Hooray ! The Christmas program gave me a fitting excuse to create my Santa dress. While the task seemed simple, it certainly had its challenges. I can’t count how many mock-ups I sewed of different bodice patterns, only to have them be too tight when sewn up in the desired stretch velvet. What was wrong ? Almost giving up, I tried one last pattern.
The Tessa Sheath Dress from Love Notions Patterns popped into my e-mail inbox one Friday as part of the company’s Feature Friday. For $5, I thought I would give it a try. My first mock-up was promising and when I added length to the bodice, it was perfect. Because I knew I was going to attach a circle skirt to the waist seam, I didn’t bother printing the rest of the PDF pattern. Once sewn together, I measured the circumference of the waist seam and used Mood Fabric’s Circle Skirt Calculator to map out my radius and fabric lay. The calculator worked its magic and gave me one circular piece of velvet, with no back seam to sew. Fluffy faux fur purchased from Amazon was sewn/glued to the appropriate places and… that was it ! I finally had my Santa dress.
This dress is so much fun ! I have worn it constantly over the season and love giving its skirt a twirl.
One of my favorite features of the dress is its red stretch velour, which hangs heavy in its drape.
“Viva Italia !” my friends and I exclaimed when we heard that the location of the upcoming concert for Diana Damrau and Joseph Calleja had been moved from exotic seaside Malta to the Palazzo Reale in Caserta, Italy. On record as the world’s largest royal residence, the grand venue was ideal for the cinematic transmission of the latest Met Stars Live in Concert series.
The Palatine Chapel in the Royal Palace of Caserta, Italy
The combination of Diana Damrau and Joseph Calleja was a bit odd, especially when considering their “polar opposites” repertoire. The normally floating trills of the German soprano felt strained during the heavy Tosca numbers (“Vissi d’arte” was downright painful), which were salvaged by the charming apropos acting in a literal libretto location.
Diana Damrau and Joseph Calleja singing excerpts from Tosca in the Met Stars Live in Concert series
Calleja’s hearty voice squelched Damrau’s on more than one occasion, but most notably during the finale duet of “Ave Maria” where they each took turns with versed lines. In the past, I have always enjoyed Diana Damrau due to her ability to make me feel her characters with a voice of sweetly scented femininity. However, it was during this last selection that I wished she would just stand silent and let Calleja fill the cavernous chapel with his rich tone.
Joseph Calleja and Diana Damrau singing “Ave Maria” / Metropolitan Opera
The best part about the concert was guessing which wrap Diana would wear next ! For each musical number, she would emerge from the wings of the palace chapel with a new accessory to play off her strapless black velvet gown.
Diana Damrau and Joseph Calleja in the Met Stars Live in Concert series from Caserta, Italy
The Cuisine
Let’s talk about the food ! While we all struggled with the idea of Maltese cuisine (rabbit, anyone ?), the Italian switcheroo rendered the culinary preparation a breeze. Since the palace in Caserta was part of the Campania region (think Naples), Chris volunteered to make Neapolitan meatballs…
…and I was assigned the classic Caprese salad.
Anne brought the antipasti platter…
…and Jayne provided the Prosecco !
Our feast was complete… and delicious, too. We cleaned our plates !
The Clothes
When I first saw this concert on the lineup, I knew EXACTLY what I would wear, even after the location change. Years ago, I remembering thumbing through a catalog for Soft Surroundings and “oohing” and “ahhing” at the vibrant colors and relaxed refinery of the clothes. One dress, although simple, always jumped out at me along with the styling of the photo:
Santiago Boatneck Dress / Soft Surroundings
Something about the floor length knit dress in the earthy colors with the rustic jewelry just seemed so casually elegant. Coincidentally, I had several long necklaces that would look perfect with the dress. But when I checked the Soft Surroundings website, it appeared the boatneck style of dress had been discontinued. Even though I wanted to make my own dress, it would have been helpful to have more detailed pictures of what the website could offer. Nevertheless, I searched for knit maxi dress patterns and found a promising one from Hallå Patterns.
Agnes knit dress from Hallå Patterns
With a “just right” paprika colored French Terry knit, which was found in my October 2020 edition of Julie’s Picks swatch club, I sewed the pattern with the one tweak of lengthening the hem by 1½ inches, just in case. It was a perfect adjustment, but I do believe I would have allowed more width in the shoulders.
