Quick Post

I made this indigo-colored batik dress earlier this year and didn't take any photos of me wearing it until today. It's crazy and wild, and I am (happily) reminded of stained neurons when I wear it.




I don't even know where I'd wear it. Oh, and for the image below, a separate skirt is peeking out from the bottom. I discovered that the skirt's stiffness allows it to act a little like crinoline and poof out the dress just a tad.

If I could, I would...

If only I could get my hands on an outrageous amount of black tulle and black silk dupioni--I know just the type of evening dress to make.

I have not sketched my idea yet, but imagine the combination of--if this combination is really fusible--Grace Kelly and the vamp (the seductress, not the vampire, although current fads indicate that vampires are seductive).

I would say that I could save this idea for my future, future wedding dress, but the idea wouldn't translate well with white, cream, or pale fabric. Black it must be. Oh well, maybe one day.

I'll just dream until then.

Going Grecian

Well, it seems as if I haven't done much since my dress, but I actually have been diligent with my scheduled sewing projects. I just finished cutting out my material for a spring/summer jacket using McCalls 5525. The muslin fit perfectly (what a relief)! I anticipate its completion in the next few weeks unless I do a couple of all day sewing spurts and get it done in just days--

--Or a day. From start to finish, this project took me just a day:

Butterick 5130

It's a little short for my liking. The angle of the photo creates the illusion that it's longer than it is. If I were going to the beach, I wouldn't mind wearing this as-is; but for the normal days where I don't have grainy particles of sandy massaging the soles of my feet and wriggling their way through the spaces between my toes or the salty sea breeze whipping through my hair, I plan on wearing this as a tunic.

I love this Grecian "Muse" (as titled on the pattern envelope) style. I've seen pictures of another sewer's own variation with a band of elastic running across the waist. I liked that, too, so I might give that extra band a try. What should my next color be? Gray? Black? Something wonderfully colorful?

The Organza Dress from Hell

If I didn't love the final product so much, I probably would have had a bonfire to burn it. This dress's pattern, Simplicity 2692, gave me so many problems, many of which I've already spewed out on Pattern Review and can be read here. Once was enough to relive the memories of my sewing and alteration process and reiterate my frustrations, thank you very much.

This dress should have taken only one weekend to make--or so I had initially assumed when I had looked at the instructions and thought,"Wow! This will be so nice and easy!".




The gorgeous silk organza (which I didn't realize would also contribute to the reason that this specifically is the "Organza" dress from "Hell" and not just "The Dress from Hell") was the only reason that I was so determined to get this pattern to work for me. It has a spray of deep purple flowers on a black background. It was another gift from my grandmother, so I'm not sure as to where she picked it up. The lining was from JoAnn's. The dress is actually lined twice in the top section: once to make the organza not see-through and the second time to make the smooth seams of the neckline and arm openings.