Time for a little "Boo!"

The weather here has turned cooler, and today is the first day of Fall.  Halloween is little more than a month away, and I found the perfect beads for a scary little project!

The Pennsylvania Quilt Festival was at the convention center in Oaks, Pa., this weekend, and in the same complex, the International Gem and Jewelry Show had set up.  Woo-hoo!  Two things I love under one roof!!

On a short run through the gem and jewelry show, I spied these cute beads.  They are made of dyed howlite.  I've seen skulls before, but not pumpkins or sliced skeleton faces.  And they were cheap!  Only $2.00 for a strand of 16 beads!  I quickly snatched a strand of each.

Turning the beads into earrings was easy.  The skeleton faces were threaded onto headpins.  I made a wire-wrapped loop at the top of each and slipped them onto french hook earring wires.  For the pumpkins, I added a small, fire-polished Czech glass bead to make a 'stem'.

Including the findings, each pair cost me under $1.50 to make!

I've already given one pair as a gift...and have a few more set aside for family and friends.  Just looking at them makes me smile.  I can't wait to wear them in October!

Knotted Pearls with a Twist

A customer came into the little shop where I work (The Bead Garden, Havertown, Pa.) in search of supplies for Christmas gifts.  Yes, if you like to give hand-crafted Christmas gifts, now is the time to begin working on them!  Her plan was simple:  buy enough large, glass pearls in varying colors to make 30 necklaces of the same design.  She had purchased a necklace while on a trip to Italy, and wanted to 'copy' it for her friends. To find the supplies she needed, I examined the necklace, and knew I'd have to try one myself.

The concept is pretty simple -- using 6 seven-foot lengths of very fine hemp cord, you make overhand knots between clusters of four beads.  The necklace can look casual or dressy, depending on your choice of beads.

Here's a quick lesson:

I selected a fine hemp (also called 'jute') made by Darice.  It comes in a variety of colors, but for this necklace, I used a varigated rainbow pack.  I cut 6 pieces of hemp, each seven feet long.  I tested the beads to be sure I could the string them onto the hemp.  To make that easier to do, I first hardened the last two inches of each strand of cord with brush-on super glue.

Do this over a piece of paper, so glue doesn't get everywhere, and give it at least 20 minutes to dry thoroughly.  Some cords were a bit thicker than others, so I trimmed the end of the cords at an angle so they would slide through the beads.    

Fold the cords in half and create a loop for the 'clasp' end by making a knot the correct size for the closure.  I intended to use a larger pearl for my 'clasp,' but a button would work, too.
 

The next knot was made about 5 inches down the cords.  This space allows the necklace to lie flat against the back of the neck.  (This is also a good idea if you have a limited number of beads -- why use them where no one will see them??)

Now, separate out four of the strands, thread one bead on each strand, and push all four up to the knot just created.  I left a little bit of space between knots, so the beads can move a bit.
 

Just below the cluster of beads, create another over-hand knot.  Push it up to the base of the cluster and tighten it.  I had to tug some cords individually to keep the knot from getting 'loopy.'

Select four cords from the bundle and string on four more beads, pushing them to the base of the previous knot.  Create another overhand knot and tighten it.  Repeat the same process until there are several clusters of beads.  (I made 10 clusters on my necklace, which had a 18" finished length.)  Note:  after each knot, pick out four cords from the bunch to string the beads onto -- the process of knotting the cords makes it impossible to thread beads onto the same string every time.  Don't pick cords next to each other...spread them out a bit.

To end the necklace, make a knot under the last cluster of beads, and then make another knot about 5 inches from the previous one (remember, that part goes around the back of the neck).

Separate one or two cords out and run them through the closure bead/button.  Gather all of the threads and tie one more overhand knot snug against the closure bead.  Snip all of the cords about 1/4 inch beyond the closure and brush them with super glue to keep the knot secure and the thread from fraying.
 

My necklace was made using 10 mm glass ivory glass pearls, which I had on hand.  Can you imagine this made up using much larger 16 mm maroon or teal glass pearls with natural hemp?  It would be a statement piece!  My customer spent about $200 for supplies that will create 30 necklaces -- gifts that will look much pricier than $7.00 each to create!

A little 'Fascination'!

My hand-crafted clip-on feather fascinator.

