I was going to preface this post by saying,

“I don’t post many photos of PrincessH”

That was before I glanced at my last two blogs posts.  PrincessH is featured in both of them!  Tough luck readers.  Today you are getting not only a review of a baby outfit, but also a glance at why I think I am a pretty lucky Oma!

First off, the review.

Butterick 5439

Back view. See the gingham contrast?

 I am reviewing the jumper and the panties shorts.   I changed the panties to shorts…
The sizing is generous.  I am still getting used to sizing for infants!  (NB, S, M) and (L and XL)  For the Princess, I made a Medium which is supposed to fit 18 to 21 lbs.  She is, at 5 1/2 months, a touch over 17 pounds.  There is lots of room, and the shorts are pretty long.  It will certainly fit her for the rest of the summer!  Were I to make it again, I would size down one size.

Your fabric choice is, um, interesting!  Yup!  PrincessH is from a John Deere family, and I when I saw this fabric in Joann’s in May, I picked up a yard of two contrasting fabrics.  I haven’t seen this fabric anywhere in Canada.   The green gingham is leftovers from making curtains for the baby room.

Why this pattern?  I remember making this sort of dress for the girls when they were little.  They were cool on hot days, and looked so sweet.  So I had to have it! I am sure that I have the original from the 80’s around somewhere!

The front!

 How was the pattern?  Any issues? Easy and simple.  No closures.  No pleats, nothing to stump you! The trickiest part is putting it together so that the crossed parts are correct.  Just following the instructions and you won’t go wrong.   It calls for understitching which I changed to topstitching after pressing carefully so that it could be reversible.  I think it would be an easy outfit for an advanced beginner.  I also left out the rickrack as I didn’t have any on hand and wanted this done quickly.
The shorts were basic, if a little billowy.  I changed the hem from a casing and elastic  to a contrast binding and added a little tied pocket in the back for her credit card or cell phone (as if!!) I found the pocket pattern by googling “tied pocket” and scaled one that I found down a bit. 

The pocket and binding

Would you consider another version?   Yup.  This style would be cute in a toddler size for next year too! 

I also started out making this hat, but I decided in mid making that I wanted a different style so drafted my own.  ( see two posts ago) A tutorial is up for that this week.

PrincessH and I had a fashion shoot date while her mom and dad had a round of golf.  We both had a blast!  Being an Oma is so fun!  Play, pose for photos, nap, change diaper, and do it all over again! How hard is that?!
Her mom (my daughter Katelyn) and I are both shutter crazy and Hailey is very camera savy.  The middle photo is her “oh just give it to me and let me take a picture” pose!  Can  you tell that I can’t get enough of her adorable little feet..and face…and..

Clicking on the collage will enlarge it.

When I last left you, Kay and I were unwinding and sipping wine in the 9th floor common room of Les Studios Hotel, a residence hotel at the University of Montreal.  I highly recommend it for inexpensive tourist accomodations by the way.  Clean, neat with optional breakfast included, the only downfalls would be shared bathrooms (I think the duo rooms have private) and the low wattage light bulbs.  It is close to the Metro and Mount Royal and BiXi’s are right beside it. 

At 8:30am on Saturday, we all congregated to board the big yellow school bus to explore St Hubert Street. Some thought that early am was an ungodly time to start shopping, but as they say- the early bird catches the worm.  I had been up since 6 anyways and got a short run in and triedto find a geocache, so I was more than ready for fabric.

