Tuesday, June 01, 2010

sewing/swatching

I sewed myself a dress this weekend. Not my off-the-cuff primitive feed sacks of the past, but a real frock!


Sort of real, at least. It was my "swatch dress," my vehicle for learning how to set zippers and fit patterns, in a simple cotton muslin. It was definitely a learning experience. I can't even begin to tell you how many seams I had to rip, how many curses I uttered over the zipper, and how close I came to throwing it out in a fit of fury. But, however slowly, it came together.

It's amateurish, and, admittedly, not the most flattering garment (in such a crisp fabric, it puffs out like a balloon below the bodice!). But I learned a lot and expect to wear it anyways, and the next one that I make will go twice as well. If you're interested, the pattern is Cynthia Rowley, Simplicity 2587.


In other swatching news, I've been testing out a couple of yarns to make another version of my Vermont shawl. These are the base yarns for swatching. The final yarn will, of course, be a lovely green.

8 comments:

Annabelle said...

Love the dress & the swatches!

Karen said...

the dress is just lovely and I'm excited to see the Vermont Shawl pattern!

Marie-Andrée said...

Great! it is better on you as on the pattern. Congradulation. It is made for you.

lexa said...

Cute dress! I totally despise sewing zippers in stuff.

Julie said...

gorgeous dress!! It looks like the perfect thing for summer. Great job!

Turtle said...

lovely, will be perfect with summer temps! I was looking at fabrics this weekend thinking sun dresses

Radu Prisacaru - UK Internet Marketer said...

This one looks delicious. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I love sewing as well as knitting, so cheers on taking up a new skill. The dress is lovely and the pouffy you worry about will calm down with wearing and washing.

Liza the blogless