Vogue 8766

I freakin' LOVE this dress!!!  This might be my favorite thing I've made and I think I might be able to have some faith in it's ability to not fall apart because it's fully lined and I pinked all of the seams.  It will, however, wrinkle like crazy because it's cotton but maybe the garment steamer will help with that.

The dress is Vogue 8766 and I made View B (upper left corner) because I thought it would make a really cute sundress.  I was very curious about how the bottom ruffle was going to look (and I had my doubts), but I think it is so cute and it makes the dress unique.  Did I mention that I love this dress??

Note to self: don't be lazy; change back to the 50mm before taking pictures because otherwise the pics taken with the zoom look distorted and like the top half of my body is larger than the bottom half.  It's also because my husband is tall so the camera is angled down a bit.  A couple of the pics make me look like a bobblehead; not attractive!

ANYWAYS, this dress was actually very easy to make and pretty quick too.  I probably could have cut out the paper pattern, fabric, and put it together in a day, but I've learned that I need to take breaks or else the quality suffers.  I used a lightweight muslin for the lining to add a bit more structure and to ensure that you can't see through the fabric.

And that brings me to the fabric: I used quilting cotton.  Let me go off on a brief tangent in support of quilting cotton (because it gets a seriously bad reputation).  I knew that I wanted stripes and that I needed a stable fabric. I looked and looked for something that would work and I didn't have any luck.  I grudgingly wandered into the quilting section of Hancocks and low and behold I found THE fabric!  I loved the colors, the width of the stripes, everything...so I bought 2 yards and went on my merry way.  It's just another example of how much better the prints are on quilting cottons sometimes so it's hard to resist when you have a vision.  Let me just say that I was not disappointed and I think the fabric was the perfect choice for this project because it's a very fitted dress and it doesn't require any flowiness and drapiness (yes spellcheck, I see your close-minded, judgmental red lines under those words but I'm sticking with them!).  So back up off, you quilting cotton haters!  There is a time and place for it and I love my dress!!

My stripes matching was perfect on the sides and in the center front, but I didn't really even try to match in the back.  I also wanted to make the stripes horizontal on the sides and back because a) I didn't want to match stripes anymore and b) I wanted to add a bit more visual interest.  I didn't want to use horizontal on the entire dress because vertical stripes are more slimming.  If the stripes were wide, I'd probably think about going horizontal on the whole dress, but I am happy with how it turned out.

I got a bit creative with the way I lined this dress, and I think I made the right call.  The instructions have you underlining AND lining the dress and that just seemed a bit much.  It's supposed to be fitted and I worried that all that fabric would get bulky, but I was torn because there are certain aspects about each (lining and underlining) that I wanted to use.  So this is what I did: I put the bodice pieces together and the lining bodice pieces and I went ahead and attached them as if it was a full lining so that the neck and arm edges would be nice and finished.  I also under-stitched the lining to make it nice and crisp.  What I did NOT do ahead of time was make the darts; I waited until the two bodices were put together and then I made the darts through both layers (more like what you would do with underlining).  So basically I made a hybrid of underlining and lining by taking the properties of each that I like.  for the skirt I just underlined with the muslin and then made the darts (so no additional separate lining).  I am very happy with the results because there isn't any excess bulk around the middle from too many layers.

The dress looked really cute before I added the ruffle, so I knew if I didn't like it I could always remove it and still have something I liked.  But thankfully I really do like the ruffle!  And it's twirly!  To gather the ruffle, I tried using 3 rows of gathering stitches as opposed to 2 and I am really happy with the way it looks.  I forgot where I read that tip (I'd like to give credit where credit is due), but it was a really good one!  The 3 rows really helps make the gathers more even, so I think that is something I will always do (unless I get lazy and use the gathering foot which has kind of been letting me down lately; this method worked better).  I didn't really try to match the stripes because I knew with the gathering it would scrunch everything together anyway. (apparently spellcheck accepts the word "scrunch" which I'm pretty sure is a Southern version of squoosh or squish.  Oh..."squoosh" is the fake word, really spellcheck?  Whatever...)