Kay and I, after some discussion, decided that we would be twins for a day… It just made it easier for people to find us!…

Here is a collage that spans the day from Madelaine Soie et Laine, Kelly taking a photo of Deepika’s  rear end back of her skirt so that she could remember the pattern, various street and shop pics, the latest fashion in rain head wear on Lynelle,  crepes in the market, and a random dress that I had to take a photo of (after assuring subject that I would not include her head)

click to see larger image

One of the highlights for me was in Madelaine’s when the owner(?)  who had been snapping photo’s of us, left, then came back….with an accordion player to serenade us!  How cute is that?!  I was speaking with one of the other owners, and she said that it had always been a dream of hers to have a busload of women who loved fabric come in and shop.  Quite honestly I know why it is a favorite place for Anne -Marie.  The selection is amazing, the quality outstanding, the prices reasonable and the staff are personable.  What else could you ask for?  Except they need to be in London!

I could go on all day about the stores we visited and the laughs we had.  We were a true “amoeba ” group- everyone was comfortable with shopping with anyone.  You might start off with a few fellow shoppers and two stores later, be a part of another group.  True comaradarie that!
We ended up in front of Couture Elle to catch the bus back at 5:30pm!  Even I didn’t think we could fabric shop for that long, but we did!  It was nice for the people who got tired that the Metro was close by and (if you weren’t a country bumpkin) you could just scoot back early.

We scooted back for another whirlwind preparation for dinner.  Those of you who were in Philly and looked at the “Rocky” stairs and didn’t attempt them would have been amazed to see the women in Montreal walk up the equivalent of 7 storey’s worth of stairs laden down with fabric to show and fabric to share! 
After a night of pizza, wine, fabric show and tell, pattern and fabric exchanging, pin cushion making and talking, everyone collapsed into bed. 

Everyone of course except for some of us who, once again needed to talk some more in the common room!

And on the seventh day they rested.  Only we didn’t !  Anne-Marie thoughtfully arranged a visit to the McCord Museum where we were lucky enough to see a large assortment of vintage garments up close and personal, as well as a amazing Cirque de Soleil exhibit.  Unfortunately, my camera said “batteries exhausted” !  As were we all! 

Sad goodbye’s and promises to visit each other were exchanged- boy it felt like we just said hello!- and Ivana, Sue and I were on our way home. 

Whew. 

Hey- want to do it again next weekend??!!…….

Till later,

Connie

I stated at the Pattern Review Montreal Weekend fabric show and tell that I purchased 21 metres of fabric.  Well, I was wrong!  It was 32.  I needed them all.  I did, I did!

I am writing a comprensive post on the weekend, but I feel like something quick and easy, so a fabric show it is.  I have taken the pictures with my dressform pincushion in it.  That way you can see the gauge of the fabric and see the lovely pincushion that I made too!

The first section are fabrics bought at Madeline Soie et Laine.  That store may be my favourite store of all time!  The selection was amazing.  There was everything from bamboo knits, to cotton to linen, to silk, to wool, to rainwear!  I will post interior photos when I post about the entire day.

Poly and linen burnout

The softest purple bamboo knit. A Jalie for sure!

Buckles too interesting to leave behind.

The cutest cotton for a bubble dress for Princess H

Taffeta for a Issy jacket.

Stretch linen. And it obviously wrinkles!

 This group is from Goodmans.  It is a dig and find it kind of store.  Looks like it gets job lots from Joseph Ribkoff.  He has used  alot of the  of black and white graphic print that was in the store.

Various knits for a "Kathryn Brenne" and Koos Van den Akker outfit!

A border knit destined to be the new Jalie dress.

A shot of the entire fabric piece

A beautiful piece of teal silk.

 I have been craving a lovely length of red wool double knit.   I got this at Couture Elle.

Stretch cotton

 This is a the solids area!  Funny, in Philly all I got were solid basics.  Here I went to town, so to speak, and only ended up with this lightweight white crinkle parachute type fabric, some black destined for yoga wear, and some great white Italian Garbardine from Carolyn.  She has determined that it wants to be a white pantsuit.  I’m not so sure yet!

Various solids.

Those are the fabrics.  I will rehash the weekend next.  Right now I need a book and a relax for a while. 

