Stuff

Too much of it, that is.  We are doing a partial remodel on our kitchen (photos to follow in another post).  We had to empty cupboards into boxes.  While packing them up, I realized how much unused stuff there was hiding in the backs of the cabinets.  It will not re-enter the kitchen.  I will have a lot to give away once we begin unpacking.  I tend to be a pack rat sometimes.  I want this to stop!  It is time for a major purge of the whole house.  How tidy everything will be then!

Vintage 1940's Dress - Simplicity 1571

This is a dress I made a few years back.  I am posting it for a friend who asked about scalloped necklines.  This dress is from a vintage Simplicity dress from the 1940's.  I have the belt on it backwards because I need to re-do the buckle!  The dress has a side zipper to ease getting it over the shoulders.

The Pattern (I want to live like these ladies!)

The Dress (honestly, dress forms make one look so big.  Surely I am not that big in real life?!)

A close up of the bodice and scallops

Close up of the buttons

Put on your green floral hat, your sensible 1940's shoes, and your gloves and handbag.  You are ready to conquer the world!

Downton Abbey Dress - Finished!

Here is the finished dress.  I was (as usual) literally sewing minutes before the event.  Paul and my friend helped set up for the event while I finished.  I liked this pattern a lot.  It went together well with only one snafu (something weird with the way the underbodice and overbodice armholes went together, i.e., they didn't, and I had to adjust the seams).  I never did get to doing the armhole seam finishing, and only did a basting of the hem (I will remedy these issues later), but the dress was ready to go, just in the nick of time!  The Musicale went very well.  Four ladies performed, and a lovely tea was enjoyed after the performance.  

Before and After - Home Improvement Style (With Trompe l'oeil)!

Last October I had posted about replacing our kitchen windows here.  We finally have the north side of our house re-sided and painted.  Here are two comparison pictures (with Tyler!):

Before photo, windows installed but not painted.

After, windows painted, siding up and painted!

Paul also need to figure out a way to deal with the crawlspace door below the porch area.  We had tried hinging the door, but the gusty winter winds blew it off the hinges.  So Paul figured out a way to rest the door on the concrete lip of the crawlspace, and used movable clips at the top to hold it against the wall.  Then he did a very creative trompe l'oeil to blend it into the rest of the exterior wall:

Side by side withe the real window

Close up view

Talented, creative man he is!

Cutting and Fitting

I made the toile for the bodice of the Downton Abbey Dress.  The fit is nice, but may need some refinements before I am totally done.  I then started the long, laborious process of cutting out the lining, dress, and overlay yesterday.  We were so busy today with other projects that I did not get to sew.  But here is the bodice fabric with the curtain material laid over it.  I was checking to see how I wanted the overlay pattern to lay on the fabric:

The Downton Abbey Dress

I have a tea event coming up in a week and a half.  I have been wracking my brain trying to come up with an idea for an historical reproduction dress to wear for it.  I wanted something reminiscent of the costumes in the series Downton Abbey (gorgeous costumes).  I already had a net overlay with a scalloped hem (actually it is an embroidered  net curtain I found on sale at a home store years ago, saving for an occasion such as this!).  I perused my pattern stash, found two gowns that were really appropriate, but too much trouble as far as making complex toiles (samples of the dress or bodice in scrap fabric to check fit - always a good idea, and will be done for the gown I ended up picking as well), and probably taking loads of time that I do not have.  I finally settled on Laughing Moon # 104, 1909-1913 Day or Evening Dress.  It is not a hard pattern, and I will make a few small changes to suit me.  Today I went to Joann's.  I was originally thinking of a gold fabric to go under the overlay, but then I found this celery green fabric that looks gorgeous underneath it.  I also got a small amount of rose colored fabric for a sash.  

I washed my lining muslin, and began the tedious task of tracing out the pattern in my size on Bosal Create-a-Pattern.  Tomorrow I will make my first toile of the bodice.  Since the bodice is not tightly fitted, it should be an easy task (I hope).  I am so excited about this dress!

Playing on Lyn's Harp

As I work on two new, difficult pieces, I went to a lesson with my long time harp teacher, Lyn.  She owns a harp that I greatly admire.  After the lesson, she was looking at my cell phone, and decided it would be a great time to take a picture of me (not!).  If I had known, I would have dressed up.  But the harp is definitely ready for its close-up: