Dress!

This is by far the most difficult thing I’ve made to date, which basically means you can’t bag on the slightly misshapen collar, the length that didn’t quite stretch as long as I imagined and the over-sized buttons. (This is the one area where being a seamster reveals its true disadvantages. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to make your own buttons when you’re working with enormous, calloused sausage fingers? I just about called Kathy Lee and said, “Send me one of your 9-year-old factory workers!”) But still, I’m rather pleased with the outcome, despite the fact that the colors are clearly meant for the fall. Yes, I started this with Thanksgiving Dinner in mind and finished it just in time for Valentine’s Day.

I’ll offer a brief caveat on the difficulty. It’s definitely the most difficult thing I’ve made — the placket, the collar, the long sleeves and all that bias tape; it took a long time to get all these details right and thank god for Dana’s guidance and help — but it’s oddly not a difficult pattern to complete, if that makes any sense. I combined two of Oliver and Ss kick-ass dress patterns to make something unique, substituting the pockets for an orange sash and using the bias tape around the hems for a touch of flair. Unfortunately, I think this led to a shorter dress but I’ll add some length next time. Dana didn’t think the orange would go at all, but I think it works. With a fabric that god-awful busy, it definitely needed something.

Emme and I went to the museum today to get out of the house and do some coloring, and on the way home, these two guys were following us into the MUNI station.

“Oh my god? That dress is just too cute!” one of the guys gushed, and you have no idea how hard it was not to blurt out, “I fucking made that, sister!”

So I’ll say it right now.

She seemed pleased with it.

Button and placket detail.

Sash detail. I got rid of belt loops because it already seemed too short and I didn’t want to bunch it up.