Before you go, here is another agricultural lesson.  There is an old adage that says ” 1st of July (or 4th if you are American), knee high corn.”  Meaning, of course, that by the first of July, the field corn (sweet corn is an entire other subject) should be growing well and knee high.   Sometimes you swear you can watch it grow!  Today is the 21st of June, and we decided to put a stick in the field to see how the growth rate is going.  These are photos from today.  It’s pretty obvious that we are well ahead of schedule.  I’ll show you a comparison photo in a day or two so that you can see for yourself how fast it grows.

I need a good night sleep, because a drive to Montreal and a weekend with 50 fabulous women is about to commence.  But I promised a review, and a review will be wrote. writ. written. published. What EVER.

So on to

Butterick 5495  – A Review

Butterick 5495

Spill what you know about the pattern description!  From the envelope -Loose-fitting tops A, B, C, D with front drape gathered into loop, dropped shoulder, seam details and stitched hems. A, B: sleeveless. C, D: short or long kimono type sleeves.  What I think it should say.  Close fitting tops A,B,C,D with front drape gathered and held with a loop of fabric.  A,B: sleeveless with length variations.  C,D 2 sleeve lengths – kimono or dolman styling.

Who should make this top.  I would rate it advanced beginner.  If you are savy about reading patterns, it is a quick and easy pattern.  Don’t make it if you are Apple shaped, but I think that it would suit any cup size.  Don’t quiz me on how to do a FBA on this one.  I don’t know and I don’t care.  Blame my cousin.  She went in for a breast reduction about 10 years ago and didn’t invite me or my sisters to share in her discards!

Fabric?  Well you should know that I made two versions of this.  Let’s call them Version A and Version B (I know, the depths of my wit and IQ are wondrous!)  The fabric for both came from Fabricland.  I waltzed into that store grabbing bolt after bolt.  “A metre of this, a metre of that, a metre- no wait, 1.5 please of that”  You know the way we fabric store mavens throw out amounts like we know what we are talking about.  Until we get home and realize that the pattern takes a mere metre of 160cm wide fabric, and all the knits that were so cheap were 115cm wide.  Live and learn! At least it gives you, the reader, a better idea of where the seaming of the pattern is! 
Version A used two differernt, but coordinating fabrics.  View B may look familiar, especially if you read my friend Kay’s blog .  We have been emailing back and forth so that this weekend, in Montreal, we don’t look like a fashion faux pas! 

What makes this pattern so interesting.  Glad you asked!  It is really just a variation of the old twist top, but with the fullness gathered in, not twisted. It is remarkably like a Knip Mode pattern that Melissa over at FherTrade made.  (I don’t get Knip Mode, but my mom is going to Holland next week and has promised to try to track down a copy.  We DO have Knip Modes from the 50’s and 60’s though.  I should dig those up…)   There has been some discussion that the top is too tight and too paunchy in the abdomen.  I don’t find it too tight,I rather like the way the upper bodice fits especially.  The pattern pieces do cause a moment of wonderment, but it all makes sense quickly.

There is no gaposis  in the front whatsoever. I will admit it is a bit blousonly (is that a word- or did I just muck up the spelling?)  but it makes me want to stand up straight and pull in my gut!  I measured the area that gets gathered up- I believe it was 13 inches that gets reduced to 2 by the fabric loop.

Do you have any caveats about the pattern?  As always, I lengthened it.  I am not too thrilled with the handling of the neckline facing.  It is just turned under. 

 That’s it.  no seam finishing, no interfacing, no nothing. But you know?  It works.  On a fast and dirty one hour top, I’m not complaining!

Thumbs up?  Thumbs down?   Up for sure.  Know your body type, grade up if needed, and you should be okay.  Will I make it again?  Well, I have two already , but I do have a winter white fabric that needs a home.

And the finished product.  Excuse the hair and lack of makeup.  It’s been a long day, starting in the barn this am at 6:30, lunching with my fabulous sisters, visiting my mom and dad, trying to golf in the pouring rain,and packing.