I highly recommend this pattern because, I don't know if I made this clear, I love this dress!!  I wore it to dinner and bowling (seriously, I bowled in this dress) the other night and I got several compliments. I'm hoping I can add a cardigan or a denim jacket and wear it to work.

Vogue Patterns

I'm still here, I promise!  I was on vacation in Las Vegas last week (where I wore all me-made items, I might add!  Go me!  ...but I didn't get pics...so you can take the "go me" back now).  While I was there (and for this entire week basically) I was sick too.  Boo.  I haven't felt like doing ANYTHING. I have been the living embodiment of a couch potato and I am now caught up on so many shows that I would never choose to watch on the regular (and will regress back to that opinion now that I am better).  So I have nothing new to show, but I AM working on something that should be done in the next couple of days and I think it's going to be awesome!  I'm excited about it.

Anyhoozits, I was also on my iPad constantly which allowed me to catch up on some blogs, celebrity gossip (oh KStew, what have you done??  Oh yeah, I don't really care), and stalk pattern sites/fabric stores for sales.  And what did my eyes behold but the new Vogue patterns!  I literally saw them as they were being posted (that's how much I was on the internet); one second the "new patterns" were still the old patterns and the next thing I knew the new were now old and there was new new!  (...I may or may not still be on medication...you decide).

Here are some of the patterns I have added to my must-haves (i.e. add to stash and forget I have them):

Vogue 1317: Aside from the fact that their model is clearly afraid of heights, I love this dress!  I like the silhouette, the neckline, and the belt.  I really like it in red too and I could use more red in my wardrobe.

Vogue 1315:  Seriously, someone get that poor girl down from there! It's like the director is yelling random things like "pretend you're the Pixar lamp from their logo!" I think I like this pattern.  I'm not 100% on it, but it looks fairly simple and more than anything it looks comfortable.  If something is cute AND comfortable, the chance of me wearing it goes up like 247% (I haven't actually conducted any research about that, but I'll ballpark it).

Vogue 1314: Good God, now she's having an anxiety attack! Can we get her a Xanax?  I like this dress, but I realize it's not earth-shattering and innovative.  I don't think I already have a pattern like it though, so I will probably add it to my collection (if I call it a "collection" I feel more justified in buying patterns).

And now...for the "WTF Vogue??" patterns for Fall:

Vogue 1312: I didn't realize that Vogue designers were so into Halloween costumes.  I guess "witch-chic" will be all the rage this year.  It looks like she's in serious spell-conjuring position (or ya know, about to pop out a baby or something).  She looks kind of mad, maybe I should stop making fun of her now.

Vogue 1322: I don't know. I just don't know. I can't even think of anything humorous to say because I feel like this picture speaks plenty for itself.  I guess I'll be the one feeling like the joke when I see these women's sportsjacket capes everywhere; so practical for improve comedy cause it kind of makes you wonder if those are really her arms!  I'm really not 100% sure...

Vogue 8824: Vogue's interpretation of a Snuggie; it's a fitted (somewhat) blanket with pockets for the remote and some snacks.  Nice try with the boots, but this is a fleece mumu.

Vogue 8832: "This is the tale, of Captain Jack Sparrow. Pirate so brave, on the seven seas."  Now that song is stuck in my head.

Vogue 8838: You have to kill your own animal, but once you do that you'll have a pattern and you're good to go! (Is it just me, or did we just find Carmen Sandiego??)

Overall, more blah than awe. I'm not really that surprised and I look forward to these releases to laugh at the models as much as look at the patterns (seriously, why the awkwardness??) There were several other patterns that I liked parts of (like the skirt or the blouse but not the rest) but I'm pretty cheap and $3.99 adds up pretty quick.  Usually I limit myself to 5 patterns because that comes to roughly $20 without tax, so I plan to pick up a few at the next pattern sale.

