The Geriatric Line Backer Jacket

How's that for a description? It might be a little harsh, but this jacket is not my favorite. I wanted so badly for it to work. The pattern looked cute on the picture. Here is the issue: the sleeves are pleated and it adds too much bulk at the shoulders. It makes me feel like a football player. The fabric, I think, could have worked if the jacket was more streamlined. However, combined with the linebacker shoulders, I feel like it makes me look like an old lady. (No offense to old ladies!) The question is, what do I do with it now?

The Skirt That Does Not Love Me Back

I love this skirt. Alas, it does not love me back. This is the second time I made this pattern, and I **thought** I had a nice idea of what I would do better. Ha! I added a bit to give it a little more ease in the back, or at least I thought I did. In all honesty, I have no idea what happened. Somehow the same skirt, from the same pattern, turned out not to fit me and I really don't know where I went wrong. I am going to keep it around in hopes that it will work out. The fabric is from the fabulous yard sale we hit a few summers ago. A lady was selling boxes of brand new curtains that she had from her job. (She would photograph them for catalogs) She was selling them really cheap (like a buck or two each). This one is a purplish color...hard to describe and even harder to photograph realistically. It is a nice sturdy weight. The top of the curtain had a whole row of wooden toggle buttons that I cut off and saved for another project. The skirt buttons are vintage shell buttons from the stash that my Grandma and Aunt Phylis so generously gave me last spring. Seriously, I have such an obsession with buttons I could plan whole projects around them! I think a project like this is in my future.

The Devil is This Red Dress

This dress was supposed to be finished in time for the July Dress challenge. I used the Danielle pattern for this catastrophy (see here for a successful rendition) and I chose to use crepe de chine which is a HUGE nightmare. The fabric scorches easily so the facings can'tbe ironed to my liking and the fusing of interfacing on the waistband left permanent marks. AHHHHHHHHHH.... I've decided that I will not be finishing this dress. The one positive thing that came out of it though is that the invisible zipper went in wonderfully :) I always enjoy winning that battle especially when the rest of the project turns out all wrong!

The Dress of Gloom and Despair

So Rachel had this pattern. I loved it and decided to trace the pattern and make one for myself. (Rachel likes when I do this so that I can work out all the kinks and see if its a good pattern before she makes it. Clever girl she is.) So, I found myself some fabric and got to work. My observations are as follows:

• Vogue patterns are made to look very professional, inside and out
• Making a dress look professional includes french seams on EVERYTHING, and linings and facings so that there are no exposed seams
• While that may look all fine and dandy, its a major pain in the behind!!!
• Invisible zippers are a pain
• Especially when they break after you've installed it for the third time
• Having your mom install the zipper is way easier than doing it yourself
• Piping is really fun and a lot easier than I thought!
• Using a hand-me-down shirt to make the piping will make you feel very cheeky
  
• Spending hours and hours on Vogue dress that makes you look like you are smuggling watermelons is very un-gratifying; lets just say the the top part is not, uh, flattering for those who are a little busty ;)