The BIG Project: Done!

I replaced the missing beads last night while watching TV. Unfortunately, the pictures don't really pick up the shimmer of the beads. Harder to take pictures of a cream garment than you'd think. I took these two this morning without flash.


And here's a shot of the shoes I picked to go with the dress.

I also finished up the hem and side slit of Vogue 8241, aka "Hearts Fluttering in Vogue." As you may recall, that project was my original concept for the wedding ensemble that didn't quite work out. However, it's still a nice dress so I'm taking it to Kauai for the honeymoon.

The BIG Project: I Have Not Dropped Off the Face of the Earth

...In fact, the outfit is virtually complete. The garments are made, I just need to replace a few beads on the top.

I probably won't have a chance to do photos on me, but I'll at least dress up Ms. Acme so you can see what the ensemble looks like. Hopefully tonight!

The BIG Project: My Hearts a Flutter Lower Band

Incremental progress and a quick post.

I had problems wrapping my head around the process of making those uneven miters for the intersecton of slits and hem. Although I've made this top before, my brain wasn't processing Louise Cutting's excellent guide sheet instructions in the least. I couldn't find Linda Lee's small book on miters and totally forgot that I have the Taunton(?) book that she wrote on the same subject.

After many false starts, I finally worked through it and got all 4 miters done last night. They're not the best I've ever done, but maybe the best possible for this fabric/interfacing combination? Know what I mean? Anyway, they look fine from the visible side, and no one's going to be flipping up the hem at the wedding. So no worries. And it's a good thing that the band will be lined--it will have the illusion of perfection at least.

Before I got ready for work this morning, I hand stitched the seam allowances and hems to the silk organza. It only took a few minutes. Now the band is ready to be attached to the top. I'll probably machine baste it first--easier to make any adjustments if needed.

Also, thanks to you readers who have posted comments. It's really meant a lot to receive supportive messages on this project.

Now that the ensemble actually looks like something, I'm hoping to post some photos this weekend, so stay tuned!

The BIG Project: Vogue 2637 is Finished!

Yes, it really is! The above picture shows the front on Ms. Acme, while the picture below shows the back:


I realize it's kind of poorly arranged, especially in the back. But I was very thrilled to have it done so I wanted to document it for posterity--or at least this blog.

I also started on the lower band of the My Hearts a Flutter shell this evening. I cut out the silk organza underlining, machine basted it to the silk twill, finished the edge on the serger, and pressed up the hem. Underlining was definitely the way to go--it looks rich. The silk twill would have been too soft and floppy without it. I want to look at the guide sheet before going any further, so I've stopped for the evening and will resume tomorrow.

The BIG Project: Vogue 2637 Waistband

More progress on the skirt. Last night I trimmed the excess lining from the skirt waist, then attached the waistband/casing. All done except elastic and finishing, which I'll do tonight (fingers crossed).

I must say, I'm quite impressed with the the #10 Bernina edgestitch foot that I used to sew the casing! I purchased one at the class Linda Lee gave at Ann Silva's in February, and I'm so happy I did. It makes stitching in the ditch easy, and the stitching is incredibly accurate.

Also, the Zappo's box came! Both pairs were cute. However, the thongs had too much bling--extremely large rhinestones that are just too much for the dress. The strappy sandals are also trimmed with rhinestones but they're small, more accent than feature.

The BIG Project: Further...

I worked on My Hearts a Flutter again today, attaching facings to the neckline and armholes. No more raw edges, except on the lower edge! This is good. Using the mesh required a change in the pattern's construction, which specified top stitching the facings in place. More sporty than the look I'm going for, plus you can't exactly sew through beads and sequins. So I'm tacking the facings down at the seams and a couple of other spots along the facing edges--just enough to keep them from flopping out and keeping them invisible.

One more section to go on the top, the lower band, then it will be done. And all the skirt lacks is the waistband casing, and it's done.

In other wedding news, 2 pairs of ivory satin sandals have been ordered from Zappo's and are scheduled to arrive tomorrow. I already purchased a different pair locally, but obviously I'm not totally in love with them.

The BIG Project: Progress

I've been working on the My Hearts a Flutter top and the Vogue 2637 skirt today.

