And Sew it begins

My mother taught me to sew when I was little. I remember having a little toy sewing machine, but it sucked! It had not bobbin so basically just pushed thread through your fabric, but didn't hold anything together. I was very excited to work on my Moms machine which actually sewed items together. My Mom showed me some basic stuff and by the time I was in High School I was making my own clothes. I was totally into the New Romantic look and with a mix of punk rock, so I made a lot of black and red plaid skirts, with sashes that matched. I also loved making little vests. When I tried to make things from a pattern, that's when all hell broke loose. Nothing came out right, one arm was tighter then the other, it was crooked or lopsided, so I sort of gave up. Until 25 years later, when I got out my machine, bought a pattern, fabric, notions and made a little prayer! One of my big doscoveries was, to READ THE DIRECTIONS.

I am very good at following instructions, and realized as a 16 year old I wasn't really doing it right. I mean there are little DOTS on the patterns that you need a special fabric marker to mark off, and NOTCHES to cut, and to make sure you cut the pattern out right!

 So I picked me an easy pattern, EASY stitch and Save they like to call it, but I did have a few struggles. Like when it said to baste things, whaaa hand sew something? Then there was the interfacing issue and the inside interfacing part. Accuracy is required! I wasn't 100%, but then I am sure only I will notice.  Over all I am thrilled with my dress, which I have now made reversible! You see making a dress is like a buying a dress before you put it on, sometimes it just doesn't look right! Well this dress made me look pregnant! So I flipped it around backwards and Voila! It worked! Then one of the other styles on the pattern had a belt for the dress, so I sewed a little belt and then when I wear it frontways, it looks cute. I also added the ruffle myself. I was inspired by this very talented seamstress Deb Hodge from Breathing Beside Us. She is AMAZING! I could never make clothes like she does, so beautiful and romantic, never the less I am truly inspired by her style and her trademark ruffles, so ruffles it was! Making this dress has certainly inspired me to make some more things. Hey maybe I might even make something from a "big girl" pattern someday!

{dress on backwards look}

{dress on forwards look}

-Denise