Wait- it's not quite perfect...

There!

Version 2, or "Oh Kay!"

Gathering in the bodice

Shoulder shot- just because!

My car is packed – to the rafters!  I’m off to Montreal tomorrow morning for the First Ever Pattern Review Weekend in Montreal.  We ,the organizing committee have pretty well written a book with our emailing back and forth!  I am excited to see old friends, meet new ones and see if that gorgeous Cirque de Soliel $150/metre solid encrusted fabric is still calling me…..
I will try to write a short post each night, but that depends on how much of the wine that Kay and I are each packing gets consumed!

I just finished making PrincessH a shitload (see the pun there?!) of diapers. 

Back when my babies were really babies, I also used cloth diapers.  They were pretty basic for me, but more advanced than what most people who used cloth were used to.  Instead of flat diapers that needed to be folded into shape, I made flannelette, hourglass shaped ones.  Some needed diaper pins, but by baby number 5, I had graduated to velcro.  The plastic pants were pretty fugly though, weren’t they!

Fast forward to 2010, one almost requires a PHD in diaper making to manouver around …..Terminology- CD – clothdiaper, AIO -all in one, PUL (Poli  Polyurath Polyurethane laminate (there.  I knew I’d get it!), lastin, aplix, pre-folds, contoured….Types a mind boggling assortment of WAHM (work at home mom’s), who all tout their own version of what seems to be the same basic pattern, free patterns, purchased patterns, websites with dimensions to use to draft your own…and Fabrics.  Don’t get me started on fabric!  Wool.  That PUL stuff . Fleece- the good stuff vs the “bad stuff”.  Organic Fleece.  Terry cloth.  Bamboo. Felted wool.  Breathable.  Non-breathable.  All the old teeshirts and sweatshirts you have hanging around. And there’s the entire discussion surrounding  different kinds of elastic, velco versus aplix versus snaps!

Breathing heavy here. Bending over at the waist.  Finger pointing up “just give me a minute here”…

Wow!

No wonder people use disposables!

Kidding aside, there is definitely an entire industry out there!

Mme Kate and I have been doing some investigative work of our own, trying to come up with the “perfect system” for Princess H.

We started with the Jalie Diaper.  We had to start somewhere, and as a loyal Jalie fan, it seemed like a logical starting point. And they have a great set of videos as a teaching tool.  Kudos!

I gathered a pile of PUL, Bamboo fleece, and ZORB (that is an entire post on its own- to come) and sewed. and sewed.  I purchased all that at Wazoodle,  a Canadian online store that specializes in diaper making supplies.  There have been some rumblings on the sewing blog circuit that their customer service is less than desirable.  I found them extremely easy to work with, although I did stress that I needed my order quickly.

We started with the three month size, pocket diapers, with inserts.  The inserts are Zorb covered with a variety of fabrics.  There was a bit of a discussion to be had with my serger, who balked at so many layers.  We compromised!

 The diapers turned out pretty darn good.  I’m not completely happy with the leg openings, as there tends to be a definite leakage problem.  So Kate and I did some thinking and for the next set, we are adding these alterations.
1.  adding an interior gusset with elastic a la disposable diapers.
2.  putting the “opening” in the middle of the diaper instead of the top. Supposedly, the inserts will come out in the laundry that way.  We will see!
3. Using fold over elastic.  (FOE) I have a  lot from an online source – also Canadian!

The kid is pretty well set for the time being though. 

Fabricwise, I also got some PUL ish type fabric- pink with quarter sized dots, off of Etsy, some leftover waterproof fabric from Malden Mills (red) and a few yards of PUL from Joann’s when I was in the States.  Lots of new stuff to try out. 

Here are some photos of the diapers, in construction mode and finished.  Pics of diapers adorning PrincessH’s bum will have to wait- her face is just so darn cute that we forget about diaper photos!