Scrapped - Vogue 8728

Well it's happened: my first unfinished object (UFO, they ARE real!).  It's disappointing too because I've seen so many great versions of this dress on the internets.

I want to clarify that this has absolutely nothing to do with the pattern itself.  It didn't have too many pieces, the instructions were clear (although kind of odd because it's a vintage re-issue, but I just kind of did things my own way), and in theory I should have ended up with a cute new/old dress.

However, I learned something new from this experience: my machine is hungry.  It's hungry for jersey and it doesn't care who knows it!  I wish I knew exactly what this fabric actually is so that I can put it on my "do not ever ever ever buy this ever again...ever!" list (that I will most likely ignore if I see a cute print or an awesome color).  I found it in the remnant bin at Hancock Fabrics (their remnants are great; sometimes as much as 2 yards!), but the problem is they don't specify what the fabric is just that it's apparel fabric.  I know that it's some kind of jersey because it's a knit that's super stretchy and drapey, but this jersey is actually kind of heavy.  One side of it almost has a kind of sheen to it while the other side is a bit more dull.  Any ideas?  Probably polyester like 99% of the fabrics found at Joann and Hancocks.

Well whatever it is, my machine continued to feast on it again and again and again.  I had to take apart my machine 5 times and a couple of those times ended up making a hole in the fabric (which maaaaaaaybe had to do with my impatience and eventual tugging on it...oops...and maybe or maybe not while yelling...).  I did learn that my walking foot is pretty much a necessity with this fabric because any other foot I used just made the problem worse (i.e. gathering foot is a NO NO!), but there was no fooling my ravenous machine.  It had an unquenchable thirst for this stuff!

So I think I give up!  I may go back and try again after awhile (we need some time apart...maybe absence will make the heart grow fonder).  I also have a difficult time with things that are left unfinished and they kind of eat away at me cause I know they're there...staring at me...

Simplicity 2449

I made this skirt back in April, and I was really happy with how it turned out!  I saw this beautiful embroidered linen/rayon blend fabric at Joann Fabrics and I knew that it would make a great skirt.  It has a nice weight to it and it flows nicely while still giving it structure.  I love the color (I seem to gravitate towards blue fabrics, it seems). The pattern was described as "easy to sew" so it only took me a few hours to make, even as a beginner!

I made view E with the cute tie in the front.  The tie is actually sewn into the side seams and only shows in the front so it's not meant to be functional.  I accidentally sewed one of the ties a bit too high so when I folded over the casing it pulled the top of the tie over too, but it's not really noticeable if you don't know about it. The skirt has an elastic waistband so it's very easy to put together (once I learned the ol' attach-a-safety-pin-to-the-elastic-and-guide-it-through-the-casing trick; that one is brilliant!).

The weird thing is I can't really remember much about making this skirt other than the fact that it was very quick to put together.  I cut out the paper pattern, the fabric, and put the whole thing together during the day on a Saturday and then wore it to dinner that night!  That's my kind of project!  I don't think I had any significant issues with it at all; because the waist is elastic, I could make it as tight as I needed so I didn't have any fit issues even though I think I was still in my making-size-12 phase.  This skirt probably set me back on my discovery of a 12 being too big since I was able to make it fit so well and it didn't occur to me until just now that the elastic is the reason why...this is why talking it out helps!  Thanks guys!  Blogging rocks!  Probably would have helped me back in April, huh?

I think this might have been the project when I first learned about the concept of finishing seams (ya know, just that little detail.  No biggie or anything).  I pinked all of the seams because I could tell this fabric would fray if left raw, and it's holding together just fine.  At the time, this was definitely the best thing I had made and it looked the most professional.  People at work would ask me if I made it and then when I said yes they were actually surprised and were like "no you didn't!"  Uh, yeah...I did.

