Saturday, August 31, 2013

Seven Core Sewing Skills by Cynthia Guffey

I'm a huge Cynthia Guffey fan. H-U-G-E! About a decade ago I spent two days at the Worcester Expo taking all of her classes.  Those classes, as well as, the books I brought home with me changed my sewing. It changed the way I measured myself, how I sewed and the speed with which I sewed.



Yesterday,  Ann McCormick left a message on Facebook about the Cynthia Guffey sewing classes on dailycrafttv.  Well you know I was all over this.  I purchased the Seven Core Sewing Skills to review here on the blog. There are two other classes and I will be purchasing both of them.  Ann also agreed to review one of the other classes, How to Fit a Jacket. (Updated to add a link to Ann's review, here!)

Now to give you a little background and I promise this will be short.  I've purchased a couple of Craftsy courses.  I've watched them about half way through and I've lost interest.  Not because they aren't thorough or well-taught but because I was bored.  This is not a judgement against Craftsy or the teacher.  It's me...totally me.  But for the Cynthia Guffey class I was glued to the computer and very resentful when I got a phone call and had to stop the video.  So a few observations...

The title makes it seem as if this would be a basic and easy video that discusses a few skills to up your game.  Ummmmm no!  About five minutes in, I knew this video was for the intermediate/advanced sewist.  Why do you ask? Because CG is delving hard into these topics.  She's not glossing over.  She is explaining the why-fors and the how-tos and if you're a newbie or an advanced beginner you will need to watch carefully to get what she's discussing.  Hey I stopped the tape a couple of times and rewatched a section because it was intricate and there is a lot of detail in the 59 minute video.

Her top seven skills ~
1.  Grain/Grainlines/Getting the grainline right
2.  Pinning the garment 
3.  Marking the garment
4.  Cutting the garment out
5.  Pressing the seams
6.  How to sew a perfect dart
7.  Matching seams at intersections

A huge part of this video is dedicated to grainlines and how to sew a garment perfectly on grain.  There are quite a few tips that will change how your garment hangs.  There were several pieces of information that just blew my mind...how Cynthia presses seams open, how she makes tailor tacks, how she handles seam intersections and how she clips a seam.

I will watch this video again, honestly several more times because there was so much information to glean from it that there was no way that I got it all the first time. Also, I want to incorporate quite a few of these things into my sewing to take my sewing to the next level.

Oh one more thing...the cost.  Each of CG's videos cost $9.99.  I think this is a price that most sewists can afford and it is sooooooo worth it!  Once you've paid for it, you can watch it over and over again.  Back it up...see it again...rewatch again and again until the techniques Cynthia teaches become habit.  At least that's what I'm going to do!

I highly recommend purchasing the videos.  There are more in the sewing section and some are less expensive than the $9.99.  It's another video resource that can only help you enhance your craft.

...as always more later!

Thursday, August 29, 2013

So it begins...


This is where I'm planning on spending some of the next 10 days.  The astute will notice that I said "some"...see it's like this.  Originally I'd planned a 12 day immersion in my sewing cave.  I'd planned to eat, sleep and live in the sewing cave just sewing, sewing, sewing.  Then I said I'd host our annual family Labor Day celebration - ummmmm, I don't even have a grill...*sigh*

But it's okay, I figured I'd lose two days to this AND it really is my turn...so 30 family members will be descending upon me this weekend.  But it was okay because I had 12 sewing days...by losing two I would still have 10 days of sewing pleasure.

Then some really important meetings landed on the calendar at work.  Did I tell you that I got a new boss and some new responsibilities?  Did I tell you that I'm now an integral part of these meetings?  Oh and did I tell you that a member of the team started to freak out when they found out I was on vacation part of that week?  Well you know what happened next...yeap lost two of those vacation days.

So, I'm now down to ten vacation days...two of which will be used working on the Labor Day celebration. I'm not disappointed...just a little deflated.  I know that I still have eight days but some of the expansiveness of time is now missing.  I will soldier on.

My "Fall Sewing List" has 16 garments on it.  The Chado Ralph Rucci pieces don't even appear on this list.  However, I learned a valuable lesson from this past Sunday's sew.  Plan less...sew more.  I've picked six pieces from my list to work on during the "reduced" sewcation.  One of those pieces is a straight skirt ~ yes, it will be made in a trendy fabric ~ but seriously an involved straight skirt takes me three hours to sew.  See, Plan less...sew more.

