On a Dress for the 4th of July!

This started with the fabric I used for the bodice, which was given to me and as such creates the interesting challenge of trying to figure out what pattern matches the length I have rather than picking the fabric based on the pattern requirements. This fabric piece was fairly small and also had fading down the center to work around making it even more challenging.

Enter the 1946 version of Simplicity 1682, which has the advantage of three separate pieces and is very simplistic in terms of not having any tucks, darts, pockets, or really anything else you might need extra fabric for unless you do an overlay. 

My sole trip out of the house to a store since March was motivated by fabric for this dress and they were out of navy blue broadcloth. Being horribly stressed about being out to begin with, I was not going to try to find the right color elsewhere and after a quick browse through the fabrics, I came across a lighter weight and looser weave homespun fabric. I'm not sure that it's really appropriate for clothes, but it has a nice flow to it and it's soft, so at the moment I'm going to be happy with.

Some details about the construction...The silly inset (or rather of lack of inset) on Style 1 caused me some issues, since I was doing the solid inset from Style 2 and should have switched over to that part of the instructions at step 5. I attached the front piece and had top-stitched it to the bodice before realizing that both it and the facing were meant to be stitched at the same time (fortunately I hadn't attached it to the skirt yet). This meant either ripping out the seams and starting over with both or handstitching it in. I went with the later because I'm at the end of the blue thread I was using.

This was my first time making puff sleeves! I adore puff sleeves, but oddly enough I only have a few patterns that have them.

On the subject of sleeves, I also ended up making my own bias tape for this project to use on the sleeves and neckline, since what I had was a more orange-y shade. This was one of those patterns that the measurements were all over the place (3/4 inch seam allowance except for some seams that were 1/2 inch seam allowance, but only mentioned on the pattern pieces), so I think it actually should have been 1/4 inch, not a 1/2 inch in width. It does create a nice pop of color, though, when it's a little wider!

I'm going to be honest and admit the past couple of weeks have been hard on me and I wasn't really in the right mindset to be sewing this, so getting this done was a struggle. That being said, my V for Victory pin is just as much for getting the dress done, as it is to match the dress.

And to conclude this, a silly picture with the mop cap my friend's mom made me in 5th grade for our Walk Through the American Revolution day and the keys that hang beneath it.

Happy Independence Day to my US readers!

♥ ♥ ♥

On "The Thirty-First of June": A Book Review

Title: The Thirty-First of June: A Tale of Love, Enterprise and Progress, in the Arthurian and Ad-Atomic Ages
Author: J. B. Priestley
Genre: Fiction, Comedy, Fantasy

About the Book...
Princess Melicent of Peradore has fallen in love with Sam who she has only ever seen in a magic mirror borrowed from an enchanter currently staying at the palace. The problem is that Sam isn't in real life, but in some other strange realm. Sam in his own real life works for an advertising agency working on an account for Damosel Stockings with the latest ad being inspired not by a model, but by a girl in medieval costume that appeared to him in a small illuminated frame when he thought about her. When Melicent sends the count dwarf to find him things begin to get a bit odd for Sam and his contemporaries and with two competing enchanters, a wicked lady's maid, and few futuristic business men soon involved, Sam and Melicent are about to have a very interesting 31st of June.
 
What I Think...
I've had this book for awhile and having recently watched the 2017 BBC adaption of Priestley's An Inspector Calls, I thought it time to give it a try since it tied together some of my favorite elements: fairy tales, the Atomic Age, and time travel.

Overall, this is a very silly book. It's fast-paced, but also broken down in a way that allows for reading it in short spurts since the story isn't overly complicated. It hops along from one situation to the next with seemingly random solutions and dialog that can't help but make you laugh, and with characters that often act more like children, get caught up in trivial matters, and frequently end up going off on tangents that add to the ridiculousness of everything going on around them. Most of the time, the characters take what is happening for granted which makes everything from being tossed in the deepest dungeon (and being offered a parcel of meat on the sly by the guards) to suddenly having to identify how to approach attacking specific types of dragons (there's a manual for that) to arguing over magical domestic arrangements (porridge for lunch whether you want it or not) even more amusing.  

As an added note, the story is dotted throughout with charming sketches like those seen on the cover!

To Sum It All Up...
A zany little story that will bring a smile to anyone who enjoys fairy tales in an Arthurian setting, magic, and advertising men.     

On a Pocket Sized Piglet

After years of intending to make the miniature Winnie-the-Pooh characters from the patterns in The Pooh Craft Book, I finally made Piglet this week.  

This was a pretty straight-forward project, though a little challenging at times due to the size of the pieces, the fuzzy nature of the felt, and the way the stuffing kept popping out as I tried to sew it in between the tiny pieces. For the suit, a rectangle sewn into a tube that is gathered at the top and bottom, I stitched some straight lines on the fabric before I seamed it to give it the ripply look of the illustrations. After finishing, I realized that in the illustrations Piglet's suit also has some buttons, so I made a few tiny stitches for those.

At the moment, I'm content with just having Piglet, but I think in terms of the other Hundred Acre Wood residents at least Winnie-the-Pooh will be making an appearance in the near future. ♥️

On Turtle Tuesday: A Photo Post

It all started with the green one and resulted in five 70's-esque turtles converging on a cupcake. 

 ♥🐢♥