a new dress makes it all better

Not much sew-y got done around my house last week.  Three of the five of us were sick, the smallest one significantly so as to land him at the ER and warrant three separate blood draws.  There was also a 5th birthday of my poor middle child thrown in there somewhere.  But I did drag my machine out on Saturday night in an effort to get something, anything crossed off my list.  So, in honor of a new, and hopefully better week, I wore a new dress to church yesterday.

 

 

Do you recognize it?  It’s the dress from this 1963 Vogue pattern for my invisible zipper assignment

 

that ended up looking like a burlap sack.

I took it in two inches on each side, another inch at the back darts, I’m-not-telling inches in the bust, raised the hem, and now:

Much better.

 

I still really don’t like the sleeves.  I’ve unpicked and resewn them three times, including once 30 minutes before I had to leave for church yesterday.  Maybe that’s why I couldn’t get them to work, breaking a commandment and all?  So until I solve their ugly little problem, that cardigan stays.  Trust me, it’s for the best.

 

But I am very happy with the dress,overall.  And it really was a little treat to be able to wear it at the end of a very long, tiring and stressful week.  Another treat was hanging out with my friend and neighbor, Camilla, who loaned me her earrings, fixed my hair, and took pictures for me while we sat in her front room chatting so I could get away from the sickies in my house for an hour or so.  Fun fact:  if I ever look at all put-together or fashion forward in the least, most likely Camilla acted as my stylist for the day.  She needs to organize a website and market her mad skills.  Or not, because then she might be too busy to play dress-up with me. 

So yay for friends that offer sanctuary and jewelry, new dresses that don’t make you feel like a bag of groceries, comprehensive medical plans, and completed projects.  Now if I can just avoid getting sick, maybe I can finally get to that notched-collar assignment.  Keep your fingers crossed.