Diary of a Titanic Dress: Part Seven--The Big Reveal!
The Titanic Centenary Memorial dinner we attended on April 12 was a fantastic success. The event raised over $6000 for a community-based conservation effort on Kenya's coast, and we ate an incredible meal reproduced from the last first-class dinner served on board the ship. Many of those in attendance dressed in retro fashions (including guys in tuxes), which made it all the more special. It has taken me a long time to photograph the finished gown on my mannequin, as we officially entered the "long rains" on April 1st, and we've had rain, rain, and more rain, so I never could manage to take pictures outside (where the light is best). Today I just made my best effort inside, and here are the pictures of my finished dress!Our favorite local restaurant, which hosted the dinner, really did a fabulous job of setting the scene. The entryway featured roped stanchions and a gangplank with the White Star Line logo painted on it (alas, the photos turned out too dark to share this!). The tables were set with the full array of cutlery for each of the courses:Here's the menu, reproduced from an original that actually survived the sinking in a passenger's pocket:The superb chef combined a couple of the original ten courses to make eight courses (serving asparagus with the salmon rather than on its own, for instance). The final results were a culinary education and delight! Here we are, enjoying a wonderful evening of history and good fellowship:I wish I could share a photo of my husband and me waltzing together, but we bowed out early. I'm sure I'll be wearing this gown again, though, and it's begging for a waltz! Thank you so much for all your help and feedback while I was putting it together. It was much more fun to share and hear your ideas than to go it alone!