I think I might actually bring the hem up another inch or two so that it hits right above my knee and not at the spot where my calves start.  Seeing it in picture form really helps me to see that even though I own a mirror and never really noticed that before.

If I made it again with a similar fabric, I might consider adding a lining because it is a little bit scratchy.  It's not really that bad, but I can imagine how nice a lining might feel against my legs.  I'd like to make some of the other views of this pattern, especially the gathered version because that looks fun!

Completed - McCalls 6505

I posted about McCalls 6505 while in progress here and it is now complete.  Let me just start out by saying: I love this dress!  I need more occasions to actually wear it (or I guess I could just be super fancy around the house or shopping at Target).  Here is the pattern as a reminder:

I was having some issues with some bagginess in the front midsection because the front underlining is just one piece.  I wasn't sure how to fix it, so I tried ripping out the side seams and restitching them again but taking out significantly more from the front piece than the back.  I actually think it helped a lot!  It helped to give more definition in the waist as well so it was less sack-like (if you look at the picture, it definitely looks a little bit shapeless on the model, so if you decide to make this dress I'd think about carving a bit more out of the sides). I made a 6 and it fit everywhere else, so I think that's just how the pattern is.

Don't adjust your monitor: I really AM that pale and reflective.  You're also probably getting tired of seeing my sunroom, but it has the best light in the house (because of, you know, the sun.  In this room.  Which is a sun-room).  This dress came out exactly how I pictured in my mind!  And even better than that: it was easy!  I envisioned the potential disasters of working with lace, but honestly it was not that different from any other fabric (and it was easier than some; poly-spandex blend: I'm talking to you!).

In all honesty, I really didn't use the instructions because I found them overwhelming and confusing.  I also modified the pattern by not putting in a lining.  I knew that this dress was going to be worn in Las Vegas...in July...where it is currently 112 degrees, so the fewer layers the better.  The instructions also had you fully make the underlining/lining part first before ever attaching the lace, and that just seemed strange.  I thought that "underlining" meant a layer of fabric that is basted to the main fabric and then the two are used as one.  Am I wrong about that?  I would have also had to make the darts in each layer one at a time as opposed to making them to the underlining and lace at the same time (which is what I ended up doing and I think it made the process so much easier!).  I was a little lazy in some places with the underlining (i.e. folding over and stitching to finish the neckline and armhole edges as opposed to making a facing), but I knew that it would be concealed by the lace so it worked fine.

I used the selvedge edge of the lace as my trim around the neck, back, sleeves, and bottom hem.  It was actually really easy to attach the trim and it made it to where I didn't have to hem anything (even better).  I have a confession to make: I actually just pinked the bottom of the underlining fabric because it's covered by the lace trim and you can't see it.  Since I used the lace and underlining as one piece of fabric, I forgot to hem before sewing it all up.  It works though and I don't think it will fray too much.  There is also a 20 inch invisible zipper in the center back and it was surprisingly easy to put in as well.

Here's another confession: I could tell that the poly-shantung fabric I used as my underlining was going fray like mad, so I actually used my pinking shears to cut out the fabric.  I'm sure that's breaking like 23 different sewing rules and I might have my sewing card revoked or something, but it actually worked really well.  I didn't have any fraying issues at all, so it's something you might consider if you find yourself working with fabric that wants to fall apart.

I looked up lace dresses online and I saw that they are everywhere!  They are also mostly upwards of $100, so the fact that this dress cost me about $22 to make is just icing on the cake!  I think that means I should use the savings to go out and buy a new pair of shoes that I can actually walk farther than across my house in because as fabulous as these are, they HURT! This pretty much sums up what I think about them:

But they're so cute...maybe I'll try a different brand of cushy insoles even though I already have some in them and they aren't any more comfortable.  I'm wearing the dress though, even if I have to wear flip flops!  It's Vegas afterall; that city has seen it all!