The dress was just what I desired ─ fall color, Old World jewelry, and casual stateliness for my imagined Neapolitan holiday. Best of all, I didn’t have to pay upwards of $100 ! It was a win-win-win !
Toi, Toi, Toi,
Mary Martha
Cast and Credits
Met Stars Live in Concert: Diana Damrau and Joseph Calleja Cappella Palatina of the Royal Palace of Caserta Caserta, Italy Live broadcast date: October 24, 2020
Diana Damrau ─ soprano Joseph Calleja ─ tenor Roberto Moreschi ─ piano
At last ─ a new production of La Traviata ! If you recall, I was not a fan of the previous Met production of Verdi’s timeless tale. A gender fluid mob of tuxedoed chorus members and a bald-faced clock certainly didn’t fit within my perceptions of the glittering Parisian world of Violetta Valéry.
Willy Decker’s production of La Traviata / Metropolitan Opera
Thankfully, that production is now old news. With Michael Mayer stepping in to create a new Traviata, I was more than enthused to supplant a fresh image in my mind of how La Traviata should be staged. The released promotional design concepts seemed promising for an enchanting, whimsical production.
Design concept for Michael Mayer’s production of La Traviata / Metropolitan Opera
While living up to my expectations of a more traditional Traviata, I wouldn’t call it a hands-down winner. Christine Jones’s sets were beautiful, as were Susan Hilferty’s costumes, but the brightness of the colors and the curly embroidery detailing on Alfredo’s jacket (and the chorus members’ attire) could only summon to mind a Disney musical on Broadway. All things considered, I was pleased by this production of La Traviata and how it partially fulfilled what had been my initial hope: to see a traditionally set performance of opera’s immortal tragedy.
Juan Diego Flórez as Alfredo Germont and Diana Damrau as Violetta Valéry in La Traviata / Metropolitan Opera
Costuming possibilities are rich for Traviata ! Voluminous skirts, statement bodices, and historical implications all play a part in most mainstream performances. Since Michael Mayer’s production was making its world debut at the Met, I had no past performance pictures to reference for designing my costume. All that was available was one promotional sketch released by the Met.
Ambiguously lost between the 18th and 19th centuries, the image lacked the clarity I needed to carry out my design plans. My struggles with coming to a creative solution reached near delirium as I fiddled with different gown styles and ornamentation to no avail…
Eventually, I e-mailed Susan Hilferty, the costume designer for the opera, fishing for possible details. Unsurprisingly, the bait remained on the hook. With time running out, I resignedly choose a similar style as the promotional sketch. And since the Live in HD broadcast was scheduled just 10 days before Christmas, how could I go wrong with a stylish scarlet gown ?
I categorized this dress under ‘Couture’ because of its showstopping grandeur and formality. But don’t be fooled─ its interior was a mess ! In preparation for draping the outside of the bodice, I sewed the lining only. Multiple fittings promised a success.
Less than a week before the opera, I carefully began folding and manipulating strips of my red matte satin and pinning them to the bodice, arranging them attractively as I went. Once the drapes were secured, I steam pressed them and was ready to try on the gown for the final fitting…
However, when I slipped into the gown, it swallowed me like an engulfing wave ! The dress was HUGE and I didn’t know why… It fit perfectly before I applied the drapes. Panic struck as it was the day before the opera and I didn’t have a dress to wear ! The rest of the day was spent taking in the central back seams and resewing the zipper innumerable times. Each alteration led to another problem and now I was seriously contemplating a Plan B. Finally, at 8:30 p.m., I finished altering the dress to where I felt confident that it wouldn’t fall to the floor as I wore it to the opera. What a close call !
Oh, but I wasn’t out of the woods yet… Throughout the day at the theater, I felt the dress becoming larger and looser with every movement. Fear of a ebbing gown pressed against the forefront of my mind as I consciously made efforts to prevent an embarrassing situation from occurring. Unzipping the gown in the evening was an utter relief ─ I made it through the opera without a wardrobe malfunction !
Pretty on the outside, tragic on the inside… It’s almost as if the dress had been Violetta herself. And also like Violetta, the long red dress was permanently retired.
