It’s Great to be Sewing Again!

27 Jun It’s Great to be Sewing Again!

It is impossible to pick up where I left off since I’ve been gone for so long, and there are no words to describe how happy I am to be back! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who checked in with me. 😘

My husband and I jumped on an opportunity to buy a smaller home in our neighborhood, and at last I’ve caught my breath.  Seizing the moment was the beginning of brutal purging, and cleaning out my sewing room was the most overwhelming of all. After the move I couldn’t face unpacking my sewing materials and they remained stored.

But reimagining a beautiful life in a downsized home led to a profusion of creative opportunities, and once I closed the sewing room door a new creativity emerged.

My love of colors, fabrics, textures, patterns, scale, proportion, nature and everyday aesthetics spread into all facets of my life.

Purging and an absence of sewing left me with a sparse collection of clothing and I began to shop sparingly. I’d like to say I re-entered the clothes shopping scene, a more savvy shopper, but I still found shopping to be hit and miss.

In May, I was caught by surprise when I glimpsed a view of a new Jude Connally dress from the rear.

I was so surprised that I pulled out the portable machine I keep at the beach and removed 8 inches of the dress plus the pockets.

Jude Connally clothing is so easy to wear and the fabrics with sun protection are the best, not to mention blue and white is my fav……… It was a very cute unreturnable dress I bought on sale, but of course if its not worn…… it’s a waste.

Cutting off the length and removing the pockets not only gave the ‘top’ new body and bounce like a good haircut, but the dress makeover turned out to be the impetus to re-enter my beloved world of sewing. 😊😊

All I could think about was returning home to sew a dress from the B&J seersucker I bought two years ago!

 During the last eighteen months, The Real Real and Pinterest became my two of my best online friends 😊

I developed a system of browsing and shopping The Real Real website which made the experience a pleasure….. and an adventure!

I love the free flowing midis and maxis, but voluminous silhouettes swallow me and I proceed cautiously. In April I found a Brochu Walker Havanna Dress on TRR website which appeared to have a flattering fit, and it served as an inspiration for the seersucker dress.

I created a bodice block from Simplicity 8384 and tweaked the fit to the same measurements as the Havana Dress bodice.

Then I made three tiers for the skirt using the same dimensions as the dress.

I added a sash to provide detail and to compliment the heavier weight of the seersucker as compared with the Havana Dress’ lightweight poplin. Also the tiers on my dress do not have buttons.

I’m not wearing shoes because I’m still searching for the perfect pair…….

Sewing this dress piqued my interest in sewing with blocks and I admire the genius use of blocks by many favorite designers. (Oscar de la Renta being one.)

Using leftover fabric from this 2017 dress, I experimented with a yoke block created from an A-line skirt and combined it with two tiers of fabrics.

I’m wearing it with an old Lilly Pulitzer “Elsa” top, and my favorite Tuckenuck earrings. The skirt is clearly an experiment, and I want to tweak the width of the tiers.

It’s a joy to be here again, and I hope you’ll be with me once more to share this new chapter of life 😘

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