My Easter "Rose Cluster" Vogue 1027 DKNY Dress

It's crazy Easter has come and gone! I really enjoyed it! I managed to finish my dress in time to wear to church. Easter/Resurrection Day is one of my favorite holidays and such an important part of my Christian faith! So of course I had to make a lovely dress to wear.  I received LOTS of compliments. This dress may look a little familiar since I made it a few years back. It's Vogue DKNY dress # 1027 and it's one of my favorites! It's a high waisted mock wrap dress with ties, full skirt and pockets. I reserve this pattern for my most beautiful fabrics. I used this beautiful floral print named " Rose Cluster" which comes from MyFabricDesigns.com. What's amazing about their fabrics is that any print can be made into 26 different types of fabrics. Yes, it also means you can get your own fabric designs printed or you can choose from their designs for those interested. I chose the Rose Cluster printed on to Modern jersey which is so soft and just the right weight. The dressed sewed together very easy and comes with pockets which I love! I followed the pattern directions except I omitted the waist elastic which wasn't needed. Ok, now for pics.  I want to warn you they're not very good. It was raining for most of the day so we couldn't get many good outdoor shots :(

Front, up close view

 Full view

 Back view

another angle

The fabric really is gorgeous! This pic shows it best!

This photo is courtesy of Esther Griffin photography, Esther is one talented Lady and sure did know how to capture the moment and make us look good. This was a quick impromptu shot (hence my awkward lean in) but it looks like my daughter was more then ready with her pose LOL!

I didn't sew my daughter's dress this go around. I intended to but it got pushed last due to major client work. I even had the fabric and pattern ready but opted to skip it to hang out with the fam the night before. In the past I wouldn't have done that I would've slaved and stressed until I had it finished sewing right before we left for church. It was nice to not put myself under that kind of pressure and chill. I'm getting older and wiser! Besides we had a blast!  It was also nice to get her dress at TJ Maxx for only $14. Heck for that price, I was cool with not sewing (wink). But on a sad note look how big she's getting! My little girl is growing up so fast sniff, sniff!

 Some other highlights from the day----There were well over 60 Baptisms that took place at the end of the Easter services! It was such a beautiful sight! My Hubby even got to help with some of them :)

                               photo courtesy Savannah Christian Church FB


After service we enjoyed going to see Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice---forget Batman and Superman, Wonder Woman is my new favorite! She brought the GIRL POWER for sure!!! And we enjoyed an unconventional Easter meal at our favorite Mongolian restaurant (so thankful I didn't have to cook.) Had fun with these two! They have the same personality! They are a hoot! Nothing but giggles when she's around her Dad LOL

I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter too!!!

McCall's 5269--The Jacquard Holiday Dinner Dress

Sigh.....This has been a long week! Since my last post the "Wee-One"didn't shake her cold entirely and got a little worse. Fortunately after another doctor visit, countless nurse calls, and some much needed TLC she began recovering. With her doing much better (and great Godparents who gave us the night off) the Hubby and I were able to attend the Holiday Dinner on last night. It was sponsored by a wonderful group of ladies belonging to the C2IT Ministries who work to encourage and empower Women. I was able to complete my jacquard dress (mentioned in my last few posts) in time. I ended up really loving this dress and am so happy that I went with this dress instead of my original Vogue 8850 plans. Well here's the review and pics. The image quality wasn't the best since these were captured at night but I believe the beauty of the dress still shines through........

OOP McCall's 5269

Time to Sew:

About 8 hours or so.

Sewing Ease (scale 1 easy to 10 difficult):

This dress wasn't difficult at all. It's basically a princess seam dress but the sleeves required a bit of work since they had lots of pleats. I'd give it a 5.

(a closer view)

Pattern Description:

Straight, fitted, lined dress, below mid-knee has princess seams, yoke front, back zipper and cap sleeve with pleats.

Pattern Sizing:

I cut the size 12 for bodice and graded to a 14 for waist and below.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes!

(Back View)

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Pretty much. This was a very uncomplicated pattern.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I loved the neckline and sleeves.

Fabric Used:
A lovely shimmery & iridescent polyester jacquard with bronze, black, and various shades of gray. I picked this up at a Hancock's in Chattanooga, TN this Summer and was told it was a premier fabric and was only being sold in 10 stores. I was pretty blessed to get my hands on it!

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
*I omitted the vent.
*Did my usual short back alteration--- 1" tuck above the waistline tapering to side seam.

What would you do differently next time?:
*If I used poly jacquard again I would definitely interface all the pieces. The weaving characteristic of the fabric made it a little prone to stretching which I noticed in the neckline. When I made a muslin (see my facebook page for pic) the neckline wasn't as wide. But in the jacquard it was a bit so and posed the risk of my bra showing. This is mainly the reason I decided to wear a shrug---you know for modesty's sake. Next time I'll probably just widen the yoke a little more and raise the neckline just a tad.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I may make this in a casual fabric. It's just a cute dress all around.

Wardrobe Versatility:
It can be worn with or without a cardigan. Also a belt would be a great accessory for it as well. This pattern can be glammed up with fancy fabric or even dressed down.