On the top, I assembled the bodice and lining, then attached them together with machine basting at the neckline and armholes. The beading on the mesh intersected some of the basting lines, so I used my jewelry pliers to crush the bugle beads that were in the way--I think this tip came from Phillis (CoudreMODE) or Ann (Gorgeous Fabrics). I can't remember exactly. It's helpful to know this, since cutting the stitching can unravel the rest of the beads. Crushing keeps the remaining beading from unravelling since the stitches stay in place. I cut the sequins off and left their stitching in place as well.

I had to adjust the lower edge of the bodice where I had hand basted the mesh and silk twill before. I think this was the result of allowing the fabric "sandwich" to hang on the dress form for a few days combined with the machine basting of all the layers together. No problem, I have it repinned and will machine baste the lower edges together later before attaching the lower band pieces.


I'm thinking of adding a layer of silk organza to underline the lower band. I like the way it gave the skirt a little more heft, and it will hide hand stitches needed for finishing as well.

I mentioned that the skirt lining was too long in yesterday's post. Now that I've had a day to ponder, I think I must have made an error in drafting the the lining pattern pieces, since the excess is an even amount all the way around the skirt. Another easy fix since the skirt has virtually no waist shaping. I just removed the machine basting at the waist and moved up the lining about an inch. Then I'll re-baste and trim before attaching the waistband/casing. No need to re-do the vent, thank goodness.


Speaking of the vent, here's a look at it since I didn't include a photo in yesterday's post.


The flash created some strange effects, but this one is the best of several attempts. The lining fabric doesn't shadow through like it appears here.

I would have done a little more today but I had to clean the iron. It was starting to leave small marks on the reverse of the fabric and I realized there was quite a bit of residue on the sole plate. Fortunately, the marks came off and there were none on the public side of either garment.

I'm not sure if this looks like a lot of progress to anyone but me. However, I can tell that the ensemble is moving forward!

The BIG Project: Skirt Lining

Wednesday night I made it into the sewing room and attached the lining to the skirt at the waist, a basting seam that I need to remove now that the vent lining has been attached.

Yes indeed, I got it done tonight. Although Easy Guide to Sewing Linings provides instructions for machine sewing, I prefer to hand sew the lining to the vent. I just feel like I get better control of the fabric that way.

What's strange is that the lining is too long even though I cut the lining piece shorter than the skirt fabric. No big deal really, it's easy enough to fix. But I know I cut the china silk correctly so it's just weirdness at this point.

I've already told DF that I'll be sewing this weekend. I'm hoping for a lot of progress--fingers crossed.

The BIG Project: Dribs and Drabs

I've been working very incrementally since the last post. Yesterday was my birthday, so I didn't get a whole lot done last evening. Not that we really did anything, but we did have a chance to enjoy our new chaise lounges in the back yard.


DF had this cute arrangement delivered to my office, in honor of "my last single birthday." Awww...


And my friend F gave me a gift bag full of goodies, including this tray. How could you not like a tray for chocolate! It's now accessorizing my sewing room:


And today, my office gave me a shower at work, so I haven't done anything yet this evening. This cake was the feature of the party:


But here's where I am on the wedding ensemble. I sewed the center back and side seams of the skirt lining, and I've also pressed open the vent extensions. I realize it doesn't sound like much, but that means I'm just about ready to finish attaching the lining to the skirt. Then, the waistband and it's done!

I also pinned the shoulder seams of the shell together, tried it on, and marked the bust. Hallelujah, the motifs are above the bust points!! I thought they probably would be, but I've been known to be wrong before. That means I can start working on the upper half of the ensemble as well. Hopefully, things will move quickly from here.

And then I can whip a few things together for the honeymoon....hahahahaha!!

The BIG Project: Mostly Handwork

After I posted last night, I hemmed the skirt and back vent by hand. The silk organza underlining is really helpful for this--the stitches don't show on the outside of the skirt. Tonight I hand basted around the perimeter of the front bodice and trimmed off the excess mesh.

On to the lining: the center back seam has been sewn and the side seams are pinned and ready to be sewn.

The BIG Project: More Skirt Assembly

I didn't get quite as much done today as I had hoped but still, I had respectable progress. I serge-finished the hem and vent edges. The back vent is complete. And I sewed the side seams, so the skirt is all one unit now! I also pinked the side and center back seams. The skirt is now ready for hemming.

