Brussels: Chocolate

This is the second version of McCall's 6696 I made to bring along on vacation. Making five versions of the same pattern in different fabrics is an interesting experiment in textiles. Oddly, each of my dresses fits me slightly differently, despite being cut and sewn using identical methods. 

To start, I should probably recap the modifications I made to the original pattern. At the onset of this experiment, I determined that I would smooth the gathers from the back bodice in exchange for a flat, fitted top. I also shortened my bodice by an inch and removed 1/2 inch in height from the collar. Next, I narrowed the shoulders of this pattern by 1 1/2 inches each.  I wanted a fitted waist, so I used a zero ease measurement. Finally, I lopped 6 inches out of the skirt length. 

My chambray version of this dress fit nearly exactly the way I wanted it to (I could shorten the bodice a bit more to be 100% happy), so I was very surprised to discover that this version of the dress was so snugglebuggle.  I'd used the same construction methods and modifications, which leads me to believe that the fabrics are to blame for the differences in fit. 

The fabric I used in this dress is a linen/rayon blend from Joann Fabric. It has a really beautiful hand and a fantastic drape.  I still love the dress, but it's definitely not the sort of dress I'll wear to enjoy a large meal. So, it's ironic that I wore it the day we decided to explore Brussels' chocolatiers. 

This was another day of exploration and scavenger hunting. We made ourselves an offline map of the chocolate shops we wanted to visit. Our list included: Frederic Blondeel, Neuhaus, Pierre Marcolini, Laurent Gerbaud, Passion Chocolat, & Leonidas

We made it our mission to try as many varieties of chocolate as we could from each of the shops we stopped in. It was divine, especially the hot chocolate we drank at Laurent Gerbaud. I can't honestly say I tasted a chocolate I didn't like. But, there was a clear winner, in my opinion: Neuhaus, Rigoletto. My mouth waters just thinking about it. 

I was overjoyed to discover there are Nehaus locations in New York. Sadly, I've learned they do not stock Rigoletto. This leads me to the very reasonable conclusion that I will have to go back to Brussels to buy more. :-D