My daughter was eyeing up a white feather fascinator in a little shop in Maine during our recent trip, but the price tag (about $30) landed it quickly back on its display.  Fascinators are the tiny little headpieces made fashionable by Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge (otherwise known as Princess Kate). They are becoming popular here, too.

Philadelphia's 'Diner en Blanc'  is coming up soon, and my daughter is a table coordinator.  This is a fun, magical night under the stars for which Philadelphians pack their own dinner, bring their own chairs and tables, and wait until a late afternoon phone call that tells them where the “secret” dining location is.  Over a thousand people dress in white to take part in the pop-up culinary event. 'Diner en Blanc' picnics began in Paris two decades ago and are now taking over elegant public spaces in 22 cities around the world.

We bought my daughter white folding chairs and a roll-up camping table for her birthday, and she is assembling two place settings, a white table cloth and a centerpiece for the evening.  She has a white dress and comfortable shoes (because you walk or take public transportation to the event), but wants to jazz things up a bit, and a white fascinator would add a bit of style to the evening.

Mom to the rescue!

On a quick run to the craft store this week, I snagged a stem of silk mums and a stem of white feathers.  Total cost:  $5.00.  I found some 'bling' in my stash of jewelry supplies.  It was just a matter of assembling the parts.

The headband, ribbon and Pellon Peltex I already had in my stash...the only purchase were the flowers and feathers.

E6000 glue is my adhesive of choice when it comes to these kinds of projects.  It's good for metal, plastic, beads and fabric.  It stays flexible and dries clear.  The first thing I glued was the rhinestone button into the center of the flower.

A rhinestone button adds just the right amount of bling!

For the foundation, I used Pellon Peltex 70, an ultra firm, smooth and resilient stabilizer for accessories and crafts.  I glued two pieces together and cut it into an oval shape.  I punched a hole in the top of the foundation piece to insert the stem of the silk flower.

The feathers needed a little trimming before I glued them onto the Peltex.  I laid them out first, so I would know how long to make them and which feather would be glued down first.  I topped the feathers with another piece of Peltex, and clamped them for about a half an hour to secure all the pieces together.  Then I glued the hair clip to the back of the foundation.

The last thing to be glued in place was the flower.  I wasn't sure if she would prefer a hair clip or a headband, and I had enough supplies to make another, so I made one of each.  I'm sure she'll find someone with whom to share the other fascinator!  

The headband version of the fascinator.

Both pieces were assembled in about an hour, and cost just $2.50 each!  Can't wait to see pictures of the event!

Maine Road Trip: How Many Quilt Shops Can I Visit in a Week?

The answer to that question is:  not all of them!

When my daughter and I began planning a road trip to Maine for vacation, I did a web search to find fabric stores, bead shops and rubber stamp stores along our route, hoping to stop in a few and see what different items they would have that I can't get locally.  Yes, it's feeding my three favorite hobbies, but in addition, I'm trying to support small, local businesses.  If we don't shop locally, soon there will be no small retailers left.  Additionally, shops in vacation destinations do a seasonal business -- they probably make 75% of their income during the summer (or winter) months, when tourist dollars are being spent.  So, I needed to do my share!

My daughter, Kaitlin, and me in Bar Harbor, Maine.

I found a website that had a map of quilt shops in Maine (http://www.maineshophop.com/Home_Page.html -- go to the printables page for the map). After deciding our itenerary (a 'foodie' walking tour of Bar Harbor, a whale watching boat trip, etc.), I mapped out, from North to South, the small towns that we would drive through along U.S. Route 1, the original Atlantic coastal highway, and made a list of all of the shops I hoped to see along our drive.

The first stop was Quilt 'n Fabric, owned by Ruth Davis, located at 11 Sealcove Road, Southwest Harbor, Me., 04679.  A little off the beaten path, this store carries yarn and needlepoint notions, as well as quilt fabric.  I picked up a pattern for an adult-sized stocking cap my sister wanted, as well as a piece of green 'blending' fabric for those Irish-themed quilts I make.  I also scored some soft baby yarn on sale, for my other sister.  This shop wasn't on my 'list', but I was happy we stumbled upon it.

Driving south from Bar Harbor toward Freeport, we passed through the town of Belfast.  The second shop was off the highway, in the downtown area.  

Fiddlehead Artisan Supply, located at 159 High Street, Belfast, Me., 04915, carried a bright array of quilting prints and panels.  The shop is very cute, and has a lot of sample projects on display.  In addition to quilt fabric, they also carry wool roving, beautiful papers for card and book making, some rubber stamping supplies, and paints, pastels and sketching supplies.  We saw an adorable 'ABC' panel for a baby quilt, and my daughter picked out the companion fabrics for the blanket.