I don't want a repeat of last summer's sew.  It was truly unfulfilling...even now a year later I remember how hollow it made me feel.  I need these eight sewing days to be calming and productive because the week that follows will be hectic and full of long hard work days. Okay this sounds like I'm talking to the confessional camera on one of those reality shows. *LOL*

Anywhooo, tomorrow I wake up at a decent time...no more 5:35ams for me for the next 10 days!  Woooo hooooo!  I head to Home Depot to purchase a grill. Make out my shopping list for the supermarket to deliver ~ yeah I'm hosting but I'm not biting that "going to the supermarket to shop" bullet!  No way! *LOL*  My daughter will show up to help me clean and set up AND I will enjoy the time with my family.

Then it's onto sewing, sewing and more sewing.  If you're so inclined, stick around to see the five maybe six items that come out of my sewing machine.

And I'm hanging this sign on the sewing cave's door...


Found on Pinterest


...as always more later!



Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Sale Alert - One Day Only!

Mood Fabrics entire site is 20% off TODAY ONLY!!!  This is a rarity peoples so I would jump right on it! 




Now I'm sure you're wondering if I'm going to partake...actually no!  I'm sticking with my "no more fabric until 2014 rule" unless it's for Mood projects! But this is a great opportunity to acquire some fabric that you might normally pass on...so don't miss it!  As Betty Rubble and Wilma Flintstone would say, "Charge IT!"  *LOL*

...as always more later!



Monday, August 26, 2013

Chado Ralph Rucci Fabric - Some Construction Info

Sunday was a good sewing day.  Maybe it helped that I posted very early Sunday morning so I paid no attention to the blog for the rest of the day...maybe it was that it was peaceful and quiet ~ everyone out doing their own thing leaving me alone...or maybe it was just that I'm obsessed with this fabric.

However, I think it was because I set a very low goal for myself on Sunday. After getting everything cut out Saturday evening, I thought I would just trace all the darts, cut out all the interfacing/support, and serge finish all of the pieces. That was my goal for Sunday to get everything ready to sew since my sewcation starts on Friday.

Well that's not what happened.  I got into the zone and I got the shells for both the dress and the skirt finished. There is still a lot of work left to be done with both pieces, but they look so amazing, if I must say so myself, that I'm just in awe of this fabric.

Seriously, I tell y'all to buy a lot of fabric but if you can afford to get some of this, please buy it in one of the two colorways - purple/black or charteuse green/black. It has been a total joy to work with and sew! It's $25 per yard, about 55" wide and a mid-weight hand. If you're not in the NYC area, please call Mood at 212.730.5003 and ask about it.

Okay now to the pieces...

I put a lot of thought into these pieces before choosing patterns and cutting them out. I know that the process seems like it went really fast but I was very invested in this piece so I was obsessing over it. After realizing I could get three pieces out of the fabric, I went for it.

The dress ~
I started with my Whitney version of my TNT dress pattern and I used the purple bands to color block. Here is where it stands now:




A few construction pictures...


Added a stripe of ltwt fusible knit to the center backs
before applying the invisible zipper to prevent 
rippling when inserting the zipper

Added seam tape to the shoulders 
to stabilize them and prevent stretching

This dress also will have long sleeves.  I want to wear this dress alone without a cardigan or jacket.  I don't want anything covering the color blocking so of course the sleeves have a little of the purple on them too.



Like I said I still have to line and hem this dress...but I feel like I'm in the home stretch and I'm so thrilled with the dress already.

The skirt ~


This is NOT the real color of the purple! It's much richer!!!

I went simple with the skirt on purpose. It will have a small waistband in black ~ there will only be purple at the hemline. This skirt also has a back vent, not a slit. I took my time with this because I really want to pay homage to how beautiful this fabric is.  

Also, I want this skirt to mix and match with several things already in my wardrobe AND the jacket that I'm working on from this fabric that's a little funky. The jacket is the only thing that I haven't worked on even though I meant to! But how can I be upset when I ended up with these two awesome pieces...



If you're following me on instagram, you've seen the pic above, because I posted it as a sneak peek last night.  During the sewcation, I will be photographing things first on Instagram because it's so much easier to take a quick pic, caption it and keep sewing than to stop and blog.  My goal for this sewcation is to sew, sew, sew!  I will be blogging but it won't be a priority.  

