mending sheers

I'm still not sure exactly how I managed it, but I managed to rip my floaty dress the first time out.   

The tear was right next to the seam - as in the fabric of one side sheered right off.  It took me a little while to figure out how to repair it so that it wouldn't show... 

Enter a fine mesh, nearly same color as my skin and very very close to the slip I wear under this dress.   I pinned everything back into the correct place and hand sewed along the seam and around the dots (I decided the transitional areas would show less than right through the dark patches)   I cut the edges of the mesh in a wiggly line to avoid any sharp transition that might help to give it away.

Which resulted in a fix that's nearly invisible on my hand and totally invisible on my back (which, of course, I don't have any new pictures of...  just trust me on this one)  But!  It held up all day!  Win!

The tale of a patch-over

This is the story of an avid sports-fan, and a pair of Boston to Philly transplants.

Somehow or another, Papelbon moved from the Red Socks Sox to the Phillies.(I was pleased that I knew it was baseball.  The specifics of the transfer are beyond me).   M, our plucky fan, had made the same move and decided her favorite shirt could live on! She asked me to help her patch the Phillies logo over the Red Socks Sox, brought them both over -- and they sat in my closet for about a year.   

The other night, we actually got down to it -- its hard to see in this picture, but there is a chalk outline around the Phillies logo that traces the curves of the words - we decided it would be more interesting than a straight rectangle.   After that it was just a matter of zig-zaging over the chalk and trimming off he excess green fabric.

The whole process took less than an hour  and resulted in a very happy sports fan.  Also a discussions of motorcycle gang patch overs.  It seems there is an etiquette to such things.  All to the music of Mr. Nimoy.

The internet is a wondrous place

I did not make this.  I don't know where is it from.  However, it is glorious.  

I think it works best to the Bee Gees   (click on the picture, if none of this makes sense)

Dressed Up Practicallity

As you may recall, a few weeks ago I was planning on making this dress - V8319 for summer work events when I needed to be dressed up, but wanted something cool and comfortable.... (this last bit is about to be key)

 I started muslining it up - it was getting close (there are still tons of pulls and wrinkles and I'm a crazy obsessive) but I found it really wasn't comfortable sitting down.   There is a reason I almost never wear straight skirts - I fidget like mad and prefer my clothes to accommodate me.   Then I also realized, it really looked better with heels -  and I wear heels *maybe* once a year.   And even then its rarely for the whole day.  Clearly, this was not a sensible option.   So, I decided to make a fancy shirt that would go with the pants I already have (which happen to look just lovely and totally professional with flats) that I could wear in the summer and still be able to fidget and climb and get strangers to take me seriously, provided they haven't caught me hopping over things.


So, the current plan it a modification of the Next Big Thing Dress, from Twinkle Sews.   I was very taken with Very Prairie's version (abeit, a dress) and have had it bopping around in my head for years now.

I still need to muck around with the waist band - the original is elastic and getting this thing over my head and chest is a bit of an operation as it is - I think I might sneak in a center back zipper to make getting dressed a bit easier. 

I'm still not sure how I'm going to wear a bra with it... the neckline is rather open and visible straps won't do,   and I'm just not a fan of strapless (shooting myself in the foot perhaps, but c'est la vie) so... we shall see.   However, me thinks I'll just suck it up.

Final Me-Made-May-13 round-up

Day 22: refashioned dress!  (it used to be a wrap skirt)

Day 23: the dress! (also, rain was coming)

Day 24: Shirt and capris!

Day 25: dress!

Day 26: dress!

day 27: same outfit as the 24th (efficiency in packing) this time with the jacket shown

Day 28: cold and rainy and a shock after Atlanta (me made jacket and lace shirt)

Day 29: a shock in the other direction and a 20 degree temperature shift (me-made dress)

Day 30: context: imagine the rake is a pitchfork and you are a mad scientest bent on evil deeds.

me-made dress!

Day 31:  exhausted:

ladybug dress again.  (theme day: red!)

And with this.... we go back to sewing!

Ladybug Dress - V8727

After a remarkable mess of a project, here we have the complete ladybug dress.  However - this is after buying more fabric and completely remaking the bodice. I'm tempted to make the first incarnation of this dress a PSA on fitting while distracted. 

Friends don't let friends ruin their fabric.

However, ruin it I did.  (late April/ early May where a bit of a mess, hence the constant screw ups.)  I forgot to add an FBA and the bust line was about an inch or so above where it ought to be, resulting in pulls and drag lines and a generally awkward fit.  I'm afraid I didn't get pictures (Afraid. Hah. It was just bad.  Use your imagination.)

A is what I wanted, and eventually did.  B is the screw up.

Anyhow, after getting my head screwed back on, and getting an extra yard of fabric, I redid and refit the bodice (which is V8727, with the skirt from M5292, as usual) for the current incarnation.  Anyhow, I thoroughly recommend the pattern.  Once I stopped being an idiot it was easy to fit, comfortable to wear and generally flattering.

pretend I'm making a better face - this is the only one that shows the back 

As requested: a close up of the fabric.   (Most of the wispy bits that look like dust or fur are actually black printed on black.  Messes with my head something fierce.)

ladybugs!

In which I am given saris!

The ever glorious, often demure and generally lady-like Anju recently told me her mother was planning on cleaning out her (the mother's) closet -- and was getting rid of saris.   I don't recall if she brought this up to offer them to me or just as a bit of news that was going on, but I immediately offered myself as a receptacle for any such garments her mother no longer wanted.  

Last night I got my grubby mitts on them, and I couldn't be more pleased.   (If you will believe it, I got a text a few days ago asking if it was 'okay' if they were silk.  I know.   Somehow...somehow, I think I will manage)  There are three - the first is a thicker, two tone blue with gold embroidery.  As with most saris (I say this like I knew ahead of time) the end which gets thrown over the shoulder has extra decoration.  Creativity will be required when deciding what to do with them. 

The second is a much lighter weight silk - more what I would expect a blouse to be made of.   This one is moss green with cream and brown.   There is about 2 yards of material in each sari (~6") so this one may end up as several shirts...  although I could also see a fancy summer dress.   I don't know....

And then there is this wacky one -- not only is it bottle green and hot pink, it refuses to rotate to the correct orientation no matter what I do to it.   I have absolutely no idea what I will do with it, however, I imagine someday it will be perfect for something.  Its too crazy not to be.

Thank you Anju and Anju's Mom!