Black and white dressing is always a good idea! With a large collection of black cotton ribbed turtleneck sweaters and an armoire filled with stacks of folded fabric the thought occurred to me to make my own black and white dress.
This photo from a Chloe runway show is a perfect example and an inspiration!
Unearthing a piece of lightweight white cotton fabric, I cut two equal size pieces of fabric with the total measurement on the top edge of the two pieces combined being twice the width of the bottom of the sweater to allow for gathering. The two pieces of fabric were then stitched together using double French seams. Next, a tiny hem was top stitched at the bottom edge of the skirt. Using a basting stitch, the waist was gathered and then sewn directly below the bottom edge of the turtleneck. Ordinarily, you would stitch two pieces right sides together. In this case it was preferable to see the base of the turtleneck on top of the cotton fabric skirt.
On a crisp day in Spring, worn with white tights, thin black socks, and short boots, this black and white ensemble is perfect for an outing.
We planned to meet family at the San Antonio Museum of Art to see the Roman Landscapes exhibit and have lunch afterwards in the museum’s Tre Trattoria. We arrived early and went for a morning stroll on the Riverwalk. This is my favorite time of day on the Riverwalk; the ducks were playing in the water and the gardens alongside were beginning to green a bit. Above you can see one of the murals along the wall and a beautiful stone staircase and hall up to the street level.
The Roman Landscapes exhibit is a must for anyone interested in gardens and/or painted murals. These are wall paintings from a garden facing dining room in Pompeii.
These two images are of a wall painting depicting a sacred tree and visitors to a garden shrine. It is dated “early to mid 1st century AD.
This is a hauntingly beautiful fragment of a depiction of a deer vanquished by Diana, Goddess of the Hunt. All that remains of her is part of a foot.
Imagine holding this cameo glass cup and drinking from it! There was even a short film demonstrating how cameo glass is made fusing two layers of glass and carving away part of the outer white layer to unearth the image.
Here is a stunning cameo glass brooch in the exhibit.
No trip to the museum is complete without lunch at Tre Trattoria on the museum grounds and beside the Riverwalk.
The windows in the old building look out onto a courtyard filled with trees. Moose ferns grow on driftwood above the window.
Our favorite lunch begins with the Special Caesar salad and then we share a Soppressata Pizza.
When you walk along the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas, look for the outstanding faux bois benches like this one and pavilions created by members of the Cortes family, three generations of artists of this form of sculpting concrete to look as if it is wood. The Cortes family has been sculpting faux bois in San Antonio since the early 1920s.
Cheers to black and white!