This will probably be my last post on these pieces until they appear on the Mood Sewing Network!  When I have a date, I'll let you know.

I'm very excited...because my sewcation is actually at hand.  It's days away and I know what projects I'm going to work on.  Did I say I'm excited...okay I'm sooooooo excited! *LOL*

...as always more later!

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Working with the Chado Ralph Rucci Fabric - Part 1

First for those who haven't been around long, you should know that if I had to name my top three designers they would be Michael Kors, Carolina Herrara and Ralph Rucci and not necessarily in that order.  So to be working with a piece of fabric that Ralph Rucci ordered for his use is not only inspiring but wonderous.  Bold adjectives I know but I'm a girl that likes fashion and fabric...so combine the two and I'm in heaven!

After searching through several of Rucci's collections, I found this dress in his Fall 2013 RTW collection that appears to use the black & purple double knit fabric:



I went through a few ideas before seeing this picture and finally decided to color block a dress, make a straight skirt and use the leftover fabric to cut out a simple jacket.  

I've cut the dress first using the pattern pieces from my Whitney Dress. It's perfect for color blocking and I feel it would use the fabric to it's best advantage.



I've been wanting to make another version of this dress and this fabric is perfect for it.  However, for this latest version I've added long sleeves.  I want to wear this dress alone and not cover up any of the design features.



The jacket was cut using a pattern I haven't sewn in several years which is now out of print. I was actually looking for another one when I touched this pattern.  I pulled the instruction sheet out of the folder and realized that I remembered how much I liked wearing this jacket and how easily it went together. It's unlined which is what I also want for the jacket in this grouping. I've made two versions of this Vogue pattern before, here and here.

The skirt pieces were cut using my TNT straight skirt pattern.  They were the easiest pieces to cut from the fabric because I wasn't adventurous with the cutting.  The skirt will be lined as will the dress.

I know this is an ambitious plan but I've managed to get all three garments out of the 4 3/4 yards using quite a bit of creative cutting!



Here is the pile of scraps that are left after all of the pieces were cut out...



So this is where I am now. Future posts will be about the construction of and decisions that need to be made for the garments.  I have a few ideas swirling around that need to be handled during the construction phase that will affect the look of the finished garments.  Boy doesn't that sound mysterious! *LOL*

...as always more later!





Saturday, August 24, 2013

I want to try this...

I got home last night and my new issue of Threads (October/November 2013) was waiting for me.




The article that intrigued me was called, "Draft New Necklines for Basic Patterns."



I've wanted some new basic colored sheath dresses for fall.  You know in navy blue, red, and orange...all from fabrics in the collection.  However, I didn't want to make a whole bunch of lined sheath dresses using my TNT dress pattern.  I'd been eyeing some sheath dresses from RTW with different necklines and I really didn't want to purchase a whole lot of patterns to get these changes.  This article solves my challenges.

So through the fall and winter I will be adding a couple of new sheath dresses to my wardrobe and I'm using the article in Threads to get my new necklines. I'm kinda thrilled about that!

The other article that caught my eye was the one that's featured on the cover, "Gorgeous Embellished Fabrics."  I've been drooling over this Valentino dress from the Fall 2013 collection that's been featured in all of the September fashion magazines.



It's a little elaborate for my everyday life.  However, I keep thinking that I can find a lace somewhere in the garment district or at Mood that will work with my lifestyle and allow me to make my version of this dress.  Hopefully, I will get to this before the season changes...we'll see!


+ + + + +


Last night I saw the movie, "The Butler".  I really liked the movie. Although I don't know how I missed the fact that it was going to have such a historical perspective...which was emotional for me since I was a little girl in the 60s. Anyway, if you get a chance, go see it.

I follow the blog, Couture Allure Vintage Fashion Blog, and she did a blog post on the fashion in the movie.  The costume designer, Ruth Carter, did an interview and it's included in the post.  It's pretty interesting, so check it out.


+ + + + +

I got this in the mail yesterday also. Isn't it adorable?  


Thanks Rachelle!


+ + + + +

I don't know if I'm sewing today.  It's been a busy week and I'm a little tired. I really feel like just lazing around, watching TV, surfing the internet and doing nuthin'!

...as always more later!


Friday, August 23, 2013

Instagram Did Me In!

Seriously peoples if you're not following Mood Fabrics on Instagram, you are missing out!  They posted this the other day...




