Not only is Cate Blanchett one of the world's great actors, but if you believe her, she is also pretty handy with a needle and thread.
"Thank you. I made it myself," Blanchett responded when complimented on her outfit at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon in Beverly Hills on Monday.
Blanchett was joking.
Her form-fitting sleeveless silver dress was made by Italian fashion house Prada, but Blanchett was so good at playing a delusional New York socialite in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine that perhaps she thought she'd channel her at the Beverly Hilton hotel.
The Australian actress was not the only nominee having fun at the luncheon, one of the traditional festive occasions ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony.
"This is so civil," Sandra Bullock, a best actress nominee for Gravity, said while looking around the swish Beverly Hilton.
"I'm uncomfortable."
More than 150 Oscar nominees, including Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper, Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, walked through the large wooden doors into the hotel's International Ballroom for a long, relaxing lunch and a few drinks.
"Oh, I haven't thought that far ahead," Matthew McConaughey said when asked how he plans to celebrate if, as expected, he takes the best actor Oscar for playing an AIDS patient in Dallas Buyers Club, said.
"I'm going to celebrate no matter what."
The Academy Awards ceremony will be held on March 2 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and with Blanchett a strong chance to win best actress and plenty of other great Australian chances, it is expected to be one of Australia's best years.
Catherine Martin scored a double nomination for costume and production design for The Great Gatsby.
Martin's Australian production design collaborator on The Great Gatsby, set decorator Beverley Dunn, was also nominated.
Martin's biggest challenger for the costume design Oscar is fellow Aussie Michael Wilkinson for his creations on the 1970s crime comedy American Hustle.
Visual effects wizard Dave Clayton was nominated for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
This year's nomination is Blanchett's sixth, although she has won only once, playing Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator in 2005.
"Is it?" said Blanchett, again channelling Jasmine, when a reporter mentioned she had been nominated six times.
"That's great."