Simplicity 2226

Back in April, I bought Simplicity 2226 at a pattern sale because I wanted to finally make a skirt I was happy with, and this pattern was part of the "Learn to Sew" collection (well yes, that is what I'd like to do thankyouverymuch).

I had no idea that Noodlehead hosted a sew-a-long of this exact pattern last November and that I could have found about a million examples of it on other blogs (along with trials, tribulations, and helpful hints).  Oh well, I'm not a cheater (just kidding; that's not cheating, I'm just bitter at missing out!).  I want to say though that these Learn to Sew patterns are really great for beginners such as myself because you really do learn quite a few new skills with each one (and hopefully you'll master at least one!  If you put together the fractional amounts that I mastered of each skill, I probably mastered like 1 and a 1/2 skills!)

I used a Lisette floral cotton fabric because I made this in April and I thought it seemed very "springy." This fabric wrinkles more than an 80 year-old woman who spent 8 hours a day every day of her life laying out and smoking cigarettes.  And drinking.  Lots of drinking, but never water.  That is how wrinkled this fabric gets just by my looking at it.  It is comfortable though and very cool in the hot Texas weather.

I learned a few more things with this pattern, which is good seeing as I was promised that I would "learn to sew" with this pattern.

Pockets!  I can put stuff in them!  Like...my hands!  (Have you ever noticed the abundance of patterns that are super pocket-happy?  There are like formal ball gowns with secret pockets in the seams.  Why??  I usually have a purse).  I had some frustrating times with pockets on the purse I made, but these were actually pretty easy after I figured out some of the sewing terminology (i.e. pocket vs. pocket facing, yoke, carrier, etc.  Just say what you mean!  Why the code words?  Is this a secret club?  Am I cool because I know these secret code words?).

My first zipper!  It is definitely far from perfect (I really didn't get the instructions that well, and now I am a total invisible zipper convert so I still don't know how to put one of these in), but it zips and keeps gravity from pants-ing (er, skirtsing?) me in public.  Score!  I ignored the hook and eye at the top because...I just did.  I learned so many other things; I didn't want to push it.  Do you believe that?  Me either.  I just didn't want to, ok!

This skirt started off a series of garments where I attempted to actually sew the size the pattern said I should.  It should not have been a series of garments; it should have only been this one, but I never said I was one to learn my lesson quickly.  Let's just say it was research and I was making sure that a 12 was too big through having more trials as proof.

Well...a 12 is too big.  You can't tell (which is a good thing), but I can see my feet by pulling my skirt away from my body.  I'd say it's like a good 3 to 4 inches out.  It's probably meant to sit closer to my true waist, but it's definitely a low-rise skirt, which I can't say isn't comfortable, but it's definitely too big.  Because it sits so low on my hips, I had to cut off a good 5 inches or so in length, and I could probably chop off some more but I want to be able to wear this to work.

All in all, I like it and it's a practical skirt that I've worn a few times. I'm sure I will continue to wear it in the future, but I might decide to make it shorter and not wear it to work; there is something about the length that I don't think I like now that I see it in pictures.  Hmmm...

Work in Progress - McCalls 6505

The husband, B, and I are going to Las Vegas in a week or so (this is my 6th time there; it's fun, don't judge) so I decided I wanted to make a "Vegas" dress.  Then I realized that a "Vegas" dress would probably involve feathers, 10-inch heels, and a 50 lb. headdress so I'll just say this is more like a "nice dinner in Vegas" dress.  Or since we're dining at Delmonico Steakhouse, "Emeril's dress." I had picked up McCalls 6505 at a pattern sale (oh, pattern sales...how I love you so) thinking "huh, I wonder when I'd ever wear this...oh well, it's only 99 cents!" and into my cart it went. Yes, I generally have to have a cart when I go to the fabric stores.  And there are many patterns that fall into the "it's only 99 cents" part of my logic, which when you think about it, can quickly add up to a large number when you put a lot of 99 centses together...let's just not think about that.