...and with some encouragement from my friend, Elizabeth, I hopped on the A train in the pouring rain to go claim some for myself.  It's a wool double knit that has a medium to heavy weight hand.  It's not coat weight as in outerwear but it is definitely jacket weight and it comes in the chartreuse pictured as well as the purple I purchased.  Although not so heavy that you can't make a winter dress with it...which is part of my intention!  C'mon you knew I was making a dress...when ain't I making a dress! *LOL*



Anyway this fabric just kicked my next couple of projects down a notch.  It will be my September Mood Project (thereby not breaking the can't buy fabric until 2014 rule) and since I've sketched a pretty involved outfit for it, I will start working on this sooner rather than later. It definitely will be a part of my sewcation!

But in full disclosure, this isn't the only piece I've purchased from Mood after seeing it on Instagram.  Y'all know I love me some pleather and leather is trending hot for Fall 2013.  It is EVERYWHERE! So after seeing this on Instagram...




I bought a 1/2 yard when I purchased my menswear fabric last month. Just to let you know, this is already cut out and waiting to be sewn. Just.need.some.time!

I know what you're going to ask next.  Don't they show fabrics on Instagram that are only in the NYC store?  Yes, sometimes and sometimes things are available online too.  It's noted in the comments when it's in the store or when it's online. If it's only in the store, ask, they tell you who to call and what department.  So see it's win win!  You can come in, call in or surf in but you CAN purchase the Instagram fabric.

So what are you waiting for?  Pull out those android phones, iPhones, and iPads and install the Instagram app...it's free and it's fun!  Oh and I'm "diaryofasewingfanatic" on Instagram!  See you there!


...as always more later!


p.s. Only four more work days to sewcation! *doing the Snoopy happy dance!* 

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Menswear Suiting for Fall

This month's garment is a combination of menswear suiting and wool crepe.



A dress (yes another dress!) that works with my style aesthetic and the corporate dress code that governs my days...oh and most importantly I'm sewing fall now.  Yes, I know that there are still lovely summer breezes blowing and days full of heat and humidity...but every fashion magazine is telling me it's fall...and quite frankly this year I actually want to sew fall early.

So with two things in mind (designer interpretation and fall fashions) I went to the Mens' Suiting Department on the Third Floor of the Mood NYC store.  I love this area.  It's been set apart and set up like you're walking into a men's haberdashery.  The fabric is very appealingly placed and I've been looking for a reason to sew something from this area of the store.  Moodfabrics.com has a plethora of suiting in wool solids and plaids, if you're looking for a suiting to sew your first fall garment.

I picked a subtle lightweight wool plaid suiting and a vivid lightweight blue wool crepe.  The blue of the wool crepe highlights the blue in the suiting.


...and I used my TNT dress pattern which is my basic work dress silhouette.  Construction details can be found in this post...cause you have to take care when sewing plaids to insure that they match...even when you only match a side and back seam.


...a side view to show the blue side of the dress and sleeve.


I added some striped piping to the dress' neckline and sleeve hems, to add a dash of interesting to my basic dress...



I made the short sleeves reflect the front fabric...gray sleeve cut on the bias for the suiting side and blue wool crepe for the blue side...


...especially since the back is the solid plaid fabric...


I love looking down the front of the dress to see the two fabrics working together...


There are two things that are important about this dress.
1.  It's my first fall dress
2.  This dress is all about the fabric

I can't wait for the first cool fall day to wear this dress.  It's not flashy, just a little fashion forward, a perfect dress for my conservative and very corporate work place.  So while I know that these are the last balmy days of summer...I'm definitely sewing fall now!

...as always more later!



Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Crazy for Barbie

I don't know about you but I love Barbie.  Even as a grown ass woman - I love Barbie.  I still remember the first one I received as a little girl...she was a Malibu Barbie with tanned skin that was darker than my own and with long silky blonde hair.  It made me want to be a blonde long before Mary J. Blige dyed her locks blonde.

As I stated in an earlier post, I've finally become Pinterest obsessed.  One of the boards I found was "Crazy for Barbie."  I'm following the board and love when the owner updates it because she "pins" the most amazing Barbie dolls and outfits. They are just truly awesome.

Then Coach Leatherware issued a Coach Barbie...



You know she's already been added to my Christmas List! *LOL*  Cause I am a grown ass woman who loves Barbie!  To prove it, here are a few of the Barbies who occupy my sewing room...