We stumbled upon the next shop on the way to Boothbay Harbor and our whale watching excursion.  On Board Fabrics (www.onboardfabrics.com) is on Route 27 (660 Boothbay Road, Edgecomb, Me., 04556).

It is a few minutes out of town in a old barn that doesn't look like much from the outside, but is really cool on the inside, with exposed beams and a rustic feel.  The shop has been there since the 1990's, but current owner Molly Hutchins purchased it about two years ago.  She has her own line of decorative pillows for sale, and carries home-dec fabrics alongside the quilting cottons and batiks.  I picked up a hand-screened panel of a starfish that will make a cute pillow for my friend who owns a beach house, as well as some Maine-inspired kiddie prints for another baby quilt.

My daughter needed coffee so we stopped in the small town of Brunswick.  It has an old-fashioned downtown feel, and I found a small shop called The Fabric Den at 124 Maine Street, in the lower level of the Senter's Place building.  While the fabric selection was a bit limited, the owner has a busy schedule of classes and project days for her clients.  She also recently purchased a long-arm quilting machine, and is gearing up to teach others how to operate it and will offer machine-quilting services.  After losing her husband a couple of years ago, this is a new venture for her and she hopes to expand and move in the coming year.

Freeport, Maine, is home to L.L.Bean, and they have a huge flagship store (and an outlet across the street, too).  It's worth a stop and is open 24 hours a day.  A couple miles south of L.L.Bean on Route 1 in a small strip mall was by far my favorite shop on this trip.

 Cottonweeds  (www.cottonweeds.com) is a full-service shop.  It has books, patterns, 100% cotton quilt fabrics, batiks, hand-dyed 100% wool fabrics, sewing machines and offers a wide variety of classes.  There are many completed quilts and projects on display throughout the store, and the fabric selection is vast.  It has a sensible layout and lots of  'eye candy.'  I could have spent hours in this store, and maybe someday I can go back and take a class with them.  But, alas, we were moving on, heading toward Boston.

Our Friday morning destination was the Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, for a brewery tour and beer tasting (my daughter's idea, of course :).  Well worth the trip!  It was an informative tour, the free samples were generous, and I especially liked that they recycle or re-purpose things.

I love this chandelier made from recycled beer bottles...may have to go on my project list!

Not far from the brewery was the last stop on my quilt shop quest -- Sew Portland, 306 Warren Avenue, Portland, Me. 04103.  This unassuming storefront has a large display area and carried plenty of ocean and beach inspired fabrics.  Patterns for all sorts of quilting projects, both big and small, are available here.

I kept seeing lobster print fabric, but just couldn't think of anything to do with it!!

They are also a Pfaff sewing machine dealer and have a classroom for in-store lessons.  Owner Kathy Stanley has another shop in central Maine (Sewing by the Sea, 11 Periwinkle Lane, Trenton, Me), that I didn't get to, but if the selection of fabric available in Portland is any indication, I think it will be a 'must visit' on my next trip.  

There were many other shops on my list, but eight days just wasn't enough time!  I wished I had stopped in Nobleboro for Attic Heirlooms, Alewives Fabrics and Mainely Sewing.  Fabricate, a little shop in Bar Harbor, is closed on Monday, the only day we were in town, so I missed that one.  Knight's Quilt Shop in Cape Neddick will have to wait until next trip, along with the Mariner's Compass in Bath.  There are about 44 quilt shops in Maine, and I only scratched the surface, but I have a lot of new projects to keep me busy through the fall and winter, and something to look forward to the next time I road trip to the North!






One more thing I think any sewer would appreciate...while in Boston, we walked down Newbury Street, considered the 'fashion district' of Beantown.  In the front window of AllSaints Spitalfields, a European fashion house for men and women, there are over 300 antique sewing machines.  I stood there for 10 minutes admiring the display, wondering how they amassed the collection.  I only hope that when they change the window display, those machines find a loving home!


  

View of Newbury Street, from inside the store, showing just a bit of the display.

A twist on an old favorite: Cheese Steak Egg Rolls

Last month, my d.h. took me to a Phillies game for my birthday, and we arrived at Citizen's Bank Park early enough to get lunch at Harry the K's restaurant.  (Usually, the line for a table outdoors is very long, but we were seated right away.)

