Friday, May 24, 2013

current projects and other news

i haven't made time to post in the last week and a half, but i did finally finish hemming the last dress i was working on, and i used my blind hem foot, which was a first for me! it turned out well, but there were several spots that didn't catch, so i went over it again. i think it looks pretty good, but i haven't worn it yet.

and then i made this top, based on the sewaholic alma, lengthened by 2 inches, with modified sleeves, a lower neckline and contrasting bias binding. it looks cute in the photo, but i haven't worn it either. and the teal bias binding matched the centers of the little dots in the print. i wish the fabric was softer. i do like the print though.


anyway, so i wasn't super pumped about the final results of those projects. they turned out well. but i don't gravitate toward wearing them. if i saw them in a store i wouldn't buy them, probably wouldn't even try them on. so i'm hoping to sew something that i would snatch up if i had seen it in a store. something that i really love and get excited about wearing. am i asking too much???

so i'm using this striped fabric from fabric.com that i almost sent back. i do love the colors of the stripes, but the feel of the fabric was not at all what i expected. that's what happens when you order fabric online and don't know much about fabric. but hey, i'm still learning, well trying to teach myself. the description said ITY knit. i've heard that term mentioned before on other blogs, but still didn't really get it. when i read "knit" i thought soft knit fabric. what i got was slinky fabric that feels like it could almost be a swimsuit. 

maybe i should've just made a swimsuit? i should've looked for a cotton knit. anyway it was cheap, so i thought it'll be good to play with. and who knows maybe i'll end up liking it? maybe i'll end up loving it?

so i used a RTW tank top and dress to help draft a dress bodice, tank top style. i decided to just make it easy on myself and made the front and back pieces exactly the same. this fabric is super stretchy. it's also slightly see-through in the white and yellow stripes, so i fully lined it with the same fabric being very careful to match the stripes. this also solved the whole problem of how i'm going to bind the edges. yes i planned that.


i'm super proud of my stripe matching and yes the other side looks just as good =) in that photo the shoulder seams are just pinned, so i need to finish those and then attach and hem the skirt. i have enough fabric that this could be a maxi dress. or i could make it knee length. and i'm running the stripes vertical on the skirt, just for fun. what do you think? maxi dress or knee length?


in other news, we added a new member to the family last saturday! we had been talking about this for awhile, and we finally took the leap... and adopted a dog!


we named her Ella after Ella Fitzgerald (my husband picked it) and she's a rescued dog. she was found lost or abandoned on the side of a highway. at the shelter she was hiding in a corner, scared and shaking. she's a little beagle mix, about 5 years old, they guessed. she's also undergoing heartworm treatment. who knows what else she's been through.

but she's adorable and we're in love with her. she's very sweet, but very shy. she's making small progress every day. here she is curled up in my lap. (note to self: go pee before holding the dog in your lap because after she gets comfortable and falls asleep, you won't want to move her.)


18 comments:

  1. I know what it's like to sew something and come over with a touch of the "mehs". Oh well, that's sewing. Congratulations on your new addition. She's a lovely dog.

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    1. Yeah, i don't like feeling "meh" about what i make. I guess i need to do more planning upfront?

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  2. Ella is gorgeous! Believe me, pets are the best thing you'll ever do - you give and get so much love... Oh and very soon, you'll be sleeping in one tiny corner of the bed all bunched up just because you don't want to disturb Ella's sleep even tho she's taken up most of your side of the bed...!

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    1. aww thanks! my husband didn't want her to get used to sleeping in our bed, so she has a crate to sleep in, which now she realy likes and sometimes just wants to sleep in there all the time!!

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  3. What a precious addition to your family! Howdy, Ella :D

    And that stripe matching is stupendous!

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    1. thanks! the stripes were going so well, but now they're driving me nuts!!!

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  4. I vote for a maxi dress. :) Ella is precious! She found a wonderful home! I have 2 springer spaniels...both rescue dogs that have given me more than I can ever give them.

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    1. i pinned the skirt on as a maxi and i felt like the stripes were just too overwhelming! so i thought i'd probably wear it more if it's shorter, esp. sicne our summers are sooo hot.

      i'm so glad we went with a rescue dog =) yours sound sweet

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  5. Oooh, I love the stripes! They look great! A maxi dress sounds really fun to me!

    Congrats on the new pup! Today is the one-year anniversary of when we adopted Peggy, and she's added so much joy to our lives! I bet that Ella will become a little more confident and happy every day!

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    1. congrats on your one year with peggy! i wonder how ella will be acting in one year? she's sooo shy right now and startles very easily, and doesn't do walks yet, but she is potty trained and very sweet.

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  6. I think the stripes would look awesome in a maxi dress!
    Welcome to the new pup! New puppies are so much fun. A dog's love is unconditional and they are forever loyal.

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    1. we're very excited about her! i can't wait to see her cute little face when i get home. hopefully she will be all better soon. she's got another treatment coming up and then a month of recovery.

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  7. Oh goodness, you matched stripes for the outside *and* the inside? You deserve a medal! The fit is great and that stripe matching is awesome. If you have enough fabric, I vote maxi. It is still the insanely in thing to wear and stripes are great for a maxi.

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    1. hehe, thanks! the stripe matchign went well, but lining up the skirt has given me headaches. i started rushing because i wanted to get it done to wear the next day, and that din't work out, so i'll be ripping the skirt off and reattaching it more carefully. doggie care has been cutting into my sewing time, though. I'll have to teach her to nap in my sewing room while i work =)

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  8. As sewists I think we feel the need to make everything perfect, but we are all learning and trust me, I have made many a garment that I agonised over and once finished, it just wasn't me, they didn't suit me and I don't wear them. But that's all a part of the learning process! The good thing is that you aren't discouraged and are happy to jump back on the horse :)

    Love your wee pup too, i so want one!!

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    1. I am definitely a perfectionist! I'm still learning about choosing the right fabrics that suite the right patterns and also choosing fabrics that i will want to wear. I'm also much too critical! But i will keep pushing on and hopefully will start making more things that i actually look forward to wearing!!

      she's super sweet! we waited awhile to make sure we had the time and resources to take care of a dog, but when you rescue a dog from a shelter, anything you can provide would be a step up from the shelter! you should get one =) I always look forward to seeing her cute little face every day

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  9. I was disappointed in the drape and feel of the Lisette lawns too, but it's about what I'd expect from JoAnn. It's not too bad though. I've definitely been getting a lot of wear out of my dress anyway!

    It is difficult starting out sewing to know what you will actually wear once it's done. Most of the things I made 1 or 2 years ago I really never wear anymore. I started to think more about duplicating the types of things I would buy in a store and that helped me to visualize my pattern and fabric choices better.

    Ella is so adorable! Congrats on the new family member :)

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    1. that's very smart, i'm going to try to duplicate things that i might see in stores. and i've only been sewing for a year now, so now i don't feel too bad if you don't wear what you made a year or 2 ago.

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Thanks for reading! I welcome any advice, insights, witty remarks, snarky comebacks, commiserations or just a quick hello. I'd love to check out your blog as well, so let me know where you're posting. Happy sewing!