I'm sure part of my love of Barbie started as a little girl especially since my first sewing projects were for my Malibu Barbie & Ken and their friends.  See how I tied those two things so neatly together! *LOL*

..as always more later!

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Sunday Evening Reflections...


  • I didn't sew much this weekend.  
  • I finished up my Mood project and it's just okay.  
  • I'm not thrilled with it.
  • 9 work days is too long to wait for vacay
  • Don't know how I'm going to make it.
  • Have immersed myself in fall
  • So I'm ready for the seasons to change
  • Gawd, just wishing my life away.
  • I sat down and rewrote my sewing list 
  • I'm even more excited to sew now.
  • Love the new Lafayette 148 line
  • OMG, I want to sew so much of it!  
  • Especially since the styles have been equally translated between regular and plus size.
  • This is definitely on my to sew list...
  • It's from Lafayette 148's new fall line, I want it bad!
  • I'm going to make a quick jacket before heading back to the Burda dress
  • I need something fantastic and wow to come out of my sewing machine
  • I got two more bins of fabric out of the garage.
  • One by totally emptying it
  • The other by bringing it into the sewing room
  • I'm going to see if I can shove some of it onto the shelves.
  • Right now it's sitting by the door - that's as far as it can come into the room
  • I've started a fabric pile for the next month's giveaways.
  • Honestly the larger heavier pieces won't be given away
  • Because they cost too much to ship - just in case anyone is wondering.
  • I think I need to upgrade from my point and shoot camera
  • Not happy about that because I really don't want to learn how to use another one.
  • BMV patterns are back on sale - AGAIN!
  • Starting to get worried about how often they are on sale
  • Not buying anything this time - I think 14 patterns from the last two sales are enough
  • Plus I seem to only sew my TNT patterns anyway...
Well, those are my thoughts this Sunday evening.  I'm going to end with a picture of my two favorite people...



...as always more later!



Saturday, August 17, 2013

More Scandal and Sewing

It's the second Scandal weekend and I've spent the day watching it.  No sewing...probably tomorrow because I need to finish up my August Mood Project.


See that pile?!  That is the fabric that I've promised others from my collection. Those boxes are going to blog owners so I'm hoping that they will share with others what I've shared with them. Can I tell you that this was HARD!  I love my fabric collection so trying to pick 4 pieces to give away several times over is challenging.  Especially since I don't want anyone thinking that I'm giving them leftovers and keeping the good stuff for myself.  I'm also hoping that the pieces I pick will be liked and appreciated in their new homes...

I can see some space on several of the shelves now.  This will be 20 more pieces of fabric out of the collection along with the yardage I've sewn.  But honestly this is just a drop in the bucket.  I still haven't touched the four large bins in the garage yet.  I'm thinking next month's winner is going to get "garage fabric" so that I can make a dent in those bins!  

Speaking of fabric...Alexandra, thanks for contacting me.  I will put your fabric in the mail this week.


+ + + + +

All of the fall magazines I subscribe to are finally here.  That's a lot of ad pages and trees...but I'm wallowing in them and enjoying the glossy ads.  I will have my "What I want to sew for fall" list soon...but just know that there will be quite a bit of pleather sewn this fall/winter!  That I can happily say will come from my collection.


+ + + + +

After my Mood project is complete, I'll be headed back to the Burda dress.  I have 9 work days left before I go on vacation and I may or may not finish it before then but I'm not worried because then I'll have 10 vacation days to wallow in my sewing room.  

Hopefully I'll have a better output and experience than I did last year...cause I really can't wait for this sewing vacay.  It calms and centers me, allowing me to spend quality time creating, without the deadlines of the weekend. Work has been all-consuming these last couple of months and I really just want to sleep late and sew.  

I actually found a quote on Pinterest that says that...


That's my weekend round-up!  Hope you are having a good one making things you love!

...as always more later!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

The August Fabric Giveaway Winner Is...

So there were 366 responses which translated into 37 printed pages.  I had to cut up all of those responses to add to "The Jar" so that I could pick one winner a month until the end of the year.

366 responses received

It took a bit to get them all in the jar!

But first I would like to share about my personal progress.  I had a goal here too and that was not to purchase any more fabric besides my Mood monthly allotment until the end of the year.  I can say that I haven't bought one yard since July 1st.  I really thought it would be a struggle because the way some people self medicate with food, I buy fabric. Having a bad day at work, buy a few yards.  Got a great new idea, buy a few yards. Spending time on the internet, read someone's blog, see what they bought, I'd buy a few yards.  

