Love This Dress

This is a reprinted pattern from Butterick.  It is a 1960's pattern.  I love when pattern companies reprint old patterns.  So fun.  I made this last summer out of a rayon from Hancocks fabrics.  It has a self fabric belt and I bought the Bakelite belt buckle on Etsy.

OK.  Trouble with Blogger again.  It won't let me post more than one picture!  I don't get it!!!  Well, the close up of the belt will just have to be another post!

It is raining here in northern California.  Yay!  We always need rain. 

?Wearable Muslin?

I started sewing again about a year and a half ago.  I used to make all my dresses and my girls dresses for church.  The girls grew up, life changed, sewing fell by the wayside.  Many changes have occured during my sewing hiatus.  I've gained weight and body parts have moved (in the wrong direction).  Fabric stores have closed and the ones that have remained open tend to lean towards crafts and quilting.  Not much fashion fabric to choose from.  I feel like I am learning to sew all over again.  I definately am having to relearn how to fit my new (but not improved) body.  That being said, here is a picture of my second attempt at a dress for church.  The fabric is 100% polyester in "army blanket green".  The bodice is lined.  I made the bodice longer but wish I hadn't.  There is black gimp at the neckline and wrist.  I like the pleats in the front but I am seriously thinking I need breast reduction surgery!  It is soft and warm which is good because I am always cold in church.

I am working on another dress in 100% wool suiting.  It is a mauve and plum tiny check.  It is a jumper style that is probably to young for me (I keep forgetting I'm over 50!) but I liked the picture and the pattern was on sale.  I am fitting it to wear over a turtleneck for winter.  Of course, I don't own a turtleneck that matches and there are none in stores right now.  It won't be finished for a couple of weeks.  I still have to cut out the lining and contruct that part of it.  I didn't want to waste the lining fabric if the dress didn't fit.  I did not do a muslin.

More rain this weekend which is good because we need as much as we can get.

Have a great week!

Lunch

It is so nice to be able to go home every day for lunch. I work 5 minutes from home. I always try to get one little chore done in addition to eating lunch. Today I folded and put away the laundry.

I've decided that I MUST sew a little bit every night or nothing will get done! One more month or two of nice weather and my summer shift is only half way done! I have the lining together, mostly, and tried it on with DSH helping check the fit. Not too bad, so far. The main fabric is going to be tough to handle. It is a pink and lavender and white tweedy looking stuff that ravels horribly. I have zigzagged every edge prior to piecing it together. I just knew it wouldn't be able to stay together while I assembled the pieces. I hope I am close in the fit of the fashion fabric because it will be a bear to rip out if it needs it!

Fabric

I got some great fabric in the mail today. It is from Scotland. I now have five sewing projects to work on and no time to sew. Plus, every project needs something like seam binding, elastic, buttons or interfacing. I have a list started and I must run to the fabric store. I need more thread for the current project. The trouble is, I haven't sewn in years and I am in a "new" sewing room that is tiny as all get out. I have a ton of thread so I assumed I had enough light pink for my dress. The fabric is a tweed-looking light pink and lavender that ravels (unravels?) like crazy. I decided to be clever and zigzag every piece before I start constructing the garment. I ran out of pink thread but, nothing is unraveling! Every time I go into the sewing room/office, the dress taunts me. I could be sewing right now if I had thread! Sigh!!! I really don't like starting another project before finishing one, so, no progress.

More dog fun

Yesterday we were sitting out front on our enclosed patio where the apricot tree is. We have a nice table and chair set with umbrella and the weather was perfect for lunch outside. The branches of the apricot tree are long and heavy with fruit so they are hanging about three feet off the patio decking. Our English Setter, Buck, decided the apricots looked good and were ready to eat (they aren't). He stood on the deck and stretched out his long white neck and tried to gingerly pluck an apricot off the tree with his lips and teeth. He is so gentle and careful. He couldn't quite reach the lowest apricot so as he tried to grab it, the branch started bobbing and waving. He did not want to raise up on his hind legs to grab that green apricot. I started encouraging him to "get it, Buck, get it". It was hysterical watching him try to get an apricot that was just out of his reach. When I started my encouragement, our other dog, Bailey decided to get in on the act. She is smaller than Buck but she is a real get-it-done kind of girl. She got tired of his mealy mouth antics and jumped up in the air, grabbed an apricot and took off with it! Mr. Buck was left high and dry. He does better with the tomatoes that are just his height! Yes, he does pick tomatoes and eats them. He cracks me up!

I sewed most of the day yesterday making outfits for the two little granddaughters. It is a pattern I used over 25 years ago for my girls when they were this age. My daughter was supposed to go with me Friday to pick out the fabric but she forgot (oops!). I picked something out for them myself and hopefully my daughter will like what I got! It is fun to be sewing again.

Happy Father's Day to everyone out there!