Progress

The binding has been sewed onto the bodice.  I almost pulled it off again because I was still unhappy with the underarm seam.  But, I will have to learn to live with the puckering.  I cannot re-do this bias binding again or I will never finish this dress.

Next up……putting in the zipper.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Gosh, just kill me now or forget it, you don’t have to because this Hawaii dress it doing it for me! Seriously, why is this taking sooooooooo long. It shouldn’t be hard. But I keep redoing that one seam…you know, the one I mentioned before….the underarm (or whatever it is called) seam.

The Good:

Hand sewing is good. Hand sewing makes me happy. When I hand sew, it seems go into a meditative state and completely relax – something that does not happen whilst sewing with a machine.

The Bad:

I don’t know what I was thinking but when the need for black thread arose, I spent some extra dollars on black cotton thread. Ugh! It was horrible. Really too thick for hand sewing the bias binding on the Hawaii dress. I really disliked the way it looked so I toddled back to the store to pick up some cheapo black thread. Lesson learned! Stick with the polyester thread unless sewing on silk.

The Ugly:

No surprise here, it is that seam where the underarm is on the Hawaii dress. I sewed the bodice bias binding on and then noticed another fabric mess in that area, so off came the bias binding. The reason there are no photos, just in case you are wondering!

How Did This Happen

There I am sewing in the bias binding trim on the Hawaiian dress.  Should be easy.  But its not because I run out of thread.....black thread. 

I search the house.  I have a lot of thread but nary a spool of black thread can be found.  I will not tell you the sheer number of different spools of blue and green thread I have on hand.  But no black and not a lot of white thread either.

Seriously, no black thread.  Really, how did this happen.  I know I sew a lot with black thread but really, no black thread.

Nope...so I am stalled until I can get some black thread.  Does this happen to anyone else?  Running out of a basic color of thread that should be on hand.

Pain in the Side

So, the next step was sewing up the sides all the way through the sleeves.  Sounds easy doesn’t it?

Not so much with the bit that would be under the arm.  I guess you would call these kimono sleeves…maybe.  I don’t know. What I do know is that this underarm part required a lot of re-dos.  In fact, it got to the point where I would sew a few stitches, stop.  Take a look from the right side, re-pin, sew, take a look.  Lets sum it up by stating I have no idea how many times I ripped that thing out or how many times I sewed it back up.  But I do estimate that 2 1/2 hours passed.

It looks ok.  Not super happy with it, but it works.  Also, the back portion seems unusually HUGE.  I made no pattern alteration to the back pieces….so what is up with that.

So far, I can say I am not a big fan of this Polynesian pattern.

In Lieu of......

Real content since I was taken out for a very nice dinner and cocktails were involved; so no sewing occurred just lots of eating.

I bring you:  Cat on Fabric.

I think he thinks he is helping with the sewing process when he guards the fabric.  He's too cute to disappoint and let him know this is not helping!

The Confusion Sets In

The instructions in this Polynesian pattern just make no sense.  I am used to muddling through with little to no instructions or the instructions of the Big 4.  In a way, no instructions would be best because when those instructions are there, well I have to read them.  In this case, first I read, then I am utterly confused.  This should be moving forward faster.

It’s not.  I know it is me.

So, I have this so far

I do like the pattern placement of the flowers in the front.  There will be more bias binding across the seam so no worries that the pattern does not match.


Gotta love a stash.  I did have some dithering about what fabric to use as bias binding.  I have been collecting some basics from the bins at the Loft.  It has proved helpful because I had a few blacks, browns and even a khaki to choose from.  I went with a black cotton perhaps a blend ( I did not do a burn test).  The weight was a match.  None of the browns were right.

Adjustment

I am stymied by how to make a FBA to this pattern.  While I am not sure if I actually need an FBA I tend to think I will.  But how?

These are the pattern pieces.  Hmmmm….I can’t find anything to help.  There really is no arm hole and no darts and not even a bodice.

I traced out the pattern and then cut up the front skirt/bodice piece.  I first tried cutting up the bottom and spreading the pattern.  That could work but I didn’t really want to widen the bottom.  I then came from the top and I didn’t like that idea either since it would make it so the yoke would not fit.

Finally a light bulb went off…..I selected a spot fairly close to where the I thought the bodice would end.  Sliced the pattern in half.  From there, I cut up and out to spread and widen the putative bodice.  Hopefully this will work because I cut out the fabric.


Now for the fun part.

Dithering and Decisions

Well, you would think that once I remade the sherbet dress, I would be able to move on to something else.  You would think so wouldn't you?

Not so much.

The past week has had me dithering right and left.  Persuing the stash for fabrics to go with the patterns on hand.  Dithering more on what to work on next.  This was not due to a lack of ideas...oh no, it was because I could come up with a fabulous idea for every pattern and fabric I saw.  I overloaded!  I could not make a decision.  I went back and forth every night with not one thing getting done or a decision being made.

Last night, I forced myself to make a decision.  I could no longer keep this indecision up.  So after even more dithering, I determined that this weekend I will work on this pattern:

It is only 4 pattern pieces.  Perfect to get moving on something!

I will use this fabric:

With the binding from some self-made brown bias binding made for this dress.

Tonight's goals: pattern tracing, fabric washing and ....maybe....fabric cutting.

LemonLime Sherbet

So, I completely and utterly changed up the Rainbow Sherbet dress.  The pinks were excised and the stripe fabric and the green ribbon treatment inserted.

Before shots that you may remember:

 

The new look:

I am much happier with this look.  In my mind’s eye pulling out the pinks from the stripes worked.   But in reality, not so much.  This dress is done and dusted.  I am not re-doing this again.  Not that it was all that difficult to redo.  I may add an overskirt at some point in time because I do have plenty of yellow fabric left.   But that would be it!!!  This is good to wear as is and I think I will be more comfortable in it.  To me, it now seems more cohesive.