Toi, Toi, Toi,
Mary Martha
Cast and Credits:
La Traviata ─ Giuseppe Verdi (1853) Live in HD air date: December 15, 2018
Cast: Violetta Valéry ─ Diana Damrau Alfredo Germont ─ Juan Diego Flórez Giorgio Germont ─ Quinn Kelsey
Credits: Conductor ─ Yannick Nézet-Séguin Production ─ Michael Mayer Set Designer ─ Christine Jones Costume Designer ─ Susan Hilferty Lighting Designer ─ Kevin Adams Choreographer ─ Lorin Latarro Live in HD Director ─ Gary Halvorson Host ─ Anita Rachvelishvili
Everyone knows La Traviata. Whether you’re an exuberant opera fan or not, the tuneful music that sets the story of the consumptive courtesan, Violetta, is as recognizable as the Ten Commandments are to a man without Faith. From countless television commercials, to the iconic chick flick, “Pretty Woman”, it’s hardly a secret that Verdi’s 1853 hit left an indelible stamp on the opera world as well as in pop culture.
Going to the opera ─ a scene from “Pretty Woman”
Typically, I strongly prefer to experience an opera set traditionally before ever dipping my toe into the pool of a modern interpretation. But although an abstract production, I still wanted to see La Traviata when it came to theaters. Willy Decker’s stark sets and tuxedoed chorus members stripped the scenes to minimalist proportions. Languoring in a curve of the corrugated circular stage sat an enormous face clock with a latent theme. Was the intent ─ to allegorize Violetta’s time running out ─ effective ? That’s debatable. Unless previously enlightened, the concept was rather abstruse to grasp ─ at least it was for me. However, there was one upside to the bare bones production and that was the adorable little red dress worn by Violetta during the vibrancy of the opera.
Sonya Yoncheva as Violetta in Willy Decker’s La Traviata / Metropolitan Opera
Since debuting at the prestigious Salzburg Music Festival in 2005, the production’s scarlet flouncy floral brocade dress has been worn by leading sopranos around the world. From Anna Netrebko to Natalie Dessay, the pictorial research was readily available. Hitherto, my only sewing projects amounted to a yukata sewn for Madama Butterfly and a mop cap for my Hebrew slave costume for Nabucco. To take on a complex dress, I needed a real pattern. And after months of scouring and rumination, I found it !
It’s even red ! McCall’s 6834
With a full pleated skirt and the promise of Palmer and Pletsch fitting, I was elated to begin sewing McCall’s 6834 as my Traviata pattern. But obviously, some alterations needed to be made to elevate the style to the Violetta Valéry standard.
Michael Fabiano as Alfredo and Sonya Yoncheva as Violetta in La Traviata / Metropolitan Opera
First adjustment ─ the front and back neckline. My goal was a “rounded square scoop” neckline for the front and so I fiddled with whittling down the existing pattern to how I intended it to look. But I needed help, especially with the curve of the back, so I pulled out an old sleeveless dress pattern from my mother’s bulging pattern box and used its pieces for the design of the straps and necklines. So far, so good !
See & Sew by Butterick 6398 / Circa 1988
The dress was a near replica of the one worn in the opera. So uncanny was the resemblance that a nearsighted lady, slowly forging her way towards the concession stand during intermission, came close to bumping into me where she halted and gasped, “You look just like Violetta !” The greatest of all compliments was received.
Because this was my first commercial sewing pattern project, I made many mistakes. My sizing was off and goodness, the rosy polyester satin frayed terribly ! The fibers continued to shed and tickled my bare legs with every step. Carefully, I toddled around the theater in my shiny crimson pumps, allowing a twirl every now and then.
Pondering life’s toughest questions: which party to attend next and with whom ?
The evening encore outing was a moderate success, however I look forward to seeing a more traditional Traviata in the not-too-distant future. Whether in a flouncy red cocktail dress or a grand antebellum ball gown, one thing remains constant: the emotional power and beloved recognition of Verdi’s timeless opera, La Traviata.
Toi, Toi, Toi,
Mary Martha
Cast and Credits:
La Traviata ─ Giuseppe Verdi (1853) Live in HD air date: March 11, 2017 (Encore seen: March 15, 2017)
Cast: Violetta Valéry ─ Sonya Yoncheva Alfredo Germont ─ Michael Fabiano Giorgio Germont ─ Thomas Hampson
Credits: Conductor ─ Nicola Luisotti Production ─ Willy Decker Set and Costume Designer ─ Wolfgang Gussmann Associate Costume Designer ─ Susana Mendoza Lighting Director ─ Hans Toelstede Choreographer ─ Athol Farmer Live in HD Director ─ Matthew Diamond Host ─ Isabel Leonard
Costume Closet Couture 