So long anticipated, so quickly over! The Pattern Review Philly weekend is over – insert sad face here!  It was such a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones.  My blogroll, which is 90% made up of sewing friends whom I have met in person, is overflowing! 
Highlights for the weekend for me included…
1.  Driving down with Geralyn.  We met  for the first time  on a lonely road in rural New York State, and talked non stop for about five hours!  I likely should have been a titch worried when she suddenly pulled out a pair of scissors, but they were a very thoughtful gift for me in return for driving her!  The scissors are made where she lives, so I will definitely be thinking of her every time I use them.
2.  I got to stay with Karen, who, since we met for the first time in 2006, has become a good friend.  We always start up our conversations right where we left off!  As an added bonus, she has a sweet boyfriend who thinks that I look like Kristen Wiig. 

Yup. Mario is now on my fave guy list!
 

3.  Amazing women.  Did I mention amazing women?  Wonderful, talented, friendly women?  Women with diverse backgrounds who come together for  a weekend of comaradarie, laughing, talking, learning and shopping?  Our Friday night dinner sounded like we were, as my husband often said of our daughters, sounding like “a gaggle of giggling girls”! 

4.  Kenneth King.  Irreverant, intellectual and immensely talented.  The workshop was oh so fun! My camera hated the lighting in this room.  Either that, or the fact that the first thing I did in Philly was drop my camera in the parking lot….

5.  The hand on eyes glued on, up close and personal, access to some vintage pieces was wonderful.  Even if one was not interested in vintage (I am though!),  seeing couture work was great.  It was interesting to see the construction details- some of them oh so simple.
 

6.  Meeting over 50 women with similar interests. Oh wait.  I said that!  Well, it needed saying again!

7.  Shopping, shopping, shopping.  Nuff said!  The customs guy at the border asked me what I did for a living when I told him how much fabric I bought!  My eyes were suffering from visual overload by the end of the day! 

8.  New inspiration and new ideas.  I am full of style and pattern ideas garnered from seeing what everyone else made.
 

9.  I finally realized that I am not nuts!  Now there’s a revelation.  Driving down Walnut (was it Walnut, Karen?) six of us were continually commenting on the clothing of tourists.  You know, this neckline, that hemline, that drape.  DeeDee commented that her daughter always said to her to stop staring so intently at people.  To a woman, we agreed that that had happened to us too!  We get so intent on looking at clothing details, that we don’t realize that we are staring.  So sue us!

10.  Reality shows!  At breakfast on Sunday, we decided that there should be a reality show based on us!  Call it Desperate HomeSewers.  Or American Sewers. or Sewers of Pattern Review.  Or something. 
…Picture this.  Women at airports, in cars, on trains.  Missed flights.  Falling asleep on the train and going to NYC by mistake.  Wrong turns. 
…..Fade to hotel shots.  Woman in the lobby frantically stitching a hem.  Women running up to one another-”I know you- that’s the Allyn dress”!  “You’ve got to be one of us- That’s BWOF Jan 09 #135, isn’t it?!”
….Cue to woman crying to camera…”I just knew her topstitching would be straighter than mine.  I can’t wear that jacket now” 
…Fade to two women giving sideways glances to try to figure out that origami collar. 
…Short clip of woman speed tracing a pattern in her hotel room, with envious eyes watching every move.    Serger fights.  Fabric store hair pulling over the last two metres – whoops=yards- on a bolt.  6 women in a lineup buying the same denim, determined to get those Jalie jeans as perfect  as “hers”.  We decided there would be no elimination though.  Additions yes, but only self eliminations.
Okay- it sounded hilarious on a Sunday morning after a long, fun weekend.  I won’t hold my breath on the networks calling though!

Yes it was a great weekend.  I met so many wonderful women, reconnected with old friends and padded my stash!  Thanks ladies, I had a blast!  To Karen, Lee, Annette, Andrea, Mimi and Elaine.  Pat yourselves on the back, and accept all the kudo’s coming your way.  They are very deserved!

