Zelda, Have You Gained Weight?

I was so excited last night. I was putting the final stitches on the dress envisioning the finished product and sharing it with you today. As soon as I finished the hem, I put it on....and it swallowed me! It was so big! I couldn't understand. I'd worked so hard on the fit. Hubby talked me into putting it down, going to bed and waiting until morning to approach it fresh. He's so good to me.

After a couple of coffees, I check out the measurements and then I notice it. Zelda, my dress form, has gained weight. A lot of weight. She's maxed out. Zelda, what have you been eating? Or more likely, who's been "feeding" you? It turns out, a certain young man thought a growing Zelda was a real hoot! So, while he's been doing the dishes, I've been taking in over 1½ inches on each side seam.

I could just kick myself for not noticing it sooner. You can see the difference in just the neck setting in these two photos. The damage has been repaired to the dress. It fits much better--on me--now. I'm still very put out; so is young man. Hubby and daughter Anna are working very hard to be sympathetic to my plight and not laugh at the great joke--in my hearing. Tomorrow, when my ego is also repaired, I'll post pics of the completed dress/jacket . Happy sewing, all.

Happy Mother's Day!


A mother is a person who seein there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promply announces she never did care for pie. --Tenneva Jordan

Hope all you moms out there have a lovely mother's day.

New Patterns

When I was doing the lining for the dress Thursday, I had to go to Joann's to get more lining fabric. Darn. LOL As luck would have it, Simplicity patterns are on sale for $1.99--sale ends today, so hurry. I only came home with three:

#2930

I didn't realize until now that this is a multi-cup pattern--bonus! I haven't really been attracted to any of this Project Runway-inspired patterns, but I really like the necklines on this one.

#2977
I think that jacket is so cute! The top/dress is really nice, too. But that jacket may have to go on the do-soon list.

#2975

I'm not usually a fan of trapeze dresses. I'm afraid I look pregnant in them--not the fashion statement I'm looking for. However, something about this one is cute. Really. Maybe it's because it does taper in at the waist slightly and is also paired with a jacket giving a visual read of a waist. Anyway, Daughter Anna really likes it. It looks like a quick sew so it may be her dress for the wedding. I also have a couple of fun poly-charmeuse fabrics that would work with this--one for her, one for me. Win, win.

I also picked up some white eyelet thinking maybe a cute little summer jacket. I'm toying mentally with the 2977 jacket but there are some others in my files that may work, too. I'm fighting with a migraine, so I don't trust myself sewing right now. That's one of the nice things about having your personal pattern catalog -- a binder full of photocopies of all my patterns & Burdas. I just turn pages, dream and re-inspire myself.

Happy sewing, all, and happy shopping while those patterns are on sale!

p.s. The interfacing is also 50% off.

Not Just a Dress--It's an Ensemble

Now that the jacket's done, it's time to get the dress going. I decided to do the hard part first, fearing the stress of a time crunch if the jacket didn't go well. It's done and hanging in the closet waiting for its companion piece. Since it's an afternoon wedding, small church, smallish group, I thought maybe dupioni silk would be nice. Classic, not too dressy, not too informal. The weather here is pretty unpredictable in spring--sometimes really cool, sometimes the heat & humidity kick in early. The thin silk boucle jacket and a silk sheath dress will cover all bases nicely.

I chose the Simplicity 4118, view A without the pockets or hem flounce. This is one of the Threads patterns with the B-C-D cup sizing.

I started with the lining so it could serve as the muslin. Good thing--because it's wadded up in the trash. According the the pattern measurements and ease listed on the pattern pieces, the size 18-C should have fit. The pattern pieces fit Zelda on the pin fitting with the only adjustment appearing to be the dart placements at the side seams. In fabric, more flaws are found: the neck gapes, I over-stitched the length of the adjusted dart, and the center back seam doesn't even begin to meet even without the back shaping darts. Letting out the seams wasn't going to resovle everything, either.





So on to muslin/lining #2. I re-drew the neckline just slightly and it lays much better now. The second try is cut in a size 20 with ½ inch seams and all the vertical shaping darts in place. (They look better this time, too.) The side seam dart is shortened, moved a little lower and now rests better against the bust. The neckline on Zelda looks a little gappy in the picture but lays nicely on me, apparently I've got a little more padding there -too- than she does.

On to the dress fabric---- I got the dupioni silk at Fabric.com. It's a lovely color: not quite gold, but not a tan. A creamy wheat color with a luster. I tell ya, I had to take some deep breaths before cutting it. Most of my fabrics cost much less--I love sales. The scissors just flew through this. I was afraid it would be difficult to sew, too, but it's not. It's got a firm softness like a really good cotton so it behaves beautifully under the sewing machine. Great progress-- As you can see, the outer shell is complete also. Hopefully, tomorrow I can begin putting shell and lining together.

As a bonus, I have just enough of this silk fabric left over for the handbag on this pattern. It looks like a nice quickie project to wrap up this Afternoon Wedding Ensemble. LOL Hope the Sewing Gods are smiling on your endeavors, too.

McCall's 5278

Yeah! The Mccalls 5278 jacket is finally finished! (And I finally figured out how to do the anchor link thing.) Back to sewing...

