catnap dress
A few months ago I started seeing glimpses of this catnap fabric on the web and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. One night in January, I saw it was for sale and rushed the store first thing in the morning to snatch up some yards of it. I knew I wanted to make a cat dress. Coincidentally, Lizzy House, the designer of the catnap fabric, announced she was having a cat nap dress contest. It was the perfect motivation to get my dress made.
I used the Washi pattern again, like with my spiderweb dress but made some alterations this time around. I added some darts at the waist so the whole front wasn’t as flat, added a collar and sleeves. I’m still not 100% sure I love the sleeves so there is a possibility I’ll remove them later.
I’m officially starting a cat dress collection. It seems necessary. I also am going to to have to get more comfortable with having my photo taken if I’m going to keep making dresses since at the moment it’s a fairly excruciating process (unless I have a cat buddy to help).
spiderweb washi dress
I realized recently that though I make clothes for myself fairly often, I don’t usually take the time to photograph them. I made this dress back in November but it’s taken this long to make it to the blog. I used the Washi Dress patten which works really well with stiffer fabrics. It’s really good for making stuff from your favorite patterned quilting fabric rather than traditional apparel fabric. I also love empire waists, and was thrilled to find a pattern that was neither for a child or maternity wear.
I made the whole thing in about two evenings, it was very fast. If I had more time, I would have made some alterations to the cut, but it fit well overall, particularly because the back is cinched with elastic thread. I accidentally cut the skirt fabric upside down, so the spiderwebs are hanging up rather than down but it’s not devastatingly noticeable.
In other news, I’ve added a PROJECTS page to the blog so I can keep track of finished things. There’s a new button over on right sidebar if you’re ever interested. Eventually I’ll add a section of future projects since I always have a list running in the back of my head. I could also add recipes there if that’s something that you all might be interested in. Let me know!
blue laurel
I made a new Laurel dress over the weekend. I’m not nearly as happy with it as the first one. The dress itself if quite cute but it doesn’t seem to fit me as well. I think the main problem lies in that I had forgotten to pre-shrink the fabric on the first version so it is just a touch more fitting than this one. I’ll most likely give this one a hot wash before moving forward with any other alterations.
On the other hand, I am really happy with how the fabric looks and since it is just a touch too big it’s quite comfortable.
It is the last day of September and I’m so terribly excited for October. I’ve already begun a list of horror movies to watch. September has been mostly a drag. It hasn’t been a very busy month and I thought I would have more time to accomplish little projects but as of right now I’ve only crossed off 3 items from my to do list. I’m looking forward to putting this month to a close and starting my favorite month of all!
Laurel
I finished my Laurel dress! Hooray! I made few simple alterations, adding some darts in the front, lowering the neckline and embellishing with a pleated bib. Having such an easy pattern allowed me to flex my creativity a bit in making the dress exactly what I wanted. I’m already brainstorming my next dress. I think I’d like to try it in knit or something a little more flowy. With it’s light weight and soft colors, this dress will be perfect for spring and summer.
photos by Shawn Bannon
the one hour dress
Recently I’ve been spending a lot of time on the internet. Let me clarify that. I’ve been spending more time on the internet than usual, which was already a lot. It’s not good. I mean, hey, I love the internet as much as the next girl, but things have gone overboard and I can feel it. It’s a double edged sword for me, as I have a really difficult time connecting to people in real life (one day I will write something about this introversion and shyness…one day…), and the web gives me a way to have social interaction. Such a conundrum.
Lately though, I just feel drained. I feel as if it is literally sucking the life and creativity out of me. My motivation has been lost somewhere in the ether to twitter and instagram and it makes me feel like I am no longer myself.
I’m taking a step away from the computer as much as possible, and diving into other things, into making and creating and contemplating.
I came across this pattern for a one hour dress and I thought it would be ideal to get me on the path away from the virtual and back to the real. It was indeed, as this simple one hour dress turned into a much much larger project (I stopped keeping track of how long it took after hour 4). Working at my sewing machine, I felt energized, and even with my mistakes and missteps, I forged onward, until it was done, and I was happy. I found a certain level of gratification in making something utilitarian like a dress that can be worn regularly.
It’s nothing particularly fancy, but it’s exactly the style I like. It’s comfortable. It has pockets. Most importantly, I made it. That in itself brings me a lot of satisfaction.
This weekend I hope to step away from the allure of the internet and continue to make things or simply enjoy a quite walk outdoors. I hope you’ll join me.
*I thought I should add that I do clearly see how it might seem hypocritical to write about getting away from the web on a blog, but my trouble lays in the consumption rather than what I put out there. It’s easy to get sucked into social media and arguments and articles, whereas my blog is my own space.