I have the basic shell of the dress put together, zipper and all, but now I have to add the scalloped sleeves, add the trim along the bottom, and do some tweeking to the overall fit.

Forgive the Instagram shot, but I only pull out the big camera for the finished product (because I am lazy and I hate loading pics onto my computer until I have a bunch of them to upload).  It looks pretty good on my dressform!  Sadly, my dressform has larger boobs than I do (seems kind of unfair, but thems the breaks), so when I put it on me I don't have quite the same...um...cup-filling.  I'm also annoyed that the area around the stomach poofs out because the front is all one piece with only side-boob darts (official terminology, I'm sure).  I may have to add some darts to the front, but I don't know if that would look bad?  I might just try to take more in on the sides instead.

I don't know who will actually see this, if anyone, but if you DO and you have some tips on how to get rid of the stomach-fabric pooling, I'd really appreciate it!  If I could alleviate that issue, then this dress will look awesome at our dinner!

Simplicity 2184 - Again

Jumping back to the past again, in March I had another go at Simplicity 2184 but opted for the full length this time for variety.

I bought fabric for it the same day I bought this pattern and the fabric for my first skirt, which was also the first time I had ever bought a pattern or fabric before.  My qualification for whether or not to purchase it was "ooooooo, pretty..." (although honestly, I can't really claim that things aren't still that way as I really don't know my fabrics all that well).  I saw this pink, flowery, crinkly fabric (I'm pretty sure that's the official term for this type of fabric: "crinkly."  You all know exactly what I'm talking about...just nod and smile).  It's certainly a beautiful fabric with a great flowyness (ok, spellcheck insists that is not a word; neither is "flowy" or "flowey" so just go with it), but it was definitely not easy to sew with and it frayed like mad!  (It's not crepe, chenille, chantilly, or chellis...ugh, what is this fabric called!  It starts with a C though, I think...and although I know how well I sold it, "crinkly" isn't actually a type of fabric.  Sorry to crush your spirit there).

I'm pretty meh about this skirt.  I did wear it to work once and got a lot of compliments and "you made thats???" (which of course I have to admit I like, although sometimes I wear things and people ask if I made it and I say yes, and then they tell me something like "seriously? I didn't really think you did I just thought I would ask since you sew." Then why ask??  Is that a compliment...? I think it's meant to be.  If I said "nope, not this one" what would the response be?  Seems like a set up for an awkward moment to me).

First of all, I wanted the skirt to go all the way to the floor, and clearly it doesn't (even with a narrow hem).  I'm 5'7" so I guess I should get used to adding an inch or two and if it's too long I can always shorten, but I can't lengthen (and I can't really shorten myself either, so that's out).  I can't remember what size I made, but I think I went with the same size as the first version of the skirt that was too small because clearly I learned that lesson so well the first time I decided to try it again assuming either I magically shrank or suddenly the size meant something different.  The fabric doesn't have any stretch to it either, so I ended up, once again, with a too tight skirt across the hips.  (Those damn hips).  I, once again, eeked out as much space as possible in my seam allowances, but I think the culprets in this skirt were the godets.

Yes, godets.  I learned what those were in the making of this skirt because there were like 50 of them (or 4, you decide which of those numbers is more accurate).  I learned that I kind of hate them and they are jerks (at least as a newby I really did...I haven't tried anything involving them again so I don't know if we can be friends yet).  Those are some tough little buggers to sew because of the odd way they come together at a point.  They also make pattern matching extremely difficult (but who am I kidding?  I didn't even try it anyway).

I also learned that this fabric is SHEER (is it crinkled gauze?  I seriously want to say challis, but I know that isn't right.  But it's see-through, crinkle fabric).  I had no clue how to line anything or even what to use, but I knew that I wanted it to be light and I knew we were coming up on summer in Texas (which runs from about March until December; it's like our only real season) so I didn't want anything too hot.  I went with a cotton muslin (still have no clue if that is the right choice) and I basically just traced the skirt laid out, cut double, sewed side seams and attached it when I attached the waistband.  Voila.  A serviceable lining by someone who had absolutely no clue what she was doing!

