Sunday, June 8, 2014

Dogs and a Dress

Finally a post, and some sewing.

We took the dogs to the dog beach on Davis Island today. We've been a few times in the last month since it's only a few miles away, and it's free. ;-)

That speck in the middle of the pic is Dani taking a dip.


Chili saying howdy in "dogspeak."


And trotting along to find more butts to sniff.


And that's the extent of the useable dog beach pics. It was way too bright to see my shots on the camera screen so most were blurs or shadows. But we all had a great time, photographic evidence notwithstanding.

Yesterday, I dug out a spot in the disaster that is my sewing room. I've still got fabric and other crap from the move everywhere. Plus my sewing table won't make the turn into the room so it now has a spot on the back porch, disassembled, until I chuck it. Once I have a steady income again, I'm going to have to buy a foldable cutting table, like the one I used to have. And a big clothes rack. OMG. No closet space. Urgh. And no space for my ironing board so it's living in the hallway just outside the sewing room door.

Anyway ... at the long-term temp job I've been working until something permanent happens, I've seen some ladies my general age and build rocking some shift dresses. Which is a style I like in theory, just usually not on me. But I noticed their dresses were synthenic drapey knits and the wheels started turning. And then stopped on some stashed ITY and Vogue 8805, which I made before from interlock and which was so ugly and unflattering, I tossed it before ever finishing. But I held onto the pattern. I hardly ever toss a pattern even if it has taken a walk to Wadderville. I suppose when I run low on pattern cabinet space, I might rethink that but until then ...


I'm glad I gave it another go because I think I have a winner, even if I'm a bit late to the colorblocking party. The print hides lumps, the ITY skims me and shows shape instead of a sack silhouette, and the third fabric gives an unexpected accent and pop of color in all that brown. Pardon the beach hair and red face. Oh, the sacrifices I make in the name of blogging. ;-)

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And the back view ... which really is straight but hanging crooked for this pic. Of course. Keeping it real here at Stitches and Seams. :-)


I scooped the neckline lower than the original pattern, eliminated the keyhole back opening, and then  trimmed off the seam allowances and bound it with a 3/8"-A binder on my coverstitcher.


Blurry close-up of third fabric inset.


And one more gratuitous shot.



And that was my weekend. How was yours?

Also, I know lots of pics, links, etc. are broken/missing throughout the blog and I'll work on it as money and time permit.

50 comments:

  1. Oooh ITY is a great idea for this pattern. I've been eyeing it but never quite sure what to use for the color combo :)

    Love the shoes too!

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  2. Love the fabric combo in this dress. Think I have this pattern so need to dig it out...

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  3. A lovely dress. Love the colours and contrast.

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  4. I'm very happy to SEE you and I really like the new dress! I tend to use your blog roll on the side as a list of blogs to read (a special kind of lazy?) and I've sure missed seeing an update from you.

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  5. Isn't it funny how a different fabric can make such a difference for a pattern?

    I'm so glad you posted again!

    Now to go look at my patterns with fresh eyes ...

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  6. Nice fabric combination. Never would have thought to use those color combinations, but they look good together. The dress looks great on you.

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  7. What Nursebennett said. Hooray, you're back. I hope you are a happy as you look! McDonna

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  8. So glad u r back!! I missed ur posts! Great dress!

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  9. First, I'm glad you're settling into your new place and that you're sewing again. I'm sure as time and money permits you will turn your sewing room into something that works for you. I just hope to see more of your sewing emerge. And the Vogue dress looks great on you!

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  10. I think that is a great dress on you -- very flattering! And I love those shoes, too:)

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  11. The dress looks great and so do you. Good to see your post.

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  12. Woo-hoo, Debbie is back! Love, love your dress, it looks great on you and fabulous fabric mixing. Great job and nice to see you again.

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  13. Hey! There you are! It's nice to see you again. Your dress looks great! Love the color block/pattern combo. It's very flattering.

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  14. nice to see you back. love the dress

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  15. Great combination of fabrics really add interest to this dress. Very flattering on you. Definitely a winner. Lovely to see you back.

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  16. Glad you are back! I missed you. Great fabric combo.

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  17. A great come back piece! Welcome back :)

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  18. Love the dress! I was thinking about you yesterday and wondering how you were. Glad to see that you live and breathe...and sew!

    Anyhoo, your adaptations of the sheath style and the colorblocking trend are really working for you. That circly print is very cool.

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  19. Glad to see you back. I've missed your posts.

    The dress looks great

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  20. Glad to see you back! The Tampa corgi people go to that dog beach often, but I've never driven over. Would love to connect with you at some point, if you're into sewing talk or just lunch or whatever! K

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  21. 1. Missed your posts
    2. Amazed -with fabric in boxes, you pulled the right combination.
    3. It's all in the right fabric.
    4. You look great.

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  22. Welcome back! I love the freshness of the brown and white and turquoise for summertime. Nice to see your smiling face -- and to reassure you that we'll still love you, even if your ironing board is out in the hallway (mine lives in the living room, the only spot with enough floor space near a working electrical outlet).