The plan for my “free time” today was to clear the house of Christmas decorations. And I was getting somewhere on the job- honest. Then, I took this ornament off of the tree.

A mitten, made by my talented – she puts me to shame!- sister-in-law, adorned with paper pieced tulips. That brought to mind my friend Rhonda and her husband Tony- they would love those tulips.  THEN, I thought (I know, I know.  My mind works in mysterious ways.  Even I am astounded at the circular route it takes!) Anyways, I thought of a Twitter message  whoops can’t say that- I swore off Twitter didn’t I!   I was reminded of an  email that I recieved ( I get them both ways!)  from Sew,what’s new.com about sewing a wristlet pincushion.    I am on a pincushion craze right now. I also can’t understand why I can never ever, ever find any straight pins in this house.  Do the cats eat them?  Hope not!  That, however,  is another story altogether.

Back to this story.  I decided to meld the two ideas together and came up with this uber cute little thing…

After reading the directions from the website,  and making my own wristcushion as a prototype, I decided that a few alterations to the pattern would make this a “make in 15 minutes” little project.  Assuming of course that you don’t have to draft a paperpieced tulip while you are making supper.  And assuming that you don’t have to gather up all the cute little vintage pillowcase scraps left over from making starting a baby quilt.  And assuming you don’t look at the quilt blocks and decide to sew up just  a few more sashing pieces.  Then screwing up because the last row didn’t need sashing.  Then…

To make a long story short(er), this project actually got done! 

A quick rundown on what I did. 

1.  Cut a  rectangle of fabric- or do what I did and embellish with other fabrics. Mine was 4 inches by 14 inches.  The tutorial that is on the website above suggests 5 by 15.  Do whatever you want!  I won’t be looking over your shoulder!

2.  Fold in half lengthwise and stitch across one end and down the long side. 

3.  Turn and press.  

4.  Find  the center.  Measure out 1.5 inches each way from the centre and mark.  Stitch across ONE of these lines.

5.  Stuff.  I used clipping from Kate’s diapers- not HERS, but you get the idea.  ( and also not done!) Bamboo fleece and absorbant liner stuff.  It was handy and actually in the garbage can, but it looked like it would work!   If you are picky about what you use, feel free to use emery, steel wool, pencil shavings  or whatever is right for you.  Me, I am not that picky!
Stuff it pretty tightly, and pack it in so that you can stitch across the other marked line.

6.Make sure it fits your wrist, and add the velcro.  Best to use your noggin when figuring out where the loop and hook parts go.  Elsewise you will be “frogging it “ for sure!

A close of  the tulip.  Please ignore the unmatched spots.  I was trying to hurry!  There are some colour issues with this photo for sure!

And on my wrist.

No more pins lying in wait for unsuspecting male feet to step on.  Well, in theory anyways!  It will be in the mail to my good friend, as soon as I find her address! 

It’s a good thing that I am taking the tree down.  I found a present that I forgot to give,  hanging on a  branch in a Nash Jeweller’s bag.  Young Miss Leah didn’t make it home from Alberta for Christmas, so I gave her presents when I was out there for her birthday, and sent some in the mail AND gave some to her boyfriend to take back.  But I forgot this one.  A sweet little bracelet made out of a fork.  As an added bonus, I was supporting a local artist.  Apparently these were hot, hot, hot in the London area this season.  So Leah, if I can’t get it to your boy before he returns, get ready to visit your favourite post office!

Time to get back to the Christmas Tree the dismantling of anything remotely Christmas themed!

Picture this.

It’s wedding day morning at the Bontje household.  7:30 am

The hairstylist is here (Krista rocks!).  Micaela is trying on her dress one last time, as I wanted to check the fit at the back one last time before I handstitched the lining down.  The fit was pefect- then I saw it….