CHIFFON!!!  That's the word that has escaped me!  That's the fabric.  Well I feel better now.  I'm sure glad I didn't make too big of a deal out of remembering it...would be silly to make a mountain out of a molehill.  Yeah...

Two thoughts on this: what is up with the extra skin pooling at my elbows? Oh, 20's how I miss you and your skin elasticity.  Secondly, I need a wide brown woven leather belt.  That would really help this outfit.  As is, I'm just not feeling it and don't know if this will get much wear.  I do think it's a nice pattern though, even if my two attempts were not amazing (mostly due to my errors...and repeated errors, not the pattern itself).  Maybe I'll tackle it again because I really do want a maxi skirt that goes all the way to the floor.

4th of July Dress - Simplicity 2444

I feel like I've been living in the past on this blog so far (I mean, way back like 4 months ago when I was a wee sewing newbie as opposed to the vastly wiser sewing beginner that I am now).  So even though I have like a gajillion (more like 15) pre-blog projects to chronicle here, I thought I would show something I just completed so that you know how much better I have gotten and will hopefully continue reading this blog.  I'm better, I promise!  I make more than aprons and purses!

This pattern is everywhere!  I have seen so many completed versions of it and they are all beautiful!  I was inspired by Cynthia's version at Dapper Duds because it really caught my eye with the Chevron stripes and involved the right amount of "let-me-take-a-simple-pattern-and-make-my-life-more-difficult" that I seem to gravitate towards recently. (I did the same thing with the McCalls tank maxi dress that is everywhere because why make something that is only two pieces when you can turn it into 5 AND mess up and run out of fabric thus making it not a maxi but a mini?  Blog post coming eventually...)  I cut out a size 6 and I think that was probably the best choice because although it was a bit snug without a zipper (since it was all bias cut, it was just stretchy enough to wiggle into without one, SCORE!), I just made 3/8 seam allowances instead of 5/8 and it is fine so I think an 8 would have been a bit big.

Sidenote: I have really gone through quite a sizing journey over the last few months.  Packaging said I should be a 12, but after making a couple of things in that size I could have fit 2 of me in there, so I started using the finished measurements and usually fit somewhere between a 6 and an 8. I have a couple of things that fit at a 10, so really what I'm saying is I still have no idea about sizing.  Don't listen to me.  This was a wasted sidenote.

I found this fake silk fabric on clearance at Hancock Fabrics and I knew that this was the right project for the stripes (AND it could be patriotic!  Go USA!  Or whatever).

I really like the way this dress turned out and the pattern (if unmodified) seems like a really simple, tried-and-true dress that I will probably make again.  I butchered the hell out of it though and I didn't even use the instructions a single time (what a daredevil I am, taking so many risks) so I have no idea how clear they were.  I basically cut out each piece on a single layer, none of them on the fold, painstakingly trying to match the stripes to make the V shape, and then I immediately sewed each new piece as I went along.

I think I did a pretty good job (pat myself on the back).  I already knew after reading Cynthia's blog post that the darts and pleats kind of mess up the stripes, but I honestly had no idea how to plan for that so it is what it is.  It really doesn't bug me that much, especially since I was able to match pretty well everywhere else.  This fabric really didn't have very good long-term memory for pressing, so hemming was a beast.  I tried to do a blind hem, which is always kind of hit or miss for me anyway, and it didn't really turn out how I wanted it to, but I actually kind of like the contrast that I got along the bottom.  Am I crazy?  Does it not look good?  Am I just trying to convince myself that I like it so that I don't feel compelled to rip it out and try again (I must be doing a great job because I really think I like it!).  The one area I am not thrilled with is the neck because I made it into a V-neck (which I like!) and that made it more difficult to finish.  I used bias tape as a binding and it's a little wonky in spots, but maybe I should have drafted a facing?  I don't know.  I'm trying to ignore it.

