Finished

Simplicity 3774. Polyester from Hancocks. Lined with muslin to give the dress more body. I like it, I'm not sure I love it and I'm pretty sure it won't fit right now.

Why I Hate Being a Homeowner

After grumbling a little bit on Saturday, I decided to sit down and finish the brown polka dot dress. It's Simplicity 3774. I'm lining the entire dress in muslin to help give the poly more body. I also added some creamy white piping to the sleeve edges, neckline and both of the bodice seams. All that's left to do is insert the zipper - which I moved to the left side seam and then hem it. Well - that's when all h*ll broke loose! There I was finally with a couple of hours to myself. I had done all my chores (menu planning, grocery shopping, updating checkbook, balance 5 months of statements and household filing - whew!). I had the dvd of Season One of Las Vegas playing on the tv and I was getting ready to put the zipper in when the power flickered. Everything went out! UGH. I had the sewing machine, serger, and iron all plugged in and on. The electricity in my home is rather sketchy anyway and while my machines are all plugged into serge protectors, I still worry about power surges getting them. So, I go upstairs to find out what's going on. Well it's seems JB was firing up his compressor to work on the raised beds in the front yard so I can grow food. The compressor fizzled and lights went out - although nothing in the fuse box was tripped. I called an electrician (yep, on a Sunday - we know people) who thinks half the fuses died. He'll be coming over this morning to fix it. Anyway - half of the stuff in my house doesn't work. Both the fridge and freezer do, the stove and dishwasher don't. I have no power upstairs - anywhere - so I'll be showing in the dark and bringing all my morning ritual to the main floor bathroom. UGH!! On a more positive note, I did finish the blue wrap skirt which was started at the Spring Retreat. It's a variation on Simplicity 5914. After making a couple of versions, I had decided that since this skirt fit me so well through the hips and waist, it might be a good candidate for a wrap version. I cut the back as directed on the pattern. For the front I cut 2 center front pieces and one each of the sides. I had meant to cut another right side front, but forgot, so only the center pieces overlap. I rounded the bottom corners and just did a serged and turned under hem. I did use interfaced waistband pieces for more structure, I added two little turned tubes for 'closing' the skirt - one is sewn into the side seam and the other is on the front edge. To make sure the skirt really stays closed I added a snap to the front under edge and a skirt hook to the front top edge. I really want to go all 80s and wear this with a body suit and a beautiful cardigan! But I won't - I don't think - no promises yet!

Seeing Spots

I love this polka dotted fabric. Absolutely love it! However, I am hating working with it. I'm about ready to throw in the towel. Those of you who just give it up and never finish a project - how do you know it's time? I don't really want to be a quitter, but this is making me crazy. First - it's poly. It's beautiful, chocolate brown with pink and cream polka dots I have added cream pipping to the midriff band, sleeve hems and neckline. I am lining the dress with cotton. There are 2 reasons for this - First, so I don't have poly next to my skin and second (and more importantly really) to give the dress some body. Any advice would be appreciated - meanwhile I'll just keep plugging along at it until my desire to stitch anything is completely gone!

Slowly Moving Along

So, this weekend I slowly started progress on the second version of Simplicity 3774. This version is from a chocolate brown poly with pink and cream polka dots. The polka dots are about the size of nickels. For this version, I decided to move the zipper from the center back to the side seam - of course, I didn't think of this until after I cut the fabric so there are still center back seams in the bodice and waist pieces. I also decided to add pipping to the neckline, both sides of the midriff band and the bottom of the sleeves. What I didn't want was just a folded piece of fabric inserted in those seams, so first I filled 1.25" straight grain pieces of the cream with 1/16" cotton cording. This can generally be purchased in the home dec section of the fabric store. Finally, I am lining the poly version with a lightweight cotton fabric to give the poly some body and keep it from clinging. Since this fabric ravels like nobody's business, I'm going slowly and trying not to manhandle the fabric too much. All of the edges are either serged, pinked or enclosed in another seam and topstitched. The other photo - the 'wearable muslin' of the same dress. I really like this dress, it is comfortable and easy to wear. The skirt is full enough to feel 'flirty' without being huge.

How I Spent my Bonus Day Off

First I cut Simplicity 3774 out of the brown fabric. I has pink and cream polka dots about the size of quarters. I'm using the wrong side as the right side for this dress. Also, I'm making the full skirted, darted bodice, caped sleeve version. Since I made this once last summer in a nice cotton (I looked and can't find the pictures!) I decided to line this poly version with muslin. It should give it the body that the dress requires that the poly doesn't have on it's own. I'm also planning on trimming out the midriff band with an off-white bias trim. If I have enough, I'll also put the same bias trim on the neckline and sleeve hems. Since I wasn't so happy with how the bodice darts turned out last time, this time I'm planning on gathering the top into the midriff band. I had barely enough fabric to cut out top B from Butterick 4996. I really like this little top. I have 2 other pieces of fabric destined to become it. However, this one will be a muslin of sorts. Next, it was onto Butterick 4980. I'm making the View A jacket. Only I will be lining it. The fabric is a fairly heavy pink home-dec piece. I'm making the open version to wear over the polka dot dress and I plan on lining the entire thing. I'm sleeping with the Taunton book on linings to figure out what I need to do. I have everything cut out, except the linings. Which I will work on Thursday evening. Tomorrow is knitting. Both my 'good' sewing machine and my serger are going to be serviced this weekend. So my back-up machine and I will be finishing the living room curtains. (Aren't y'all sick of hearing about them?) So, slowly, I am working my way through the newest projects. Hopefully I haven't jinxed myself by cutting out too much. I used to be a mass cutter and then sit and sew - but lately, I do much better with one or two things at a time.

Muslin Done!

Finally I have finished the muslin for the Simplicity jumper. Other than the changes I already made - cutting a size 14 through the shoulders to a 16 at the underbust seam, then I tapered out even farther at the hips.

I moved the zipper to the left side seam. So fabric allowing I will attempt to cut the front and back pieces on the fold rather than have a seam down the center of both pieces.

I have a powder blue lining and will line the entire jumper rather than just the bodice. I think it gives a much nicer look and feel to a dress. I plan on just taking tucks in the skirt lining rather than putting in the darts. Hopefully, I can make it back downstairs after dinner tonight to get started cutting the parts and pieces out.

I have the next dress starting to play out in my head. Remember this fabric? I finally decided on a pattern for it. It will become Simplicity 3774. I plan on making a lined pink jacket out of Butterick 4980 to go with it.

So, here are the elements for the next two garments in the lineup. The polka dot dress which will be full skirted and either short sleeves or sleeveless. The pink is for the jacket and the white to line the jacket. I think for this first try at lining a jacket I will leave the pattern as is - no closures. Will keep you posted.