Vogue 1224 = Woo hoo!!!

This Tracey Reese design from Vogue Patterns had been sitting on my floor all cut out and ready to sew for months. I decided it needed to be one of my challenge goals for August, and I managed to get it made just under the wire (finished the morning of the 31st!). I finally got a chance to wear it and get some pictures (many thanks to my husband!).

I bought the beautiful border-print knit from Gorgeous Fabrics last summer with the intention of using it with this pattern. (It took me a year, but at least I finally got it made!) For the skirt lining, I used a nude-colored polyester interlock I bought at Hancock Fabrics.

I cut a size 16, and made a couple of adjustments to the pattern, based on the reviews I read:

• Lengthened the bodice by 1-1/2 inches.
• Lengthened the skirt by 2 inches.
• Omitted the ties at the neckline (I have cats and a preschooler... long ties just aren't practical for me).
• Omitted the separate casing pieces at the waist-- I opted instead to stitch down the seam allowance where the skirt and bodice are joined and used that as the casing.
• Ignored the cutting instructions for the skirt pieces so that I could take advantage of the lovely border on the fabric.

This was actually a very easy dress to put together. I'm kind of kicking myself that it took me so long to get around to making it.

I love that it is something I wear anytime. It is comfy enough for everyday wear and I can still dress it up for an occasion with the right shoes and accessories. I really think I will get good wear out of this project and I can totally see myself making another dress like this if I find the right fabric for it.

Hip-hip-hooray for a happy new dress!

August accomplishments

It has been a busy month full of fun family adventure (vacations, outings, and activities galore), but not a whole lot of crafting (and even less blogging). However, I did manage to complete my August goals for Carrie P.'s Nothing but UFOs Challenge. It took me until the last day of the month, but I did it. Woo hoo!

1. Baby Bot quilt:
   
   
   
   
   Done!
   
   
2. Mod Mosaic quilt:
   
   
   
   
   Quilting is complete and the binding is now in progress (2 sides to go!). I'm really pleased with this one. Crossing my fingers that it will join the finished pile very soon!
   
   
3. Vogue 1224:
   
   
   
   
   I completed it this morning! Woo! But then I spent the day doing yard work and was too gross to put it on for a picture, so the slightly blurry hanger shot will have to do for now.

Yay for progress! And, as always, many thanks to the fabulous and inspiring Carrie P. for hosting the challenge (and helping me get my bum in gear!).

I plan to do separate write-ups so I can share more details about each of these projects (and more pictures!) very soon. Hmmm... maybe I should try making some blogging-oriented goals for September? I've got some catch-up to do!

UFO Challenge - August

Woo!!! I can hardly believe it-- I was the winner in July's Nothing but UFOs Challenge hosted by Carrie P. at A Passion for Applique! What a treat!

Since I seem to be on a bit of a roll still, joining the challenge for August will be a good motivator for me and help keep me on track. (One can always hope!) So here are my three goals for August:

1. Baby Bot quilt:
   
   
   
   
   Baby is due any day now, so I want to get this one DONE! Still to do: binding and label.
   
   
2. Mod Mosaic quilt:
   
   
   
   
   This one is basted. I'd really like to get it quilted. Even better would be finished-- but that might be stretching it a bit considering how much time I have available in August... it is a busy month!
   
   
3. Vogue 1224:
   
   
   
   
   It has been cut out for three months now. I would really like to get this sewn so I can actually wear it at least one time before summer is over.
   
   

Meanwhile, I am still feeling the itch to work on other things... new things... I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to stay UFO-focused. But I'm gonna give it a go!

Feeling dressy...

Last night, I finally took some time to cut out a couple dress patterns I've been wanting to make.

First up is the Cake Patterns Tiramisu knit dress:



I traced this pattern back in February, but needed to step away from it for a bit (my angst at putting together the .pdf pattern was just too great!). I'm using a beautiful teal double knit I purchased from fabric.com last year. I'm excited to finally have it all cut out now and to give it a go!











Also on the docket is Vogue 1224:

For this one, I am using a beautiful border print jersey I purchased from Gorgeous Fabrics last summer (sadly no longer available).










They both seem to be relatively simple designs, so I am hopeful that I'll have a new dress (or two!) soon.