It's Time...

Yes it is peoples, it's time for me to sew!  Do you know that today is June 25th and I've made nuthin' this month!  Absolutely, freakin' nuthin'!!!  Since I must have my Mood garment finished by Thursday evening to post on the Mood Sewing Network on Friday, you know I'm turning my sewing machine on for that.  So look for at least one in-progress post soon.

Also look for a few more quick and easy pieces.  Now that I've worn only what I've previously made for the last four weeks, I realize that there are a few things lacking in my wardrobe that I'd like to add.  Now I could easily purchase those things but with 70 full to the brim garbage bags of fabric sitting in my dining room, I can tell you that I won't be buying much until the memory of putting it all back fades. *sigh*

Which brings me to this dress...

I posted about Butterick 5211 last July 30th.  36 wonderful people left very nice compliments about this dress when I posted it.  Even with their encouragement, I was kinda "meh" about the dress so I never wore it.  Just left it hanging in the sewing workroom until it had to be taken upstairs because of the sewing room clean out.  Last night I saw it hanging and decided that it was time to wear it.  It's over 90 degrees today.  It's a lightweight dress, perfect for hot as hell summer days and suddenly I wasn't as "meh" about it especially since it didn't need to be ironed.  

Can I tell you that those 36 people were geniuses and able to see something that I couldn't...even though I'd made the dress! I'm wearing it today and it's perfect! Perfect I tell you...so I'm trying to figure out what I didn't like about it!  

Anyway, I have loads more of those trendy rayons left...one in a really pretty pink floral (just gotta find the dayum thing!) that I can sooooo see in this dress.  Oh and I'm wearing it with the self tie belt.  So Gay, the answer to your question is...I'm just wearing it for the first time today! 

It's July so it must be fall...
Lastly, is it just me or isn't it a little annoying that it's the end of June, it's blazing hot outside and all of the stores and designers are showing pre-fall.  Seriously?! It's too dayum hot out to think about a coat or even a jacket for that matter! Couldn't they have held off ohhhh for just a few more weeks!  Seasons are coming faster and faster these days!

A closing shot...
My photographer/friend at work is now on maternity leave...so I snatched up my co-worker to take my pics...

...as always more later!

Butterick 5211

Here is the dress on me...

Stats ~
Pattern:

Butterick 5211

Fabric:
Trendy Rayon Print

Notions:
9" invisible zipper
fusible knit interfacing

This is a very easy dress to make.  Of course, I added some involved techniques along with the simple to create my own dress. 

Pattern Alterations ~

• I used a pivot and slide technique on the dress front to get a little more room in the abdomen area.
• I added one inch to the center back seam.
• Two inches were added to the lengthen/shorten line.
• Another inch was added to the hemline.

Construction Techniques ~

• I added a 9" invisible zipper to the back neckline instead of the button and loop closure.  I hate button/loop closures because they never stay close on me.
• A vent was added to the back seam.
• To make the neckline fit closer, I added a pleat to the neckline and stitched it down 3 inches.

I had to stop myself from adding even more techniques to this simple dress especially since I'm not sure that it's going to wear well.  I don't know what it is about me but I always seem to take things to the next level where sewing is concerned.  Anyway, once it's worn out and about I will decide whether or not to make the next two versions.  The fabric has been chosen, pre-washed, ironed and set aside for future versions.

More pics... 

Dress worn with belt purchased 

from The Avenue

Worn with self fabric tie

Worn with purchased sweater

from Issac Mizrahi/QVC

Back view of sweater & dress

Conclusion ~
This is a simple sew.  Great for beginners and easy for intermediate and advanced sewists.  I have a few more adjustments that I want to make to the pattern, if I make it again because this is not a silhouette that I normally wear.  The last time I made a dress with a tie waistline was in June 2008.  This dress is another step in my changing up my sewing routine and trying out some new styles.

...as always more later!

Sunday Evening Update

I've been sewing though I have no pics.  It was a quiet day at home today which means no daughter and grandchildren, so no pictures.  I'll get them up as soon as I can.  However, over the last week I've become obsessed with this Coldwater Creek dress after I received an email from them showcasing their new summer dresses.  One of the dresses featured in the ad reminded me of Butterick 5211.  Now this dress has been in Butterick's pattern catalogue for several years and I've looked at it a couple of times but always passed it over.  

However, this year the temps have been terribly hot and since my office has been moved to another floor, our daily dress code has been loosened.  I mean on high holy meeting days we all revert back to black, navy and gray but when the office is not experiencing those days, I can wear bright colors and larger prints.  Also it's summer...and it's the summer of bright pops of color, huge floral prints, and bright abstract prints.  When perusing my summer wardrobe, I have a few dresses like this but nothing that works well with the high temps and high humidity we've been experiencing.

So I decided that since I have loads of material to create new dresses that I would delve into some of it and come up with a few new pieces to use with the Butterick 5211 pattern.  Now this dress doesn't appear on any of my sewing lists.  I saw it. I wanted it. I sewed it.  I even found a piece of fabric in the collection that was similar to the Coldwater Creek one...a green rayon print purchased last year from Fabric Mart.

I spent this afternoon putting it together.  Now this is a sack of a dress that's light and airy and will be perfect for hot summer days.  I pulled two more pieces of fabric to make additional versions but decided that I need to actually wear this dress before whipping up some more that may or may not be worn.  I don't mind sacrificing one piece of fabric but I'm not yet ready to give up two pieces that I really like!

So this was my quickie following my involved dress...because the Valentino Panel Dress is done.  Again pictures when my daughter shows up next because I've just not mastered the art of taking pictures by myself.  I have a hanger shot, I just don't think it does the dress justice.

However, I do have a parting shot to share...for the last few weeks I've been sitting with the curtains closed covering my fabric.  It hit me the other night that maybe the reason I've been buying fabric lately is because I have my inspiration covered up.  So here it is uncovered and the way I've had it for the past week...

I haven't bought a piece since...but boy do I see some garments I want to make!

...as always more later!