I love how full the skirt is!  It also passes the spinning test and is very flowy (when I was little, I used to call dresses "stick out dresses" if I could spin and they would twirl nicely).  I really liked the fabric and aside from how easily it frayed it was easy to sew if I used a thin needle (80/11 as opposed to 90/14...I point this out because I am notorious for not thinking about those little details).  Cutting so many pieces on the bias also helped keep the fraying at bay.

I highly recommend this pattern!  It's so versatile because you make it as is or it provides a really good jumping-off point for other ideas.

Simplicity 2551

I was feeling pretty snarky (my mom's word; not sure if it's totally made up and unknown to 99% of the population) after the apron, but I still wanted an "easy" project.  I mean, I made a tote(ish) bag, an almost-fits-if-I-don't-eat skirt, and an oft-forgotten apron so I'm basically an expert at this point, right?  No dismal failures yet at least.

Why did I think a purse would be easy to make???  I still ask myself that question because when I think about making another purse, I kinda get a little twitchy at the idea.  When I realized that I could buy pre-quilted fabric, I don't think I took into account that the fabric still had to be constructed into something resembling a purse; it's not magic fabric.

Sidenote: I had never in my life heard of Vera Bradley, but I've been told that this bag is a knock-off of her stuff.  Of course, now I see her stores everywhere and it's like every one I know has something Vera Bradley (including my 11 year-old niece, she has TWO things), so that shows how observant I am of current trends (read: not).

I actually really like how the purse came out, and I can vouch for its functionality because I still use it (and I made it back in March).  I love the colors and the size (it fits everything!), but if I made it again I would definitely make some pockets for the inside as opposed to leaving it as one big open area.  I know there are pockets on the outside, but they are totally non-functional because of my inability to translate the pattern into English.

Which brings me to my point: this was NOT a beginner pattern!  I was definitely biting off more than I could chew with my limited skill set for sewing and there were times I wanted to throw the whole thing in the trash and make a trip out to the Coach outlet with my 20% coupon (LOVE!), but then I remembered that this pre-quilted fabric was like almost $20 per yard, so I persevered.

In my defense, even now if I go back and look at this pattern there are some things that don't make sense.  For example, I never see a time when they tell you to actually sew the pockets closed.  So they're not and if you put something in one of them, it will end up in the no-mans-land between the lining and the outer fabric. They also had me stitch down the front of the purse in order to attach the pocket to the purse, so that's not very attractive either (but it's the only thing that I can get out of the pattern instructions).

The other tricky area was the front pocket piping/pocket facing area, but I think that was my fault because I couldn't envision what the instructions were trying to tell me.  I've used piping more now and I think I know what happened there. I definitely like the detail though (and in this picture you can see one of the random lines going down the front of the bag. Weird).  Oh, ignore the fact that I couldn't make a straight line on the brown part; I'm much better now, I promise!

The lining is the main tricky issue with this purse and the first time I put it in, I put it in backwards so you could see all of the exposed seams as opposed to it looking nice and neat. And actually, I thought it was supposed to be that way for some reason until I actually saw it put together and thought a lot of words I won't say here on the internets (I'm a lady).  That was one of the points I wanted to scrap the whole thing, but after walking away for awhile and regrouping/pep-talking ("you are a strong, confident woman..."), I returned and ripped the lining out and put it in the correct way. (You can't see to the bottom, but I promise it looks amazing!  Maybe the most amazing bottom of a bag you've ever seen).

So in conclusion, I'm happy with it.  I use the crap out of it and have gotten some compliments.  I wouldn't want to set it next to a Vera Bradley, but if there isn't one around it could probably be mistaken for one...ya know, if someone forgot their glasses and is really squinting at it.