Because it was a hot day, we just ordered a salad to share and an appetizer -- Cheese Steak Egg Rolls.  They were served with caramelized onions and Chipolte mayonnaise. Delicious!

Since then, I've been thinking of trying my hand at making them at home, and today I finally tackled it!

The ingredients for a great dinner -- or snack!

The ingredients are simple:

1 pound of chip steak -- I purchase mine at the local butcher, but you can substitute Steak-Ums.  (For those not from the Philadelphia area, chip steak is top round beef, usually frozen and sliced very thin by a butcher.)
5 slices of cheese -- I used American, but Provolone would be good, too.
10 egg roll wrappers -- I found these in the fresh produce section of my grocery store.
olive oil for cooking the meat
vegetable oil for cooking the egg rolls

Optional:  I decided to make caramelized onions.  I had a Vidalia onion handy, and started them first.  Slice the onion into thin strips.  Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of margarine or butter to a heavy skillet.  Heat on medium high; add onions and begin to cook.  After the onions become transparent, lower the temperature to medium low, and let the onions cook for about 45 minutes, stirring and turning them every five minutes.

The onions are turning brown, but have about 15 more minutes of cooking time to bring out all of the sugar in them.

You want them to start to stick the pan a bit before turning them. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan every time you turn the onions.  If you need to, add a bit more olive oil to keep them from drying out. You'll know they are done when they are a deep, golden brown and very sweet tasting.

Cut the meat into thin strips.  Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a large skillet.  Add the meat and season with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium high heat and stir frequently.  Cook until evenly browned.  Remove from heat and drain the meat, pouring off any fat or drippings.  Set aside to cool.

Chip steak cooked and drained, waiting for the onions to finish cooking!

Cut each piece of cheese in half.  Prepare a work surface -- I put foil on the countertop, and had a tray nearby to hold the finished egg rolls.  Also, fill a small dish with water, for brushing on the egg roll wrapper.

Lay out the wrapper in front of you so it looks like a diamond.  Lay a half of slice of cheese on the wrapper. Top with about two or three tablespoons of cooked meat.  Mound on top one tablespoon of caramelized onions.

Ready to roll!

Fold the bottom point of the wrapper up and over the meat filling.  Use your fingertips to moisten the left side of the wrapper and fold it over to the center. Do the same with the right side of the wrapper, tucking the wrapper in to seal the sides.  Moisten the top point of the pastry and roll the bundle toward the point to seal.  Lay each egg roll on the platter, point side down, until you are ready to cook them.

Moistening the edges of the pastry help it stick together. 

I haven't used a deep-fat fryer in years (trying to eat healthier!), but I did get it out for this project.  I used four sticks of Crisco, which melted down to about three inches of oil in the fryer.  You could use a heavy pan (Dutch oven) and Canola oil if you don't have a deep-fat fryer.  Be very careful when heating oil!

Fry egg rolls in batches for two to three minutes, flipping at least once to brown all sides.  Remove from oil and drain on a plate covered with paper towels.

Keep an eye on the egg rolls -- the cook very fast!

Serve immediately while hot. Refrigerate left overs -- they can be reheated in the oven, set at 400 degrees, for 5 - 10 minutes.

Two were plenty for my dinner, but my son ate three!  I served mine with Chipotle mayo, but you could use ketchup or hot sauce or pizza sauce, if you want.  These could be a fun appetizer for a small crowd -- my Bunco Babes will be looking for them when I host Bunco this fall!!

Yum!  I added Chipotle Mayo and more onions on the side!  

The Wedding Quilt

Lance on the Wedding Quilt

Novelist Jennifer Chiaverini has written a series commonly called the Elm Creek Quilt books, one of which was The Wedding Quilt.  It tells the story of how a family of women work together to create a beautiful quilt as a wedding gift for a young relative who is moving out West with her new husband, and how that quilt becomes a treasured possession that reminds her home. A generation later, the quilt is discovered at a museum, and the protagonist immediately recognizes it as the gift for her long-lost cousin.

When my son told us that he was planning to propose to his girlfriend, I began thinking about making them a Wedding Quilt -- something special that would represent the two of them.  My hope (as with all of the quilts I give as gifts) is that it will become a treasured part of their lives together.

