No nude pictures - sorry! If that is what you are looking for, well, you won't find it here.
Actually, this post is on my progress on the red dress. I'm just about done and will post final pics as soon as I am.
Over the weekend I worked diligently on the dress. I quickly found that it was much easier to sew (almost) naked than to strip, put the dress on for fitting, strip again, dress again, strip again, fitting again, etc . . . . than to just leave the clothes off. Nobody else was home to catch me in all my glory, so why not. It is surprising how little time it takes to start to feel 'comfortable' in your own skin! My biggest concern was that someone would happen to see me through the woods in our yard and then up through the second story window to the back of the sewing room. There are no curtains, after all.
I took Saturday off to spend with a friend, but by Sunday afternoon I had the lining sewn and attached; making an invisible hem with a 1/2 inch horse hair braid added to give the bottom of the skirt a little more body. Here is what it looks like on the outside -
And this is the inside view -
The 1/2 inch horse hair braid is sewn and hidden inside. The skirt lining will be hand sewn to the bodice -
Then on Monday I made the foundation. Basically a hip length bodice with boning that attaches at the bodice top and back. It is tacked down at the seams at waist level. I've got the foundation attached at this point, but forgot to take pictures; I will do so probably after Thanksgiving. I've attached the foundation at the top of the bodice, but not at the zipper or tacked at the waist. I have decided I need to make sure it will zip before I go any further. Normally, with a fitted garment such as this one, I've had either my youngest daughter, or my husband to help with fitting. My daughter moved out over a year ago, and my husband has been overseas for, well, way too long. He is supposed to be home late tomorrow afternoon. But that is another story. I digress . . .
With nobody here to help me with fitting, I have been doing the best I can. I believe it will zip, but since I can't do it myself, I am hesitant to finish it till I know for sure. So, tomorrow I am going to bring it with me to the bridal shop that I do alterations for. I will have Pennie zip it for me, or not(!) and go from there. I am actually able to zip it all but the last 2 inches or so, and that only because I simply can't reach.
So, until tomorrow - or probably Friday, since my husband gets home tomorrow and then it's Thanksgiving.
So - Happy Thanksgiving all - and Happy Sewing!
Several posts ago, I went over the various fabrics I was gifted with, from Malaysia, and my frustration in deciding which one to use for my formal dress I need to make for an event in December. My decision was made to use the violet embroidered sari fabric -
to make an asymmetrical one-shoulder gown with pleating down one side of the bodice to the low waist, which flowed into an a-line skirt with the border at the bottom. I even had the muslin made up. It even fit! I went to bed that night content in my choice. However. I woke up about 3 a.m. second guessing myself. I know from past experience that when I start to second guess and loose sleep over something, it's time to rethink it. Back to the drawing board I went. I considered what my original choice was, back in August. But I really wanted to use some of the fabric that my husband had brought me from Malaysia. And the red shantung kept calling to me -
So, the red silk shantung it is. I started laying the fabric out today, and 4 hours later, it is ready for marking. I am underlining it with a silk organza, which I pinned to the shantung and cut out the pieces together.
I'm using an Eva Dress pattern (vintage) I had forgotten that I had purchased this summer. It is a strapless, fitted gown with a mermaid style skirt.
I rarely wear red. I almost never wear strapless. But, I know I look best in fitted garments, as opposed to loose, flowing items. And I really love this fabric. The color in the picture really doesn't do it justice. It's almost a raspberry color. I am going to try to remember to take pictures to post as I go. But, I know I usually get busy and forget. I am running on crunch time, too. It has to be done by next Wednesday; at which time I will be getting 4 bridesmaid dresses and a MOB dress, all of which need to be altered by the following Tuesday. And we leave for Vegas a couple days later. Leaving me no time for finishing on my own dress. Wish me luck!