(I styled the dress with a cute black shrug, black Nine West pumps with patent leather toe, bronze bracelets, fancy earrings and a black little purse that I added a matching fabric flower to.

(I made the fabric flower using the pattern on pg. 27 of THIS BOOK. I originally intended to wear it on my cardigan since I didn't get to buy a necklace in time. When it didn't work right I put it on the purse. It was a cute little detail.

(Earrings up close. Love these!)

Conclusion:
This is a LOVELY dress! So glad I had it in my stash.

BTW: Don't forget about my V-List Giveaway I'm hosting. See my original post here for qualification details. I'll reveal the last 4 items and the winner on Sunday night the 9th instead of the 8th (note: I'm pushing back the deadline 1 day)!!!!

Project Update, Monthly Sewing Goals, Giveaway items 5 & 6!

Happy December to ya!!!! The last few days have flown by and I intended to post. My "Wee-One was under the weather so I've spent that time giving her a little TLC (thankfully she's doing much better) in addition to trying to finish up my  dress and start a new project--an unlined coat.  Minus adding the sleeves and hemming, I'm almost done with the Holiday Dinner dress I have to wear on Thursday. Here's a sneak peek of the bodice.....

(Just need to add sleeves and hem. The fabric is a gorgeous jacquard. Sad you can't really see the metallic bronze, silver colors in my dark sewing room. It' really pretty fabric. Hope to get a better pic when I wear it)

I must admit that I had a little snafu. Something I've NEVER done before. I accidentally cut the lining of the dress while pinking the neckline. So there's a chunk of fabric missing over the armholes.

 See it at the top of the armhole? Crazy, huh??? Well there's a FIRST time for everything. And I was SURPRISINGLY calm about it. I'll repair by adding a black fusible over the area and that will fill the space. No need to cry over spilled milk. Now if it was the jacquard I'd cut up like that I probably would've fainted! LOL!

Ok, moving on. We're in a new month so I need to discuss my sewing plans and recap them from last month AND announce more prizes in my GIVEAWAY!!!!

10,000 Hour Sewing Challenge Recap: Ok, for November I sewed the....
1. Animal Print Peplum
2. Snow Leopard print skirts for ME and the "WEE-ONE"

Some client work and the Thanksgiving holiday slowed me down a bit but I plan to pick up the pace for December. I still to plan to follow my sewing goals listed HERE.

Alrighty then, that's that! Last but not least I want to reveal the next 2 items (#5 & #6) in my "V-List Giveaway". You can find details  HERE on how to qualify.

Giveaway Item #5-- Kwik Sew Tracing cloth 5 yards---I often use tracing materials in place of muslin or to trace on if I want to preserve a pattern piece!
Giveaway Item #6-- Super Glide Tailor's chalk---can be removed when ironed. LOVE THIS STUFF!!!

Don't forget to visit THIS POST for details/qualifications for the Giveaway!!!

Ok, that's it for me! Hope all is going well with you. Until next time....Happy Sewing!!!

Simplicity 3877

I tried so desperately to sew what I'd planned earlier this week . It seems I couldn't channel my inner kadiddlehopper (man, she can sew lightning fast and makes the cutest clothes (smile)) to get it done in record time with my SUPER congested week. I was disappointed until I began digging through some previously sewn dresses and came upon this little UFO.  I started it last year and was interrupted and never finished. It actually was going to be my Mother's Day dress on last year. Since I hadn't seen it in so long I wasn't sure it was going to work. Well after trying it I was pleasantly surprised that it fit just fine and the only thing it needed was a zipper, a hem job and a sash, three things I could definitely squeeze in this week. But you better believe that my lack of sewing on this past week, will totally be made up for in the upcoming week!

 Simplicity 3877


Pattern Description:
Misses dress with fitted princess seam bodice, skirt with godets, and sash
Pattern Sizing:
I cut the size 12
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Absolutely!!!

(A better front view)

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Very much so. Nothing tricky to them.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I loved the mandarin collar and godets in the skirt.
Fabric Used:
100% Rayon
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I didn't need to make any. I didn't follow the patterns instructions for making the sash since the wrong side of my fabric would be visible. Instead I made my own version cutting 2 pieces of fabric 4" wide by 36" long. I sewed them wrong sides together leaving a small opening for turning and sewed up the opening.

(Back View)

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes, I'll definitely sew this one again as well as a few other views of the pattern. I wouldn't sew it again in Rayon. The fabric, although midweight, was not stiff enough to keep the collar erect. Maybe I should have used an interfacing of a heavier weight or rigged it by adding collars stays. I'm sure I'll think of a solution for the next time:)
Conclusion:
This is a very awesome pattern that's easy to sew, fits beautifully, and is very comfortable to wear. It's a great pattern all around!!!

By the Way, on behalf of me and my "wee-one"....... Happy Mother's Day to all of you Wonderful Mothers. Enjoy your special day. You make the world go round for so many. Take time to enjoy yourself and be pampered. You sure deserve it!!!!