I began by looking through my binder of quilting ideas -- mostly articles and photos that I've cut from magazines.  The inspiration for the quilt came from the unlikeliest of places:  a free project instruction sheet distributed by Wal-Mart.  "Quilter's Collectibles" flyers highlighted different fabric groups available for sale in the Wal-Mart sewing department.  In February 2007, "Bric-a-Brac" was the name of the quilt on a flyer that featured five colors of calico prints, plus black.

Rows of 'bricks' are not new to quilting.  I liked the general look of the design, but wanted to make it my own. The first thing I changed was the brick size.  The instructions called for 3" x 5 1/2" bricks; I cut mine 3 1/2" x 7".  The quilt instructions were for a full bed-sized quilt; this one needed to be a queen-sized quilt, so I lengthened each row.  The original pattern called for a border of bricks separated by 3" squares; I eliminated that element.  And finally, instead of using five colors of fabric (plus black), I decided that each row would be a different fabric.

My son is an engineer, and using 'bricks' on a quilt for him seemed like the thing to do.  My daughter-in-law, Mary, loves the colors teal and purple, so I decided to select fabrics on the cool side of the color wheel, starting with yellow-green and working through the spectrum to the deepest shade of violet. Once I had a general plan, the search for fabrics followed.

The first stop was my stash.  I had plenty of greens (see my post about the Irish quilt).  An American Sewing Guild (ASG) friend had passed away about a year before, and I had inherited several different quilting cottons from her.  I also put out the word to many sewing buddies and my sisters, hoping they would have some fabric in their stash I could use.  I had to purchase about 10 fabrics to complete the 'rainbow' effect.  Ultimately, the quilt ended up with 30 different fabrics, plus the tone-on-tone 'black.'  (I could have gone with a tone-on-tone beige or white, but decided black was more masculine).
   
I started by cutting strips 3 1/2" by the width of the fabric, then cutting the strips into 7" blocks.  I also needed a half-rectangle of black to begin or end each row.  Once cut, the rows went together quickly.

I used a quarter-inch presser foot on my machine to keep the seam allowances a uniform width.

Laying out the rows took a bit of time.  The transition between colors, say from green to teal to blue, created a bit of a challenge, and I moved some rows around until I was pleased with the overall look.  Then I began the task of sewing the rows together.

It helped to have a queen-sized bed to lay out the rows for the correct color placement.

With many quilt designs, there are seams that need to line up correctly for the block pattern to work out right.  With 'bricks,' however, the seams between rows don't meet at all -- they are off-set half-way.  I discovered early on that the quilt could get 'skewed' if I wasn't careful when sewing the rows together.  What it meant was that I needed to measure and pin every row to the preceding row to be sure that the 'bricks' would stack up correctly.

I measured and carefully pinned the rows in place before stitching, so the bricks would stack up!

I stitched together units of four or five rows,  pressing with the iron as I went, then attached one unit to the next unit. Not too long into the process I made a mistake.  I had attached four rows to the next set upside down, and the bricks and color progression was wrong.  I spent the next two hours ripping everything apart and sewing it together again, the correct way this time!

Sewing in units and adding one to the next kept the quilt from getting too unwieldy at the machine.  

The bulk of the quilt top assembly was finished at the two sewing camps I attended in the spring.  The day before I planned to take the top to the long-arm quilter, I discovered that I had not purchased enough fabric to back a queen-sized quilt, so I had to make another run to the fabric store.  I pieced the backing and cut the bias binding, then made the drop-off to the quilter.

Susie is the long-arm quilter that I have used for the past few years.  She is a great resource and really takes the time to help me select the best quilting pattern and thread color.  We decided to use a 'bubble' pattern of various sized circles, with black thread, for the overall quilt pattern.

I love how the quilting shows up on the lighter fabrics!

I liked the juxtaposition of the circles over the rectangles, and the black thread really popped.  Susie is very fast...I think she called me to pick up the finished project about five days after I dropped it off!

I use bias binding as often as possible to finish the edges of the quilts I make (see the blog entry about the Irish quilt for more details on bias binding).  My hope was to have the quilt finished and wrapped up before the wedding, but with other projects to complete (including my dress!), I didn't have time to sit and hand-stitch the binding down until the wedding was over.  Ryan and Mary's honeymoon gave me the all the time I needed to complete the project, and it was ready for them when they joined us for dinner the day after their return.

