Simplicity 2472: Rural Jardin Woven

Things that I'm behind on include: blogging; sewing projects; quilting projects; cleaning the house; everything work; uploading photos to flickr; downloading photos from my camera.  But in between not getting things done, I've managed to complete a couple of quick projects. 

Early in the summer, I picked up some lovely French General woven cotton in a large, light blue gingham.  It seemed perfect for a summer dress, but ... well, see above.  Since the weather has cooled, I've had to adjust my original plan to make the dress more suitable for fall.  In the end, I went with a simple shift-type dress with wide, elbow-length sleeves.

I'll be honest: I wasn't sure I liked this dress at first. But it's grown on me and looks equally cute with a cardigan or a belt (or both!).  I added trim to the neckline this time, which I adore.

The verdict?  More shift dresses + trim are in my future.

it's here

It's official: autumn is here.  It's my favourite season, when red and orange and yellow reign supreme, and pumpkin and cinnamon go with everything.

Fall also means perfect quilting weather, and sewing new fall dresses.  I can't wait.

Simplicity 2350: Liberty Dress!

I'll admit to being completely, totally intimidated by the idea of cutting into my Liberty of London fabric.  Last spring I bought a couple of yards from the workroom, and it's still sitting on a shelf in my sewing room.  It's not that it isn't lovely--it really, really is--but I was just so worried about making a mess of anything I tried to create with it.

Fast forward to last week, when the workroom got more Liberty fabric in stock.  I knew that the prints I adored the most would go quickly (they did) so I hurried to get some.  Seeing as pretty fabric really should not be stuck on a shelf, I was determined to make a dress, and quickly.

Enter Simplicity 2360.

I realise that I make a lot of dresses with this shape: cap sleeves, billowy top, and sweet, knee-length skirt with a cinched waist.  But since it's become obvious I really, really love this silhouette, it only made sense that I should make something similar out of my Ebs print.

It didn't take long to understand why everyone loves this fabric so much: in addition to the incredible patterns and it's beautiful, silky texture, Liberty fabric is a dream to sew and feels wonderful next to your skin.

The pattern itself was nearly perfect.  Princess seams give the top a bit more shape than my usual patterns, and the cut of the skirt is lovely. I probably could have used a size smaller, and I certainly should have cut lessened the length of the elastic for the waist by a couple of inches.  In the end, though, I'm quite pleased with my new dress!

 

 Our local forecast tells me that summer isn't quite finished in Toronto, but this dress will transition into fall (my favourite season!) just fine with grey tights and a navy cardigan. And now, I've got two more Liberty dresses to make ...

a matter of time

I should have known it wouldn't take long to start new projects, despite my pledge to whittle my WIPs down to just a few.

First up, this lovely Blossom quilt  from Fig Tree Quilts in my latest colour obsession, gold + pink + soft grey.  The pattern recommends using two layer cakes, but instead I've used regular yardage.  My calculations were mostly correct, but I'm a bit short on my background fabric.  Oops!

Also on the go, a new dress using Liberty fabric, and a couple of surprises I can't share just quite yet (but soon!).  Yay!