Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

I came theeees close to having both dresses done in time for the Karate awards dinner.



It only needed the zipper finishing and the bottom hem, but it just wasn't physically possible in time. I'm sensing a disturbing trend. I ended up wearing the galaxy dress instead, so all was not lost.

Boopina was super excited about her dress and was telling anyone who would listen that she made it.


Here she is in her "I don't yet know I'm Student of the Year" glow :) She's so awesome.

I finished her dress about an hour before we left. Here is an in process shot:
Notice all those little pieces? If you try this pattern, make sure you label them clearly. Trust me.
My machine suffered a mysterious, but thankfully brief, total loss of bobbin thread tension during the evening.

I tried everything. I actually took this picture to post a "help me" on the message boards, but when I tried my machine again an hour later it was fine. I am at a loss.

I'll finish up my dress and post reviews next week, sometime after I dig out of the filth that has become of my house.


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Because of the awards dinner dress making frenzy, I've been neglecting my quilting. I did manage to get a a real square made:

Or is that a block? I have to admit the quilting lingo escapes me. And I have no idea what kind of pattern this is - I just cut strips and pieced them in rows. I figure after I bore of this pattern I'll just mix in whatever else comes to mind. I'll have a few small quilts made before I get all the materials for the memorial quilt.

This quiltmaking thing is going to be an exercise in precision for me. Notice my uneven end strips? I'm usually a willy-nilly sewist, and this will be some much needed practice.

coming soon: a sewing backstory...