This is view A in a size 18. I pin fit the pattern on my friend Zelda here (still adjusting her size and my self image) and was surprised that it didn't need an FBA. I narrowed the shoulders a little and did a forward shoulder adjustment (I really need to work on my posture before this becomes a bigger issue.) I also added a few steps on the advice of Easy Guide to Sewing Jackets by Cecelia Podolak. I stablized the upper back with a lightweight fusible interfacing shown on previous post. I also added a self-fabric sleeve header--a wonderful difference in how the sleeve hangs!



The jacket is for my oldest daughter's upcoming wedding later this month. So, I felt a festive lining was in order. I saw this on the clearance rack at Joann's and it really talked to me--and probably half the store. It is loud...but is such a wildly happy, joyous fabric. It also has all the same colors as the silk boucle and will be on the inside.

I don't really like the buttonholes. They were machine-stitched and are ok, not really as special as the jacket calls for. I really need to learn to do bound buttonholes. The buttons cover them so it will do.

Now on to the dress....

Old Cemetaries

I am only just now getting online today. If only one didn't have to work for a living and family members weren't inconviently using the computer, too. LOL For ABC Wednesday, I wanted to share this old cemetary Hubby and I found while down at the Lake this weekend. I know it may sound morbid, but we find the really old ones have this quiet beauty about them. The whole Land Between the Lakes area is full of old cemetaries. Some are maintained by surviving family members; others have been "lost" to their families. There are several volunteer groups in the area who like to look after these gems. They even find old abandoned ones and try to keep them clean and maintained.

This particular plot was just off the side of the road. I just happened to catch a glimpse of it and made Hubby stop. The setting was this lovely little glade; the trees come right up to the periphery of the plot. There were only about twenty markers, most small concrete brick-like blocks even with the soil. These taller ones were so handsome---and so old. Look at those dates!





Sarah here was born in 1800 and her death is lost to time and erosion. I can't guess anything about her life. There was no loving husband beside her. I can't tell if any of the others were her children. The Boyte name does appear on several of the markers and headstones, so I know she rests surrounded by her family.


H. M. here was born in 1813 and died shortly after in 1838. Only 25 years old. Doesn't it make you wonder what happened? Did he catch pneumonia? Have tetanus? A hunting accident? He was the only Gufford I saw, but also one of the very few with a large headstone? One of the Keel/Boyte girls' husband? A lonely pioneer to the area? This part of Kentucky was still rather young and unsettled then.

S. O. Boyte appears to died during the Civil War? The dates are marred on so many of these. One of the other headstones proudly proclaimed its occupant to be "a brave soldier of the Conferate forces". Was S. O. a soldier, too? Which side did he fight with? Kentucky as a border state had a rather split view on that matter--we were a slave-holding state that supported the Union. The general population was very divided, despite her politicians, with fathers and sons marching off with both sides.


I look at these places and see so much history. Not remote, inconsequential dates in a school book. But someone lived during that moment in time. It was real--I can touch this very same stone their wife, husband, child touched. I think for Americans especially its difficult to think of ourselves in a historical sense. We are a young country with few markers of our more ancient forefathers. In Europe, Asia, etc--one is surrounded by architecture, art, music that is centuries old that belongs to them. Even Beethoven, after all is, Germany's homeboy. It's "Shakespeare slept here" (in the 1600s) not "Washington slept here (in the late 1700s). In a wonderful way, it all makes me feel very transient and temporary yet permanent and impactful all at the same time. For other great "O"s, be sure to visit Mrs. Nesbitt at: http://mrsnesbittsplace.blogspot.com/

Now, I must get back to work on that jacket and move on to other sewing! Happy sewing, all.

Mini-Vacay

I took several days off work last week just to recharge my batteries. Did a little of this and that and not a whole lot of anything. Worked on the jacket: the lining is now in and the peplum is attached. Just needs sleeves hemmed and button/buttonholes and is done. Despite it moving along nicely, I just need a break from it.

So, I did up Vogue 8157. I cut a size 16 with very wide seams as the fabric didn't have quite as much stretch as recommened. These are so comfy!

For some stupid reason this picture keeps showing up on blog turned funny but on Photobucket is oriented properly. My apologies--I'm still a computer dork trying to learn my way around. Anyway, the pattern stitched up quickly, easily and with no major traumas at all. Instructions were clear and easy to follow. I used some poly blend from a year ago that has pale stripes of maroon, teal, and white on the creamy tan background.

Friday was taken up by our New Investment/Income Tax Refund--a new heat pump/A/C. Ours has been very tempermental the last couple of weeks and the repairman last year said parts were no longer available for our 19 year old unit. So, we bit the bullet and got a new one. It's so big! It's sooo quiet! It's so expensive--tears and sobs. My husband is delighted with it though. I am, too, especially as the temps Wed thru Fri were 80 degrees & the air on the old unit wouldn't work at all.

After the men left, Hubby and I packed up and headed to Kenlake for the weekend. He had class Friday night & Saturday morning but we got to play the rest of the time. Our hike showed us some beautiful scenery and how out of shape we are....

We're looking forward to more trips soon. The kids were unable to join us: Anna had to work and Michael doesn't really like camping (no computers) unless he has to. We really enjoy the private/quiet time. After raising 4 kids, its still a luxury to us. Now we just need to get back in
shape LOL. Happy sewing, all.