Shiny, short, and tight

Are the words Nina Garcia (of Project Runway fame) uses to describe as another version of "cheap". I was reminded of this when I made this little short set. The thing is, I love the fabric, a cotton/silk blend from Fabric.com. It was inexpensive but sews beautifully and the weight is just what's needed for a Georgia summer. It also happens to fit the description of a "column", which is a requirement of the six-pac sewalong thread in Artisan's Square. And it also fits into the thread of Sure Fit Designs sewers, so this little outfit ticks a lot of boxes. No makeup so far today, as you can see. I do plan to put some foundation on later, as we are going out to walk the Mall looking for Disney memorabilia. Henry's granddaughter doesn't yet know she's going to Disney for her birthday, and we want to get her a little toy at the Disney store for the big reveal. Fun!

Browsing Blogs

Other bloggers in the sewing world are a constant inspiration. So I was reading Rhonda's blog and found a lot of inspiration to add to the basic dress I'm creating. I just hope I don't get too bored with the full skirt cotton dress idea (I plan to make some in lightweight wool for the fall). I think these ideas will keep me interested, though (and well dressed as well!)

In progress

I thought I'd document some progress being made down in the sewing room. It's no secret that I'm making the same dress over and over, just changing the fabric, neckline, and some details. In this version I've added short sleeves. Here's the bodice about to be attached to the skirt. Melding two patterns together (skirt from Simplicity, bodice from SureFit) is not as easy as one might presume. I'm working hard to get the pleats in the right place, but I'm not even trying to match the crazy pattern. The fabric is a very heavy cotton stretch and I added a knit interlining from Peggy Sagers in an effort to keep it from wrinkling. What I didn't realize was that the resulting fabric would be so heavy. I got tired of wrestling it around this afternoon so it is quietly resting on a hanger until I feel like approaching it with a fresh, critical eye. The next time I make this dress will be in a much lighter weight fabric, a much more sophisticated grey. I plan to bring them all to Texas and let my sister make the final cut.

Thought fr th day

Part of the charm of this type of "lolcat" picture is the ease with which we can translate the thought. Makes you wonder about language. Studies have proven that a lot of wrdz cn be easily understod without som of th letrs..txt me..

Pink Dress SureFit Bodice & Circle Skirt

Closing even further in to my "Wedding Guest Dress" I added a circle skirt with pockets to my SureFit Designs bodice. How I love that system! Amy Butler fabric is a cotton from Whipstitch, an indy fabric store here in Atlanta.

Awesome Websites

I've decided to keep an online diary of blogs and websites I enjoy. The first to be documented is a group called Craftivist Creative, whose witty and low key needlepoint mini-banners pepper the streets of London. I found it on the always interesting blog, Tilly and the Buttons where the mission is clearly stated. People can be endlessly creative, can't they? Check it out. (Photo from Tilly and the Buttons.)