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  23. So glad to have an update from you! You look great in your new dress!

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  24. Great look on you!! I love shift dresses, although I hadn't noticed that one before. It has good bones!

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  25. That's such a cute dress! I'd seen so many wadders on curvy figures come out of this pattern (including your earlier one) that I'd scrapped my own plans for it. Clearly, your fabric choice and modifications really did wonders for this pattern.

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  26. Oh. I love this dress!

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  27. Sew very happy to find a post and I love your dress. It looks great on you. Bet the dogs like the new place from seeing the photos. I hate it about your nice table. I have a folding one that lives in my living room under an antique quilt. I don't have room for one in my packed sewing room. My kitchen table is round so have to depend on the fold up one. If your back permits you can use one of those folding cardboards on a bed which is what I used to do.

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  28. I reallty like your color blocking and the dress. Glad to see that you are still hanging in there.

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  29. Glad to see you've found temp work while looking for something real. And it's great that you and the dogs are enjoying the beach. That dress came out well, maybe because of the colorblocking? Glad you tried it again, the initial foray to Wadderville notwithstanding.

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  30. Wow! This is an awesome dress and looks great on you. Super job, Debbie.

    You've been missed so a big welcome back to blogging! Hope to see more as you can find time.

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  31. Great to hear from you and I love that dress. Good to see that you are enjoying the beach. But mostly WEY HEY SHE;S BACK!

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  32. Hi Debbie,

    I'm so glad you are back! I check in daily .... Not a stalker, really :) I finally got a coverstitch machine, went *immediately* to your tutorials and the photos won't load. I'm grateful for the text, but if, when you have time, you could check the coverstitch photos, I would be eternally grateful....

    Gail

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  33. Whoops...missed that last sentence about "I know links aren't working"... My apologies and I'll be grateful for what's there! Thanks for continuing to post, love to see what you are making.

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  34. You have such a lovely smile and your dress is very cute.

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  35. Delighted and relieved to hear what you've been up to. You are fearless. That dress would have been impossible for me to wear, but you look so good in it.I've learned a lot about working with knits just by reading your blog.
    Laura

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  36. Love the color blocking and the fit! Very flattering.

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  37. Hi Debbie,

    So glad you are back. Lovely dress, colors and smile.
    Hang in there.
    After 5 years of under-employment I quit my part time teaching job. I can now work on writing my blog.
    Anywho, so happy to see you enjoying a day at the beach.

    Josie Huber

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  38. You look terrific in your new dress. I'm so glad you posted it; I've missed one of my favorite inspirational bloggers - a lot!

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  39. Nice to see you again! The beach hair and "red face?" is becoming...don't apologize! Glad you found the will to sew again...moving is so stressful!

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  40. You look so happy! Its so nice to see you happy and sewing. I envy the beach.

    That dress looks fabulous on you. i really should try this pattern, it works so well with the right fabric and you sure found the right stuff!

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  41. Hi Debbie -
    Read you years ago and always loved your posts.

    Glad to find you again.

    Dee

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  42. Welcome back, Debbie! Hope you're enjoying Tampa living and settling in to the new place.

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  43. So glad to hear from you. I have missed your post! Love the dress. Color blocking is next on my agenda.

    Keep posting!

    Bonnie

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  44. I missed you. You made a beautiful dress.

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  45. Debbie This dress soooo suits you.

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  46. Debbie This dress soooo suits you.

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  47. I am glad you are back to blogging and the dress looks great on you.

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  48. Taking a look at your sidebar, it would seem you're no longer following me. That's fine, people have changing tastes and preferences, etc. but I find it incredibly interesting as so many of us have stuck by while you suffered some setbacks, spent many months unable to sew, weren't posting, etc. That's life and it happens to all of us. Plenty of others have equally demanding issues that are difficult and life-changing. I don't follow people simply because they're "sewing" (current/passt/future). I follow for the person. Maybe I'm an anomaly.

    I have also had to take a huge step back from sewing the past 18 months due to life things. I guess here's where you and I differ: You delete me from your "friends" list, and I still ignorantly check in to make sure you are okay.

    Feel the irony.

    You know I believe this is the catalyst for me to leave the sewing and blogging world behind for good. I don't really need one more person telling me I'm unimportant and of no value.

    I have unsubbed and won't be back. I do wish you the best. Please don't feel it necessary to respond to this in any way or make a big deal about it in a ranty post (I won't see it, for one, and it would essentially only be for your own attention seeking). Please just delete it. I only wanted to let you know that your actions do affect others, even when you might not think they will, and this world we have been a part of together for more than 10 years is actually very small. That's a lesson that we should all remember from time to time.

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Thank you for each and every comment. I appreciate them all, but I have to be honest and let you know that I'm usually bad about answering questions. I hope you understand that there just isn't enough time in the day to do everything I want to do.

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