White and red ...

I finished the white dress this morning. It fits me better than Vera and I'm beginning to realise how useless she is. If I can talk someone in to helping me, I think I need a duct tape dummy. Overall, I'm happy with this dress. The seaming all matches and I'm very pleased with my work. As I mentioned yesterday, I ignored the instructions and did this my way, resulting in perfect machine inserted lining and not one stitch of handsewing. Of course, that's not including my embroidery and beading. Despite all the wrinkles on Vera, it actually fits me pretty well. I cut a straight size 10, with no alterations, so it's surprising it fits so well. After a wash and a press, this will probably go into rotation as a work dress. It doesn't have the 'sexy' I was after.

Here's a close up of the bodice. I had actually planned a detailed red and black design based on a piece of traditional art from the Gitskan people of the Pacific Northwest (USA). My inspiration was this frog image. I absolutely love art from this region and I even had a wedding ring carved in a design of this style (a wolf).

On Friday I was looking through an old BWOF (I think May 08) for a dress pattern and I saw an article about sashiko. It showed a blue on white checked design in simple running stitch and in that instant I changed my mind. I drove down to Moo Moo Stitches with an image of a pearlescent thread and lo and behold, they had exactly what I wanted. While I was waiting to pay, I noticed a clearance bin full of beads. There was one lonely vial white opalescent beads. This design was born.

So, what did I learn in making this dress? My hips are higher and squarer than normal people. My sewing room is dirtier than I think. If you plan to make a garment with stretch fabric, then muslin it with stretch fabric (it's too big). Cap sleeves do not suit me. I still love sateen.

Disappointed that I didn't get 'sexy', I started on this.

It's Vogue 2899 ( well, part of the front anyway) that I've had in my queue for just over a year and is proof that I am barking mad. I need one more dress to finish my SWAP. I had planned a black tropical wool dress from a pattern that is muslined and ready to go. With a month to go, I have four garments to finish both mine and Grant's SWAPs. It's lunacy that I am substituting a completely unfitted and very complicated dress.

This lightweight red rayon jersey was bought for $1.95 a yard from Fabric.com recently. You'll probably see Kathi make something in this same fabric soon, as we seem to keep buying the same fabrics. I'd originally planned a wrap dress for summer but as often happens with me, the fabric and the pattern were near each other and I was looking for something 'sexy' and it just sorta happened. Given what I said earlier about my high square hips, perhaps I should not be making a dress with gathers in that very area, but we've already established that I'm nuts. To make matters worse, I decided just now that I would like to wear this on Thursday night as I'm going to Brisbane to see Lyle Lovett. We shall see.

Apropos of nothing, this is my new favourite notion. I bought this about a year ago at Lincraft in Brisbane (which I think has gone now) and only just used it this week. The worst part about jeans making for me is the belt loops. If you can turn a stiff denim tube, I'd like to know how you do it. I usually overlock one side and fold the fabric into thirds, then topstitch. With this stuff, I overlocked on side as usual, then fold the raw side in one third. I ironed this tape on, then peeled off the paper, folded the other side down and pressed. Perfect! I have seen someone make beltloops faced with a different fabric (the same as he used for the pockets). I think it was Brian of Brian Sews. Next time I make jeans I will try that. It's time for dinner and then I might just make it back down to my sewing room to work on that dress.