But these last few weeks have been okay I haven't had any great urge to purchase a piece of fabric. I think it's because I keep looking at the views of my newly cleaned sewing room on my iPad to remember that I don't need more.  It also helps that if I get the desire for a piece of fabric I can channel it into my Mood monthly allotment.  

Also these views really help...



...because I own ALOT of beautiful fabric...and now some of it is coming to one lucky winner every month until the end of the year. 

brown printed ponte, yellow floral rayon challis
textured pink knit, green floral linen

So let's get on with it...this month's winner of four pieces of fabric is....

**Aleksandra Robinson**

Please leave your email address in the comment section by Friday evening (August 16, 2013).  I would like to ship this out on Saturday (along with all the other people I owe fabric too!)  Congratulations!!!!

Next month I'll pick another winner...so if you put your name in the jar you have four more chances to win some of the fabric from my collection.  I will also update you then on my progress with keeping my "no more fabric until 2014" goal!

...as always more later!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

I Couldn't Wait...

I walked past the newsstand this morning on the way to the subway and I saw the September InStyle Magazine. *sigh*  I wanted it so bad but I have a subscription so I have to wait.  I also have a subscription to Bazaar, Allure and Marie Claire. The only September issue I've received is from Marie Claire...and I always like to buy the September Vogue from the newsstand...somehow it seems like that's the way it's suppose to be.



However, when I got to work today (after doing my civic duty and voting in the NJ Democratic Primaries), I whipped out my iPad and downloaded the new September Vogue and the September Bazaar.  Seriously I just can't wait for the US Mail to get their act together and get them to my mailbox.


I'm so glad that I did though...because the interactives in the September Vogue are awesome!  Anna actually narrates a piece that's included in the editor's letter. So if you haven't received your fave September fashion magazines and own an iPad or a Kindle - try downloading them!  It's worth it!!

Tomorrow I pull the name of the first winner of "The Fabric Giveway"...so stay tuned!

...as always more later!

Sunday, August 11, 2013

August Mood Project

After vegging in front of the TV all day yesterday, because I was caught up in the Scandal marathon, I realized that I probably needed to work on my August Mood Project next instead of the Burda dress.  I'm on a deadline with the AMP whereas the Burda dress can be sewn at my leisure.

So after the marathon concluded for this week, I pulled out my fabrics and patterns to work on my next designer interpretation.  Of course the starting point for my version of this look is a variation of my TNT pattern.  

I looked for the pattern pieces that I used to make my CK Dress.  I'm sure they're here, just not where I remember putting them since the room redo. Instead I found pattern pieces from this dress, which were acceptable for my purposes.  I made two new dress front pattern pieces - by employing the pattern sandwich - and I was ready to begin laying out the pattern. 

Pattern Layout is vital to this dress.  Even though the plaid is large and faint, I still want it to match at the side and center back seams. To make this work, I chose to single cut the pattern pieces for the dress. I only need a side front and the two back pieces so it's not like it would be a complicated cut.  But matching the plaid pieces was important to me, so important that I hand basted the side seam AND the center back seam after inserting the invisible zipper.

Basting in the center back of the dress

Ltwt fusible interfacing for the zipper
and the hand basting for the plaid match

Hand basting the side seams together prior to machine stitching

After matching the plaids, it was an easy sew.  I've made this dress quite a few times so assembling the shell wasn't a problem.  It's just when I hung up the dress, it looked plain. 

Can you see how the solid blue wool crepe pulls
the blue plaid out of the gray suiting

I know I picked a more subtle plaid than the bolder plaid used in the designer original ~ in my opinion, this plaid is what really made the designer dress pop. Every time I look at my version I know I picked the right fabric for my work environment...just what to do to give this dress some zing!

After dinner out with the family, I decided that this is no longer an interpretation, it's more of "An Inspired By" piece.  That allowed me to go my own way so I'm adding short sleeves and piping to the dress.

I spent the evening making piping...

Bias binding pressed in half

Stitching the filler into the bias binding

Finished piping - notice how the bias is striping


...it's a little print vs. print but since it's a small dose and doesn't fight with the base fabric I'm going with it.  So that's where I am with my August Mood Project.  I'll finish it up next weekend.

...as always more later!




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