The zipper had separated!!  Ahh the horror. Aughh the look of fear and dismay on my face  when I mentally went through my invisible zipper stash in my head and realized that there was not an ivory or white invisible zipper to be had! 

Served me right really – using an generic brand, Fabricland zipper.

I was on tenterhooks till the fabric store opened at 9:30.  In fact, I was waiting in front of the door 10 minutes early, with my hair already in wedding state, in case they happened to see me there with my hand on the doorknob, ready to sprint to the zipper section.

There was one other woman waiting as well.  We struck up a conversation, compared family, sewing, and it was then that I found out that she owns a brick and mortar as well as an online fabric store!  One that I never knew existed- less than 20 minutes from my house. I promised her that I would visit her, and review her shop here and on PatternReview, threw opent the door of the store, grabbed 4 invisible zippers, and ran to the checkout.  My 18 minute drive home was consumed with reviewing all the steps I needed to do to quickly insert the zipper.

By 10:30 it was done!  Whew, disaster averted and the bride looked radiant.

Wedding Day story #2

We are ready to go to the church.  It just so happens that August 15 was also the day of our community’s townwide garage sale.  One we never missed until this year.  I jokingly suggested that since they had a few minutes to spare, they take some “bride goes garage sale-ing on her wedding day” photos.  The photographer was game so off we went. 

It was at their very first stop that a very humerous event occured.  This is so indicative of things that happen to our Micaela.  Every always turns out right in “Micaelaland”!

 Micaela had decided she didn’t want a veil.  She had an adorable headband and her hair was up and looking gorgeous.  Someone happened to see a veil hanging up and she decided to try it on for a funny photo.  It was a beautiful veil!  “Mommy, will you buy it for me?” Micaela questioned.  Now how can you say no to a one dollar purchase!  We gave the guy a five, waved off the change and charged back to the cars eagerly looking forward to the rest of a perfect day!  Oh by the way, it also happened to be the very same place where we bought twinkle lights to decorate the tent with at the previous years garage sale!  We left the female owner of the house with tears of joy in her eyes.

So.  I leave you with 2 questions.

1. Which brand of zipper do you trust your life- not to mention your Wedding Dress- on?

2.  Do you have any Wedding Day humerous stories to share?

By the way, the rest of the day was magical!  I will share more when I get photographers photos back.  And now it is time to be excited for me as this is the first time in 2 years that I have not been in Wedding Mode!  It was all so worth it.  Baby Mode is looming on the horizon!

Some photo’s….
Review of the yellow dress to come. any guesses as to which current Vogue pattern it is?

My Lord, I sound like a broken record!  Some day I will be blogging about more than wedding sewing!  I really love making fancy dresses though!  In my secret of secret minds, my career involves making Mothers of the Bride/Groom look beautiful!

You may remember Likely you forget the fabric that I chose for the next (and I have been promised that it will be the last for a while!) Mother of the Bride gown.  It is a lovely silk burnout fabric, very sheer, with flowers in shades of  red/green/pink and black .  You will see it in the following pictures, so I won’t show it here.
I got it off of Ebay last year for a scandoulously cheap price.  I was afraid that it was not silk, but a burn test proved that it was indeed silk and not polyester “silky” fabric.  The old buyer beware adage always comes into play with online purchases doesn’t it?  This time I was lucky.

I have decided not to use Vogue 8556.   
 

I mocked up this pattern in some black and white poly and decided it added undesired bulk on my torso (read- I felt fat in it!)  The bodice was drafted too large for my boob size, and the transition between the ruched waist and the bodice didn’t translate well to my kinda pear shaped figure.  Better to leave this one to large chested, tiny waist women!
There were a few aspects that I really liked in this dress too though.  I will be dragging them over to the  Take Three dress. 
1.  the curved “halter” neck piece
2.  the back strap which I find strangely sexy!

