LBD Update

Is nearly there -



and I need to get off the computer and get this done as I want to wear it to a function on the 30th.

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It was warm enough today to get a photo of me wearing my new coral top - BWOF-05-2008-103 which you saw on Isabel for the Six Piece Sew-Along.

It will also go with both the A-line and straight skirts I showed you yesterday.

Six-Piece Sew Along

Stitcher's Guild is holding a Six Piece Winter Sew Along (December to March) although with the differences in the hemispheres, some of us from "Down Under" are doing a Summer collection e.g.

SUMMER
Dress
Skirt (accent colour)
3 blouses/tops (1 to match skirt, 2 to complement)
1 light layering top/cardigan

I am in desperate need of summer clothes, so I am making:

Dress
Brown patterned dress BWOF 05-2008-104 - completed

Skirt
An A-line skirt using McCall's 2029 OOP in this Brown/pink/orange/coffee linen


Blouses/tops
1. Matching top in the above linen- pattern to be decided
2. Cream bamboo knit - pattern to be decided
3. Coral knit that DS gave me in BWOF-05-2008-103 - completed. I have made this top before here.

Here is the top on Isabel where I have draped the linen to see if they work together.


Light layering top/cardigan
This I am still trying to figure out.

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I had a few questions on "A New Me"

Jenni asked Has she a name yet?

Yes, her name is Isabel, after my DM who was the one who taught me to sew and sewed for me for many years when I was younger.

Kbenco It sounds so much easier than a duct tape dummy, with the tape holding rigid by itself (is this correct?)Is there another name for framer's tape? I am not familiar with this product? Is it tape used for picture frames - and where do you buy it?

Yes the tape is used by framers for the back of the picture frames. It has to be dampened to stick. DS purchased it from a craft store, it comes in a large roll. The tape isn't rigid until it dries, then it can stand by itself.

Frustration and Smiles !!

The LBD has been challenging my sewing skills and knowledge of late and after much deliberation I have decided to make it sleeveless. My fabric after closer scrutiny is a Ronaldo Wool Touch Brazil Suiting. Now I really didn't know what this meant, but I know now this is a fabric that does not like to be eased, has very little if any give to the fabric, and with the tight sleeves of this dress the two were not a suitable mix.

I spent last Saturday at the Alexandria Achievers ASG Group doing a lot of frog stitching and managed to work out how to change this dress to a sleeveless version. It is still not 100% to my liking and instead of rushing it and "just getting it done", I have put it aside this week to restore my sense of achievement.

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This is BWOF 05-2008-104 which is the longer version of this top I made in January. My inspiration came from a dress by Phase Eight I saw in a magazine and my fabric is from KnitWit.

As I had already done the pattern alterations for the orange top, I only had to extend the pattern to a dress and trace off the new band to incoporate the buckle that I purchased when we visited Victoria Island in Canada earlier this year.



I cut this fabric out on Friday night and then on Saturday with my sewing buddies I got it up to the hem stage, and then today after DH levelled the hem for me, I hemmed it with my Janome CP 1000 (I had also used this for the hems on the band) and wore it to the Rhodes Fashion Sewers ASG group for their Christmas Lunch. (You read correclty I attended two ASG Groups and sewed with my regular sewing buddies this month.)

This knit has more stretch than the top I made so the neckline is a bit lower than I normally wear and it did take me quite a few tries to find a necklace that worked, and I can see that I need to find one similar to the one they have pictured with the inspiration dress.

Here is the view from back once I got home.