A Floral Rayon Romey

I have a thing for comfort. Gathered full skirt dresses with raglan sleeves work for me and are what drew me to the Sew House Seven Romey Gathered Dress pattern. Not only does this have a full skirt but it also has outside pockets that look to be sewn into the seams of the dress. I love this feature much more than in-seam pockets. I also love that this pattern goes up to a size 34 so accessible to a wide range of sizes. I made mine in a size 26.

I used a bubble crepe purchased from Fabric Mart at least five years ago.  I've been sewing with so much new fabric lately that it felt good to pull this from the shelves.

Construction Notes ~

1. The button loop pattern piece cut out was too fiddly for me. I purchased some small Goody Elastics several years ago to use for loops. I saw this tip on Katherine's blog years ago and have used it ever since. It has a good return and I don't have to fiddle with small pattern pieces. BTW, I'd picked out a button to go on the dress but never got around to adding it...and never missed it!

2. The pattern tells you to flat fell the seams. If I was working with a sheer fabric, I would definitely follow these instructions. However, I didn't see the need to do this with my rayon bubble crepe fabric. Let me state here that I'm not a fan of unnecessary finishing techniques when a simple serger finish will work.

3. Putting the neckband on was fiddly. I followed all of the instructions except the one where you fold it under and stitch down. Instead I clean finished the edge by serging the bias neckline piece. I didn't fold the entire neckline piece under.  I understitched and topstitched it down. I mean everything inside is serge finished so I had no problem with this.

4. The pockets ~ I put those pockets on twice and removed them twice, finally leaving them off. I had two issues.  One I couldn't understand how the directions tell you to put them on. Two I believe the pocket pattern is too small for the larger extended sizes. But mostly, I believe this is a ME problem and not a pattern problem. So whenever I make the next one, I will try adding the pockets again.

5. Maximized ~ the last thing I did when cutting out was add 4" to the hemline to make it a maxidress. Cause you know a midi dress wasn't working for me. I added 4" to the hemline because there wasn't a lengthen shorten line in the body of the pattern. Next time I will add one more inch because I like my maxis a little long.

A Few Pictures ~

I will make this again...probably several times!  I love raglan sleeves and this sleeve has some ooomph. It was the perfect dress for those hot & sultry last days of summer. It also received compliments every time I wore it. I highly recommend this dress pattern. 

...as always more later!

Think Twice, Cut Once...

Originally I titled this post, "Remaking" but as I got into it I realized that Think Twice, Cut Once is way more appropriate. As you know fabric drives my creative spirit...and I've been looking for a fabric like this for awhile. It reminds me of some Dolce & Gabbana dresses from a few seasons ago.

Anywhoo, I found this RTW duster on HSN for sale. The fabric was everything I'd been looking for but hadn't found for an exorbitant price. So I purchased two of the largest sizes which were a 2x.

They arrived in a few days and I spent a couple of evenings ripping them apart. There was enough fabric to make a short sleeve maxi dress...the summer maxi dress of my dreams.

That was the easy part.  Deciding exactly what pattern to use, making sure that there was indeed enough fabric for my hopes and dreams, and then pinning and laying everything out, going over it several times, before finally taking a deep breathe and making those first few cuts...

Here is what I ended up with...

Now how did I get here...

First the pattern:

I used my Christine Haynes Verano bodice for this dress. The skirt is made from the two back pieces of both dusters.  They had the length and width I needed plus a bonus they were already hemmed. 

This is the third time using the Verano pattern so I would say it's reached TNT status.  The title of the post, Think Twice Cut Once, is because I had to cut the backs twice. I thought I had two different backs but ending up cutting two of the same side.  Not good.

Supplies:

Fabric ~

Using this fabric is like working with a border print, so I had to slow down the construction a little to think about how I wanted the finished dress to look. Also what I was willing to put up with since I had no extra fabric to pattern match!

To cut out the fronts, I used the already cut, interfaced and topstitched fronts...

The backs came out of two of the duster front pieces. I used the remaining front to cut facings.  Yes, facings.  

Piping & Buttons ~

In my mind's eye, I'd seen the bodice with piping and matching/coordinating orange buttons.  I just KNEW I had both in my abundantly equipped notions stash. Well yes and no...

I did have an orange ribbon that had polka dots on one side and was solid on the other.  I could make the coordinating piping using the ribbon and some purchased piping as the insert.

