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.