I knew it.

I just knew I would end up making this dress. For months now I've tried to kid myself into thinking I'd found the perfect off the rack dress. A friend at work assured me that in the Ukraine it is bad luck to make your own dress. I was just waiting for it to go on sale. It would be so nice to put my energy into everything else that planning a party for 200 people would require.

But there was always that nag of doubt. I knew what I wanted, and the only way I'd get it was to go handmade. Everything else in the wedding is going to be homemade chic, so why not just make the dress I want?

The Big Picture

The inspirations for this wedding are going to lend to some pretty awesome fashion moments, and I think it will help my sanity to record all this on blog. For instance:

I ask Darling what he envisions his attire for the wedding to be. He brings me this picture:

The one to the left, he says.


I smile.


I Google.


I counter with this picture:

(btw: sorry these photos are not credited, I googled them again and couldn't find the sites)

He smiles.

Ok.

This should be fun.


The opinions on my dress? We've found a few inspirations:

celebritybrideguide.com

Offbeatbride.com

fashionology.com

I am trying to imagine what kind of frankenpattern I can come up with. Any opinions and pattern suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


The girls' dresses will be silk painted at the bottom, all in white silk, each dress different for each girl.

Let the games begin.

B+

I am still battling it out with this dress, but we're in negotiations for a treaty. Hopefully you'll have photos soon.

Do you ever feel like no matter how great the outside looks, that the inside of your garment still looks like a school project? What does it take to make a pretty wrong side?

Lemonade

Butterick 4985. At the risk of sounding whiny, I will delve into the drama that is B4985. I knew I was in trouble when the pattern instructions were mysteriously missing- there were only pattern pieces in the envelope. No problem. Then I realized my pattern only went up to size 12 (I usually cut a 16 and taper.) No problem. I somehow lost inches between fitting the lower front panels and finishing them, so I had to improvise with loop buttons. I was forgiving to myself and used oval elastic as the loops. I will not even hate on the stripes not lining up. I love the Caroline Ingalls feel of it.

Then I realized the red tracing papers I used were permanent.

So it'll be cute under a vest.

Houston, we have a problem.

In all my sewing days (all 300 or so of them), I've never had a pokey dart.

Until now.

I'm showing the rear dart, but all of them are poking at least slightly.

And the problem is that it's in suede.


and it's already been topstitched.



And frankly, I'm afraid to go in and start messing with it.


Everything seemed fine when it was flat, but as soon as I connected the seams (this skirt has one long horizontalish seam that spirals around) and pulled it on... well- let's just say I know my butt is in need of a few laps, but it's not got corners yet. And the muslin was soooooooo perfect.

So I'm stalled. I have a good idea of how to fix it, thanks to the PR boards again, but I'm not too eager. I have doubts as to my ability to pull this off :( And my machine is not happy. I tried to use the Trusty White from my mom to do the seams in the suede, but it didn't even break the surface. My Viking D1 is proving to be as tough as it is pretty, but as all tough girls know, the tough need a break.

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In the eternal search for the AB bag fabric, I did come across some neat buttons that I would like to use for purse feet:

But no fabric yet. To be honest, I've read so much about the difficulties of the thick home dec fabric in the Weekender that I'm thinking I might just beef up some lightweight fabric with interfacing and go with it. I promised my machine a break after the leather, and I can't really find any home dec that I like. I'm thinking silk shantung. In chartreuse. With a baby blue liner.

or maybe I've just been looking at this dress (on PR) too long.

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I'm thinking about stash organization. Have you seen this flickr site?

Calling all Quilters

Please click here.
much lovE

Quote of the Day

"Honey! Bring me the pliers, the carpet knife, and the merlot!!"

oi. Fur.

Tie Me Up

If I ever finish with this tie I might not hang myself with it.

It seemed so simple at first- just a few folds, a little liner, hand stitch the folds together down the length....

I'm stuck on the damn liner. I can't seem to get it to turn properly. It looks straightforward enough, but I'm afraid I may have to cannibalize a few more of the old Snoopy ties from way back when DH actually wore shoes to work. Or my dad might have to settle for another scarf this year :)

And how's this for a nice pair?

Butterick 4945 view B and view C/D

My brother's girlfriend bakes- she's awesome! Check out this cake she sent with him to Thanksgiving dinner:

And from the way my brother was talking about cooking reality shows, I gather he spends alot of time with her in the kitchen.

I wonder if anyone will get my husband a sewing machine for Christmas now that I've got him talking about Project Runway to anyone who will listen :)