The Wall

I can't remember hitting The Wall like I did last night; when I got the dress done to the zipper and realized that the only way I was going to get a zipper into that dress was to hand pick it, I nearly broke down and cried. But, with the boning in already and the extreme bulk of the gathered drapey band...well, there simply was no way my sewing machine was going to even come close to being able to sew anything close to a passable zipper. It was a wrestling match to even do it by hand. But it did, eventually, get done, and I got it to school about a quarter after 8 last night.

The actress wearing it said that it felt just a little loose at the top; one of the other sewing moms pinched the back and said there wasn't enough there to justify trying to alter it; it didn't *look* too big...and she did her next scene onstage with it on, just so we could see how it looked under the lights...and, to tell the truth, it looked fabulous.
But I was absolutely at the wall. I didn't even take in my sewing stuff to hang out and help. I gave my recommendations as to how to attach the little ruffle to the top edge, if they decided they wanted it (they did). And I came home and went to bed.
The anointing has lifted for the moment....

Not much for 8 hours...

Especially when you consider that I began w/the bodice partially sewn...the lining was sewn, RST, at the top, then pressed to the back, the netting trim was applied and then all the vertical seams sewn. Sunday night I put on the boning and covered it; last night, I added the satin drape. Since the boning was already in, I really couldn't sew it on by machine, over the boning, I adjusted the drape to fit the adjusted bodice, pressed the top edge under (a little Steam-A-Seam helped) and hand stitched it in place. The gathering stitches had to be left in at the sides; I hand tacked that down.

I think I am resolving to insist on starting from scratch myself. I understand why the lady who started this dress did what she did; I even understand why she was told to do that. It seemed like a good idea. But it just doesn't work for something like this, and we'd been better off to do it the right way.

And there is a ruffle that should've been caught in the lining/bodice seam along the top edge, but that couldn't be done since it was finished as it was. I don't know if we'll add the ruffle later or not...it'll just have to be sewn to some bias tape and hand applied to the top edge.

Anyway, I've switched my work days, so I'm doing the skirt and the zipper today. I need to get it to school by sometime this evening....

Trying not to panic...

The Simplicity 3878 red dress is scaring me; I basically have tonight and tomorrow night to make it (maybe I'll swap my off day this week and work Thursday instead of Tuesday?). It *was* all cut out...the pieces I couldn't find were wrapped in a second bag in the bottom of the first one so I didn't spot them at first.

But the bodice was flat-lined...sort of...instead of being done as instructed (in which the bodice lining is like, the last thing to do). So the boning could not be inserted as instructed. Last night, I made the fitting adjustments on the bodice, then added the Ridgilene boning by stitching in the ditch on the seams. Then I covered it w/bias tape using some very ugly, fast, git-er-done hand sewing.

That was the evening. Fitting and boning. Tonight is adding the drape...which was supposed to be shirred into the side seams but obviously cannot be. (all this variation of method was to facilitate dress alterations in future performances; rumor has it they are going to make this a once-every-four-years production...). I'm *hoping* that really won't take too long; there's a lot of skirt to put together (lining, skirt, overskirt and interior crinoline).

Did I say dress rehearsal is Wednesday? Hm...maybe I'd better switch my days...

Choir Sundays 09 #42

This Month's Colors: Burgundy and/or Black w/blue jeans

These are the Coldwater Creek bootcut jeans again, and a Loes Hinse City Dress Shell Top invisible under the matching burgundy/gray brocade Sewing Workshop Tribeca Shirt

My camera is getting flakey; My Sweet Baboo took a couple of different shots, but this is the only one that showed up. Dunno what's up with that... Anyway, I didn't have a choice of 'better photo'...in this, the top looks tight and way pinker than it is. Oh, well.

Compleat Works Goes to State!

Wish I'd taken my camera for the awards ceremony...

5 plays from our district were selected to go on to State competition and Compleat Works was one of them! So there is much rejoicing!

And, this mama has to brag just a minute...The Actor was selected to the District All-Star Cast, along with his fellow cast member, the Wearer of the Orange Pants. ;)

The Director/Tech Director took the comments to pore over; we'll see if any costume changes will be recommended. State competition is the first weekend in December.

Meantime, I have brought home a partially assembled Simplicity 3878...red poly satin and tulle...to finish out for 'White Christmas', which opens Friday. I say partially assembled; the bodice has been assembled and alterations pinned in, but I'm not even sure the entire skirt has been cut out yet.

Gulp.

Guess you know what I'm going to be doing every available moment for the next 2-3 days...

Slippin' it in...

So, after I had the orange pieces done and before the purple was dyed and ready to sew, I took advantage of the orange thread in the machines and knocked out the orange things in the queue. Mine was just another Jalie 965 tank top, but I also made a top for The Fluteplayer...it's basically the mock turtleneck from Jalie 2566, only we wanted long sleeves, so I borrowed the sleeves from Jalie 2682.

She's happy. She's very happy. The only thing she is not happy about is that the length of the shirt and the sleeves are spot on perfect. 'I'll outgrow it too soon!' she lamented.

No matter. There can easily be more where that came from. In the next size up. I am *loving* Jalie patterns, not only for me, but because it's so convenient to just keep moving up the size range as the kids grow...

Dress Rehearsal Photos

Out of about 11 photos that I took (with no flash, of course!) This is one of the only two that weren't horribly out of focus...and the other one had blurred hands.

The Comedy section... ;)