I did have a cache of orange buttons...but none worked. That meant I was going to resort to my favorite button matching method - covered buttons.  Which I do have a stash of for moments like this. However, when I went through the plastic bin that holds my covered button making stash, I found a bunch of other buttons in the bottom.

While the buttons don't match, they do coordinate with the fabric and the piping that I'd inserted. So I used them because I'd been dragging my feet on making the covered buttons.

Next I used facings to cover the piping. Since my fronts were already sewn down I needed to move away from the instructions and figure out how to make it work. The facings solved my issues.

Once the bodice was complete adding it to the skirt was no problem...

Here are my remade RTW dusters...

I have no idea why I only have one earring on in these photos?

I thought this was going to be a quick one day project even with the piping.  However, when I cut the backs out wrong, I set the dress aside and decided it could wait for my sewcation. BTW, RTW garments whether purchased new or thrifted are a great source of interesting fabric. And in this case solved a fabric desire and ended a chase.

I'm thrilled with the finished garment.  While I wanted short sleeves, once I chose the Verona bodice, I decided I didn't want the "challenge" of making and fitting a short sleeve to the bodice. It was supposed to be a fun, easy sew and I'd already complicated it with the piping & possible covered button situation.

I finished this garment during my Summer Sewcation.  As mentioned before, I didn't feel like taking pictures earlier this fall. So here I am - sharing them now before 2022 becomes a distant memory!

...as always more later!

Metamorphosis

Once upon a time in the year 2020, back when the plague times first descended upon the world, I came into existence. I was created to hold back some of the horror of the death and disease that was in our midst. In the home times, when we weren't allowed to venture forth, I came into being...

Now two years have passed and the world has moved on so I've evolved too. I've become a fifth of a quartet of makes. But I'm the only one that is birthed from an original Myosotis make. It is my claim to fame.

Here are my components ~

4 yards of pink chambray from Fabric Mart

1 yard of Rifle Paper & Co. from the original dress

12 pink buttons from the original dress

Please note the difference in me versus the other versions are my sleeves which were borrowed from Vogue 9266 and enlarged. Here are a few photos of the process...

Enlarging the sleeves using the Vogue 9299 sleeve pattern

The "Slice & Spread" method

Followed the instructions in this book!

Some other construction photos...

The bodice constructed using the accent fabric for the collar and the sleeve cuffs

I was almost finished when I realized I wanted the contrast print 

to not only be the bodice facing but the skirt facing too.  

This is that facing being applied.

When I FINALLY start adding buttonholes and buttons, I'm almost done!

Otherwise, I'm like my summer companions. Myosotis' who've been created to replace the ones made during the plague or in the before times when hope lived.

A few more shots of me shining...

Originally I put covered buttons on the dress front but 

after criticism by my daughters I removed them...

...and went with my original plan of reusing the original buttons!

One thing my Maker has realized is that not all creations should be donated. Some of them have more life to live and should be lovingly dissembled to bring forth a new garment. 

I am that new garment...

I've worn this dress several times.  Out to dinner with my daughters and to work but I've never gotten a picture of me wearing it. I shared it on the dressform because I really need to clear these 2022 posts out of my queue and make space for 2023.

...as always more later!

Breathe

Y'all I feel like I'm just coming up for air and able to breathe freely for the first time in a minute.  It's been a challenging fall but I can feel the page turning. The urge to create is strong.

I'm on Holiday break from December 20, 2022 - January 2, 2023.  Fourteen days off to celebrate with my family, relax, and jumpstart my sewing passion.  I'm going to try hard to get those last garments up on the blog before the end of the year.  I really don't want to carry those posts into the new year.

I've cleaned off my sewing/cutting table.  This was it's original state:  

Here it is now:

It's looked like the top picture for so long that to have moved things around and prepped the top to actually use is so encouraging!

I reorganized my patterns. They've been moved from piles all over my sewing room to the blue & white tote next to the sewing table.  The patterns I really want to work on next are on top of the table waiting for fabrics to be paired with them.

Moved some fabric around and reviewed my Fall Sewing List. I really feel like making some tops for this winter.  I have plenty of shirts and need some variety to wear over my jeans and knit pants when going into the office.

The last photo is of my sewing machine eagerly waiting for me...

So that's my plan...it's not an ambitious one...but hopefully it will restart my sewing journeys.

...as always more later!