The lining is ready to be sewn up and attached to the skirt (I had to buy ecru thread so that held me up). I've also looked at the vent lining instructions so I'm ready to tackle that little chore once I've hemmed the skirt.

More Cacti Flowers

More cacti. The bear paw prickly pears have begun to bloom


Also the little cholla are starting. This first picture is of a plant by the house. There are plenty of buds poised to open.


This one is by the back yard gate in a grouping of bear paw, cholla and yucca.

The BIG Project: Skirt Assembly

After a heck of a lot of prep work, I'm finally sewing! Today, I attached the organza underlining to the main skirt pieces.

Next, I attached the pockets to the skirt front


and sewed the center back seam.


Next up, I need to review the instructions for attaching a lining with a vent from Easy Guide to Sewing Linings and start constructing the lining pieces that I cut out a few days ago.

The BIG Project: Focus on Skirt

Tonight I focused on the Vogue 2637 skirt. After handling the silk twill for the shell last night, I decided the skirt needed more body, so I cut the main skirt pieces from silk organza. The layers are pinned together and ready to be basted. I don't think the shell needs the additional support, so I won't underline that part of the ensemble. At least that's the current plan.

I also completed hand basting the mesh to the back bodice. The front bodice is still resting on Ms. Acme.

I want to respond to jillnjosh's comment on yesterday's BIG Project post. She said:

"I'm not being critical, but are you sure you want the embroidered motifs centered on that horizontal line?"

I was surprised by the question, but then I realized the picture is a little misleading because of the dress form's contours. Keep in mind that Ms. Acme's bust is a little more perky than mine, so it appears that the motifs will go right across the bust. In reality, I think I'm ok; my bust should be between rows of motifs. I have more mesh in case I need to re-cut. In any case, the front and back shoulder seams will need to be basted together before making a final decision.

More Desert Blooms

When I left for work this morning, I noticed that the desert willows were blooming. So I thought I'd share:



I love how the flowers resemble orchids.

The Mexican Bird of Paradise trees are also blooming:



I'm still waiting for the rest of the cacti and will share photos of them when the flowers bloom.

The BIG Project: Shell Lining and Overlay

The cutting is over! The shell lining pieces were cut out tonight. I got a little bit of sewing room real estate back too, since I no longer need the whole table top.

I also got started on the bling, the mesh overlay. Instead of cutting by pattern, I rough cut the mesh into rectangles, then pinned them to the silk twill pieces. Next, I'll hand baste the mesh in place at 5/8" from the edges. Once that's all done, I'll trim the mesh to size.

The back bodice was fairly easy to do since it's basically a flat piece with no shaping. I'm about halfway through the basting and I've trimmed most of the excess away.


The front bodice is a little more complicated since it has shaping in the form of armhole darts. I started by sewing the darts, then pinned the neck and armholes with the bodice flat on the table. Then I anchored it onto Ms. Acme and pinned the rest of the edges. I'm letting it rest on the form for now, then I'll re-pin again before basting.


Since the front bodice needs to rest, I'll start working on the skirt next. Hopefully, it'll come together quickly like the prototype so I can focus on the shell.

The BIG Project: Skirt Lining

Last night's project was to work on the lining of the Vogue 2637 skirt. I drafted a new front lining, combining the main front piece with the side front pocket piece.

I also drafted a new back lining, following the instructions for a vented skirt lining in Taunton Press' Easy Guide to Sewing Linings by Connie Long. This book has been out of print for awhile, but is now available as an e-book ($13.99) on the Taunton Press site. This is a great resource, and it's great that it's available again, albeit in a different format.

The fabric I'm using for the lining is silk habitai (china silk), also from Gorgeous Fabrics

Tonight's goal is cutting the linings and mesh overlay for the My Hearts a Flutter shell.

The BIG Project: Cream Silk is Cut

Tonight I cut the shell and skirt from the cream silk that I got from Gorgeous Fabrics. Oh man, this stuff is like buttah!! I had laundered it so I wouldn't have to worry about water spots. It shrank slightly, and it feels even more luxurious than before. I could really get spoiled working with nice stuff like this.

BTW, I'll be posting brief updates as this project progresses. They may or may not have pictures but doing this will help my progress as well as keeping you all informed.