New Dresses For Me And For Ahnalin

Busy Busy!

I have had hardly any time to sew,
but I have been squeezing in time when I could grab it!

With India's high school graduation on this coming Saturday,
and Ahnalin's kindergarten graduation on this coming Thursday,
there are been many, many different obligations that must be met.

However, with these impending celebrations,
new dresses are a necessity.
Now, I know that many sensible, normal, intelligent people
would say that a new dress is not really a need.

To that, I say
PFFT!!!!
(That is me sticking out my tongue!)
(MOM!!)

I mean, what is sleep compared to a new dress?

Really!

Ahnalin has recently become complete obsessed
with Beatrix Potter books.

She LOVES them with a passion that is so sweet to see.

So when I found this darling fabric on the clearance rack of my
favorite fabric store,
I had to buy it.

Then I remembered the Beatrix Potter buttons I had been
hoarding for nearly 20 years!
They were PERFECT!!

I used the Natalie pattern from
Olabelhe and added some darling vintage cotton rickrack
and new yellow cluny lace.

She loves it!

And for me,
well.

Be kind.
Please.
This is making me nervous.

You see, I have not made a dress for myself in many, many Pounds years.

I will just be honest and say that it was MUCH easier to sew
for myself before I was so, er,
curvy.

So, I used Vogue V8469 and finally cut into some long hoarded
and much petted Amy Butler "Gypsy Caravan" fabric that I adore.

Let's just say that next time I make this dress,
I will make it at least 1 size smaller,
with no sleeves, and a tad longer.

I should have made a muslin.
Yeah, I know.
I do it for all of India's dresses,
and most of the custom work I do.
But I just cut directly into my gorgeous fabric and when I realized
how big the pattern was, I just had to make it work.
I could take in the side seams but the neck was just too big.
So I had to take several tucks all around the neckline in front and back.

Those tucks are no where to be found in the original pattern.
Yeah, next time I make a smaller size.
And the zipper,
well, I prick stitched it.
And yes, I took pictures, so the tutorial is forthcoming.

I am just so rotten at taking good pictures, that I am
struggling with getting a good shot of the actual stitches.
It is coming though.

So, I do have to say that I really did like how this pattern
went together. I fully lined it and there is not a
visible seam anywhere.
I SHOULD have made a muslin, I know I already said that.
But when I make this pattern again,
and I will, I know what to change.

I have to say, that I am actually pretty proud of myself for
making a dress for me and wearing it.
I used to do that all the time before kids. All the time.
I hope that the next dress I make for myself will not have to
cover as much me.
I have NO excuses.

Anyway, we are out the door now to Baccalaureate and I have
TONS of sewing to do when I get home.
Next up, besides the tutorials I have to finish,
is India's graduation dress,
and a pirate costume for Ahnalin's pirate day on Tuesday.

Happy Sunday.