Finally some sewing!!

This is my next project. I knew I wanted to make this dress the first time I saw it. Coincidentally I just bought the latest Threads issue and there's a great article on inner/underlining that I really need to pay attention to.

Until I started reading blogs I never would have thought of an underlining. So I'm headed to Joann's after work (the only fabric store in my area) to get fabric, underlining, and lining.

Also, Lovely at That's So Live has posted that Pattern Review has a great contest going on now. Find a RTW item that you love and do your own knock off. My first inclination was to pass it by, but it sounds like too much fun. It would have to be simple (for me) and I know it wouldn't win but we have to give the judges something to do, right?





My traced pattern with seams butted next to each other. The picture with my finger is the back top and back bottom pinned together. There was a gap that shouldn't have been there so I had to dig out the pattern once again and measure my copy to theirs. Since they matched up I decided that I was probably a little off with my darts.
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I've bought the fabric and it's already washed and dried. Of course it's all polyester. The only way JoAnn's will ever offer anything of quality would be if silk worms descended upon them and held them hostage.

But I think I'm making this far too difficult. I traced the pattern from BWOF but did not add seam allowances at that time. I then traced the pattern onto my muslin fabric with a pen, these will be my stitching lines, meaning I'll sew directly onto these lines.

But when I traced the pattern onto the muslin (cheap $1.00 WalMart fabric) I knew I was going to just cut 1" or so SA's around these lines but I wasn't going to be exact. SO! since I only traced on the top layer of doubled fabric, needless to say the tracing lines are not on the bottom layer. But since I intend for these lines to be my sewing lines that means tracing each piece TWICE. First with the pattern right side up and then flipped over. Double the work. Am I making sense? By the way, I didn't want to use a tracing wheel with carbon paper sandwiched in between because I feel that the fabric shifts too much using that process.

Now I'm going to sew the muslin together and check for fit.



Here's the fabric. I wanted a burnt orange but decided I might end up looking like the great pumpkin!

Then I'll trace the finished muslin onto the underlining (organza) with the stitching lines once again traced onto them, baste the underlining to the fashion fabric and treat as one.
Again, I think I'm making this more difficult than I need to.
I will post some pictures as soon as I can get my lazy computer to do something, anything!!!!. (I think maybe it's a reincarnated teenager!)

I went home for lunch, kicked the computer, and forced it to spit out some pictures. It retaliated by printing out a picture of my messy sewing area.

And to close, here's a picture of my little sewing friend, Chlorox. Such a sweet, timid kitty. Not at all like the Beast! And she's assured me that she had nothing to do with the New Year's debacle.