While I'm no longer going to share many photos of the quilt, know that I'm hand-stitching as quickly as my fingers will let me. I thought I'd post a little about what I'm designing for May's Family Gathering of mine and my husband's families. Plane tickets are purchased - we are very excited. :)
Determining a shoulder line
I love one-shoulder designs. I've always felt like my shoulders we a nice feature - for some it's their legs (who are those crazy people, I'd like to know) but for me it's my shoulders. Between my love of arm exercises and marimba and piano, they stay somewhat toned.
Using some washi tape that somehow appeared in my sewing room, I used my dress form to determine how I wanted the strap to lay. Here's what I settled on.
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| Front |
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| Back |
After that, I found 5 yards of this super-cheap drapey, mystery fabric in my stash and started cutting into it, debating about how I wanted the dress to look. This is my first time attempting something like this, so I went for a simple silhouette. Here's an incomplete shot of the project. (I forgot to take one of the full draft, arg.)
I changed this in a few ways after this photo was taken. I made the skirt more of a straight silhouette because my chiffon has a gorgeous pattern on it that I don't think would look right in an A-line cut. There's also a curved waistband that I'd yet to pin into place. I can hear my mother's judgment thinking that I would intentionally bare a midriff...
Yes, the bodice is a little full and blousy. I am planning on letting the chiffon billow gently over the lining, which will be fitted. Since I'll be wearing this in the heat of summer, I wanted something that would hang off the shoulder rather than hug all the way around. I hate when my cute summer dresses get all sweaty because they're too fitted.
I took the pieces off my dress form and transferred the shapes and markings onto my own pattern pieces, traced onto my gargantuan roll of tracing paper. (Thanks, Blacksburg art supply store.)
Fabric Teaser
Here's a sneak peek of the chiffon.
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| It took hours to decide on print placement. This is just one tiny part of the otherwise LARGE tile pattern. |
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| The stitches are for the underlining. The shoulder bands have sheer interfacing, underlining, and then an interfaced lining as well. That's the plan, anyway. |
Selling Makes
My husband and I found out last week that he was awarded a teaching position at James Madison University, which means we're moving! This also means that we are looking to free ourselves of some belongings. So, here are a few previous makes that I would like to sell, if anyone is interested. I will most likely post others, but this is Round 1.
Price quoted includes shipping. The garment will arrive freshly washed with care instructions.
Since these clothes fit me, here are my measurements. Keep in mind that ease in the design might accommodate slight differences.
Bust: 34"
Waist: 29"
Hip: 40ish"
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| Top: $12 |
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| Zig-Zag Dress: $20 |
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| The 80's colored 50's dress: $25 |
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| 50's Sundress: $30 |
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| 50's Sundress: low back |
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| 50's Sundress: FULL circle skirt -- Great for twirling!! |
If there's something you'd like to know more about, you can private message me on Facebook or email me at laurel.sue.black[@]gmail.
