Easter Dress

Here's my Easter Dress, which I finished just in time:

These aren't great photos, but here is the back: I used a cotton voile I got from Chadwicks here in town. It's a delicate floral print:

This shirtdress gave me fits. Which I don't understand because I this was the fourth time I had used this pattern, from the 1950s:

I've used it to make the Crab Dress:

And this one:

Clearly, I made some changes: 1) I put a gathered skirt on it instead of a three panel skirt; 2) I made elbow length cuffed sleeves that I borrowed from this pattern; 3) I made a shawl-like collar instead of the notched; and 4) I made the bottom bodice darts to be tucks instead.

Still, this dress shouldn't have been this hard. I couldn't figure out how to get the collar on properly and I had to visit VickiW to get it sorted out. This made no sense, as I have made this dress several times before. While trimming the sleeve allowances, I nicked the front bodice with my sissors, which I repaired with a little fusible interfacing; I don't know how long it will hold. Finally, for whatever reason, the waist ended up too big, so I used a lace scarf as sash. All these issues caused me to wonder if I had used up all my sewing knowledge on my wedding dress, and now I have become a sewing idiot - it was all so frustrating.

I think one of the problems was that I was too ambitious for this fabric. I think this delicate voile wanted to be a summer blouse and I tried too much and made it a dress instead! The fabric wrinkles like crazy, so in retrospect a blouse would have made much more sense. I originally made the skirt ankle length, aiming for a Downtown Abbey sort of look, but I ended up more with a Christian Fundalmentalist Ranch sort of look instead, so I took more than ten inches off the length, hemming it just below the knee so as to diminish dowdy factor.

I love shirtdresses, but I realize this isn't the most chic look, and the gathered skirt makes it less so. Still, I think this will become a good Saturday-running-errands dress - it will be very cool and comfortable. Next time, though, I'll make it more like the Crab Dress!

The Crab Dress Goes to London!

I spent last week in London; business for me, but a vacation for my mother, who hadn't visited in fifty years! Of course, the Crab Dress had to go too, and on our first full day there, we headed over to the Victoria & Albert Museum which is my absolutely favorite museum in London: The V&A is dedicated to art and design, which includes fashion. Mother and I enjoyed the wardrobe displays of women's dresses and suits from the 1600s to the present day, as well as the history of the man's suit. I always hit the V&A on every visit to London, and if you go I heartily recommend it. I have never been able to see the entire museum as I always begin with the fashion collection. My next favorite collection is the British furnishings displays from the 1500s to the 1700s. Just let me live there and sleep in the Bed of Ware!

The museum also has an excellent cafe and a paddling pool which the British used because they thought 76 degrees was hot:

We were exceedingly blessed with excellent weather, the better to show off Big Ben:

We went to the British Museum as well, near our hotel:

Is this not the most stunning museum you have ever seen? I was able to see the Rosetta Stone, one of my goals in life, along with an excellent Egyptian collection which included several mummies. As my mother said, "The British really know how to do a museum." And it is all free.

We stayed near the Covent Garden area and went to a restaurant one night that is decorated to look like the theatre itself:

Apparently, the restaurant has live opera singing every Sunday and Monday nights, but fortunately we missed that and just had a quiet meal instead.

No fabric shopping for me all week; I was tempted to go to Liberty's to shop for Liberty fabrics, but I've been there before and I have decided I am just too bourgeois to pay that much money for cotton fabric. (Now silk - silk is a different story!) It was a great trip, and I won't bore you with too many photos, but London is a city you could go to year after year and never see it all. Still, it is good to be home!

Parting Shot: One of the most moving experiences of the trip: a group of the blind were visiting the Battle of Britain Memorial and were feeling the relief sculpture:

A Good Day

I realize I haven't posted in a month, and I have no excuse except that Life just got in the way. When we last left off, I was sewing madly for a black tie ball WHICH I got finished except for handsewing the lining down in the bodice. I ended up not stressing about it, and wearing the usual little black dress instead. To compensate, I bought outrageously expensive shoes instead, so I was completely dressed for the ball.

Photos of the silk dress will follow soon. I am waiting for my mother to arrive for a visit and she will be able to take some proper photos of me in the dress (I think it fits beautifully), with and without the crinoline.

Today, however, was my birthday, and thus, the Crab Dress made its first appearance of the year! I love this shirtdress; I made it from a vintage pattern from the 1950's - I'll have to look up the pattern number. I've made three versions, but this is my favorite, because what is not to love about blue crabs? The photo above was taken in a used bookstore I visited in Carytown today. I had never been in it before and found several used quilting books. It was fun browsing through it all; plus, the shop has a resident cat! I didn't catch his name, but I'll try to get properly introduced next time.

And here is the dress in a second hand vintage dress shop called Bygones in Carytown as well. The women who worked in the shop wanted to know if the dress was vintage. I could have stayed there all day because not only do they have vintage clothing, but they sell vintage patterns. I resisted, though because I have so many vintage patterns I haven't even touched yet.

Here is the pattern:

And here is a close up of the blue crabs:

Here are the books I got at the bookstore. The Big Book of Quilting was $ 9.50 and the book on bindings was $ 6.50:

And what would a special day be without flowers from my friend Eileen?

VickiW was very generous. She gave me this darling pin cushion, which I shamelessly asked for:

AND she made me these wonderful potholders. (I shamelessly asked for these as well.) She surprised me by making them in the same fabrics I am using to make a quilt for my bed. So my potholders will match my quilt. I told Vicki that they were too nice to use, but she reminded me that they wouldn't be used much, given the amount of cooking I actually do. She is right and I love them:

Her birthday postcard arrived right on time, and it apparently represents her sewing room floor!

My friend Tony sent me one of my favorite cards because it had this magnificent cat on it:

And my friend Joe sent me a card, with this brochure from a quilting exhibit he saw at a museum in Nebraska. I have never heard of Grace Synder, but I want to learn more about her:

A wonderful day, all the way around. I appreciate everyone's phone calls and well wishes. I can't believe I am this old. My parents can't believe they have a child this old. I always tell my mother that grey hair doesn't mean you are old - unless it is on your kids!

Parting Shot: Still to come. I promise we will return to our regularly scheduled sewing programming soon.