Think, Think. . . Ponder, Ponder. . . CUT!

So. . . I put the top on the dress form and pinned the valance (skirt) around it.
I left it there hanging quite askew with pins everywhere.
And I walked past it all day long.


Dress or jacket?
Long or short?
Is it going to open down the front?
Which way will the pleats on the valance go?




This morning I removed the stitching from the valance
(forming the casings for the curtain rod) and washed, dried and ironed it smooth. The piece is now much longer. I think I added about 10 inches to the length. All the stitching marks and fold lines came out nicely.






And somewhere during this process, I decided on the dress.
I am not sure why.
But it seemed the way to go.




The problem that I had been concerned about is on each end of the valance. Where the pleats are gathered up; there are 9 layers of fabric - well 18 if you count the lining! And I wasn't sure how that would hang. So, I messed around with it for quite awhile on the ironing board. And holding up to me to see the drape.

. . . And then it was time.

There is that moment when you decide to pick up the scissors and you know there will be NO GOING BACK. And so I cut.
I removed the bulkiness of all those pleat layers.

Then, I seamed up the two ends of the valance.
Now I have a "skirt". Basically, with a small kick pleat style slit in the back.

However, when I finished sewing it together,
I realized the pleats on either end had not really been exactly even. Hanging as a curtain valance, nobody would have ever noticed. But bringing those sides together to form a skirt, now created a pronounced difference in how far the pleats were from the fringe edges of the fabric.



Those pleated edges which I had trimmed off formed a long piece of nearly finished fabric. I re-ironed this tube of fabric; cut it into three equal pieces and designed 3 small bows.
The first I placed where the pleat lines did not "line up".
And now I have two remaining bows to use elsewhere on the dress.


Actually, I think I know right where to place them!


What is it that they say?
"Necessity is the mother of invention."
I think that's it.




I really hate using the seam ripper and re-doing what I already did. So my projects are full of "work arounds."



Well, check out the photos and see what you think.


I think those tiny bows look a bit classy.
And if I hadn't mentioned it .. . you'd probably think they were PLANNED!

Golden Ideas

Sooo. . .
I have a million ideas. That is not good as it seems to have overwhelmed me.
The base color of the items that I purchased was an array of golden hues. What did I find in my leftovers and scraps that would add to the final garment? Way too much (muchas mas cosas!)

Here goes with a few photos:


I recently made a wedding dress for a beautiful beach wedding.
The dress was gold and I have just a few small remaining scraps of the sequin lace and a few leftover buttons.






I have the leftover fabric scraps from a skirt that I recently made for myself.









And, I found about 2 yards of a matching suede-look fabric with a more earthy brown tone.





And, baubles of every color.
Yikes! My bead collection consists of a bowl of pearls and beads. . . I am quite the disorganized person as I notice in the photo a misplaced button and lost earring back amidst the beads and pearls. Geez! Life is way too "messy" to have everything in a place of it's own.

I would feel lost if I got too organized around here.

OH yeah I found a string of crazy gold pearls that was once upon a time supposed to be part of a retro flapper dress that I never made. And, I will throw that in just in case.

I am aiming for my submission to be for the February issue of the magazine.
Its the "Spring " issue, but it will be out during February, March and April.
Those just seem like months when you'd be still wearing a jacket in most areas.
Hmmm. An embellished jacket in hues of brown & gold with leather boots and a pair of jeans just sounds like it would look completely fantastic.
I am just kinda re-thinking my dress idea.
Perhaps a jacket. That suede fabric could become sleeves and a collar. . .

Well, here it all is:














I believe my next step is to get all of this on the dress form and see what it looks like. I am anxious to see how that curtain valance is going to hang, as I really want to preserve the funky drape of it with that great beaded fringe.





OK.
Until next time.


PS Give me some comments! Let me know what you think!