I did some research, and found this pattern which, surprisingly, has only been reviewed once on PatternReview.  Vogue 2847 (LindsayT and EricaB – That to me is one of the good things about posting a review on PR.  You can do a search in one place, instead of trying vainly to remember who made a certain outfit, then trying to find it in their blog archives.) Look up digress in the dictionary.  There is a honking big photo of me right beside the definition!

For my rendition, I am taking the skirt portion, and drafting my own bodice for the top.  Ruched bodice, contrast halter neck band, and the back straps from the other Vogue dress.  I thought that neckband, coming down in a V was an original thought, but then I was at the Burda site and saw this dress, which has the same sort of neckline treatment going on.  I drafted my neck band from scratch – scout’s honour!  Huhnh – so much for originality!
Here it is pinned on the dressform.  So far I like what I am doing with it.  It is by no means near completion, but is coming together in a good way.  I have done a lot of ruched work in the past two years, but never for myself.  My next post will show how I did the ruching on this bodice.   
 

Todays Postscript…. 
It was another beautiful day in the neighbourhood today.  We worked on the yard, cutting down some large evergreens that were blocking the view of the house, and did some very overdue trim work on the yard.  My gardens are dreadfully neglected this year!

When Miss Micaela was first thinking about wedding dresses, she fell in love with a dress.  A Pronovias dress if I recall correctly.  Ah yes, here it is. 

 She decided against it, after traipsing all over Toronto with a carload of friends, but we liked the bodice idea so much that it became the inspiration for her bridesmaid dress for Miss Erica’s wedding. 
The dress is pretty well done- just needs the zipper and hem, but I have been agonizing over the flowers on the bodice. 
There needs to be 7 of them, all around the empire bodice, and they need to be about 6 or 7 inches in diameter!    The ones I did for the tutorial earlier, while perfect for Erica’s dress, are too small and perfect for Mic’s.  I tried freeforming some, with “Njeh” results.  I just couldn’t get the look I was going for.  It actually looks not too bad in the photo, but they were just not as dense and reallife as I wanted.  As well, silk organza does not come in a colour anywhere near deep eggplant,  and neither does any dye so I had to frankenstein a colour.  I  made up 7 of them, using up all the silk organza I had on hand and they would do.  Scuffing feet in the dirt saying “yeah sure, if you want to get kicked off of Project Runway they would do”!!

Enter this months issue of Threads.  I don’t have a subscription for the magazine, but lately I have found myself really getting a lot out of the articles.   Flipping through the latest issue, what did I find but an article on fabric flower making- and gorgeous ones at that!  Here is a 5 minute trial version of the flower I put together this morning using some poly organza in completely the wrong colour.  Picture it in silk organza and in the right shade.  Love it, LOVE IT!! 

Cursing myself for using up all of my silk organza, I spent a few minutes, wasted 2 hours hoping I could find some fabric in what passes for fabric stores in London, Ont. (note to readers- London is NOT a fabric mecca.  If you visit me hoping to do some fabric shopping, we are heading to Toronto.  Or Montreal.  Or New York City!!)   There is no such fabric to be had for love nor money within 200 km of my sewing machine!  My little fingers sped over the computer keyboard, and while my credit card is a few more dollars closer to the credit limit, at least Dharma Trading will be happier.  I will be spending the next week or so stalking the mailman waiting for my new bolt of “flower making fabric” to make its’ appearance.  Meanwhile- on to zippers, hems, horsehair and beads!
For comparison here are the two off them together.  See how the centre looks filled in on the one on the right?  I may pull back a bit on the amount of gathering I do in the final one, and it will have to be larger, but all in all I am doing a happy dance.  I did the “cabbage rose” version, it anyone who has the magazine is wondering.  I am not doing a tutorial on it here, as that is not fair to a good publication, but if you are at all interested in the process, I can reccomend you getting this months issue of Threads.   
And, FiveBlondes, if you are looking for a birthday present for me, look no further!