I've returned....Dress Update.

I had an awesome little "staycation" (vacation but didn't go anywhere) something I have really been needing. The past few weeks at work I have been pretty unproductive and just generally over it. My day job is high stress and high pressure and I was burned out big time from working so much, I work as the Production Manager for an Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing company. I took the Friday after Thanksgiving off and I took yesterday off and it was glorious, GLORIOUS!

Instead of dragging my butt out of bed at 6:30 to get into work at 7:15 I stayed in bed until 9:30. I started my day by practicing the Christmas music I need to learn and then after a couple hours of that I started on my sewing. I got so much done and am jealous of people who make their living creatively, oh you lucky people!

I think my creative apathy and dissatisfaction was directly linked to my being generally burnt out and run down by too much work and not enough creative expression. I woke up this morning ready to go to work and kick ass at it and I am feeling very creatively satisfied.  

I did not work non stop on my "Fall Silk Dress" but I did get a lot done and I am happy with it so far. This pattern is super easy and has instructions on how to alter it for different body shapes and types. Once I got the fabric cut out it was a breeze. I underlined it so I had to cut out two dresses and then sew them together but it gives the silk a lot of stability and will make it warmer I think. I used a cotton by George Kauffman called Savannah, it's has a very nice feel and is light weight.

It was super simple to put together since there are only 4 major seams and 6 darts (Bust and Front & Back Waist). I basted it together at the sides, tried it one and was unhappy with the fit so I deepened the side seams at the waist and was very happy with the result of this. Because the side seams are so deep at the waist compared to the bust and hip area I had to clip the curves drastically to get it to lie flat and to stop pulling, especially on the zipper side. I used strips of fusible stabilizer for the zipper...I am getting pretty good at invisible zippers. I got this one on the first go.

Clip, Clip, Clip....

I am finishing the seams Hong Kong style. I  used this fusible bias tape by Clover at the curve clips to make the little triangles. This has been extremely time consuming but I like how it looks. I am going to slipstitch the finished seams to the interlining to complete the whole thing.

I have not mounted the sleeves yet. I had this brilliant idea to finish the seams, that the sleeves would intersect, before setting the sleeve in since it such a pain when the sleeve is on to try and finish under the arms and at the shoulders. I hope to achieve a more polished look this way....I was only going to do some of the seams but I got on a roll and just kept going. I kind of like doing it this way, all I'll need to do once the sleeves are on is hem it up and it will be done! But I'm not there yet...anyway so that's about all on my progress so far. I hope to finish it by the end of this coming weekend so I can wear it. I also sort of want to make another one it has been so easy and fun.

Voila!

 Cheers!

Amelia