Oh, one more thing -- a quilt is not complete unless it is signed.  I purchased a new Bernina Artista 635 last year, which comes with an embroidery attachment, but I'm not very good at embroidery yet.  I was able to create a label to sew onto the back of the quilt, so it's signed and dated, like any valuable piece of artwork.  

Mary loved the colors in the quilt, and Ryan appreciates the time and care that went into making it.  (I was told the he was 'bragging' that I made my dress for his wedding!)  I hope that it turns into the treasured keepsake that I had in mind for the past year!

The Dress -- Finally!

I was hoping to work on this post before the wedding and have it ready to go on June 30, but alas, having a house full of guests prevented me from doing anything other than cooking and entertaining!  After many mentions, here is the post about my 'mother-of-the-groom' dress.

Dressed and ready to go!

I have been sewing for over 30 years.  I took Clothing I and II in high school, and was lucky enough to have a mother who was an excellent sewist as a mentor.  When it came time to consider what I was going to wear to my son's wedding, my natural inclination was to make my own dress.  I have the skills...it was time to put them to use.

Simplicity 2247 and 1754 - both under consideration.

I had perused the pattern catalogs and found two that I thought could work. Both had princess seams -- the style that has a seam over the bust and down the side of the dress.  I knew from experience that this type of garment is easier to adjust for fit than a dress with a style with bust darts and no seam down the front.

While in Missouri in April, my sister's American Sewing Guild (ASG) neighborhood group was having a 'sew -in' and I decided to go.  My plan was to do a sample dress of each pattern in muslin and work on the fit.  When making a muslin, you learn about how the garment is constructed and you can add extra fabric to the seam allowance around each piece to allow for fitting.  One of the biggest frustrations for novice sewers is cutting out a garment and sewing it together, only to have it not fit right.  Creating a muslin is especially important to do if your finished garment is made with expensive fabric  -- making a muslin (using inexpensive fabric) prevents costly errors.

Denise and I work on adjusting a pattern.

It helps to have another experienced sewer in the room when you try on a muslin...she can help determine where you need to let it out or take it in for the best fit.  I got lucky because my sister's friend, Denise, was at the 'sew-in.'  She teaches Home Economics in the St. Louis School District, including clothing construction.  She was generous with her time and knowledge, and helped me understand how to alter a pattern to fit my body.  Most commercial patterns are designed for tall, slim women, and I am neither.  You can imagine that I had a lot of fitting work to do.

After cutting out two dresses and stitching them up, I tried them on, inside-out, for Denise to inspect.  She helped me isolate the problem areas and she showed me how to alter the paper pattern to allow for a better fit in those areas.  I went back to the sewing machine and made the alterations until the garment hung properly from my body -- no pulling across my stomach, no gaps in the bustline, and the seams on the sides hung straight.  After transferring the changes to the paper pattern, I knew that I could cut the dresses out of fashion fabric with the confidence that they would fit me well.

Upon returning to Philadelphia, I set the project aside for a few weeks.  Just before leaving for Sewing Camp with my ASG chapter, I was looking through my patterns for something else and discovered another dress pattern that I had purchased some time ago.  This too was a Simplicity pattern with princess seam lines.  I took it along, planning to make another muslin before deciding which dress to create for the wedding.   Again, having a room full of experienced sewers helped me adjust the fit for the third time, and I decided to go with Simplicity 0395 for my dress.
 

At this point, I had not yet shopped for fabric. I took one precious day of Camp (generally reserved for sewing) to go shopping, and ended up at Fabric Row in South Philadelphia.  I found what I was looking for at Maxie's Daughter.  The bridesmaids were wearing purple, and I selected a teal satin with matching teal lace, hoping that it would look good with the rest of the wedding party.  (What was I thinking??  I didn't have a single photo taken with the entire wedding party, but I did have one family picture, which included my daughter in the purple dress!!  Ha!)

Pre-washing fabric before cutting is something I was taught long ago, although it did give me a bit of a pause to wash the lace.  However, both fabrics laundered fine (with Ivory Snow -- regular detergent leaves marks on the satin), and I cut out the garment while I was still at Sewing Camp.

Each pattern piece was cut from satin and lace,
then stitched together

I spent a couple of hours stitching the lace to the under-dress fabric, planning to treat it as one fabric.  I folded it up neatly and brought it home with me to sew in the comfort of my own space, with all of my tools close at hand.

Having made the dress (in inexpensive fabric) ahead of time, it literally flew together.  I was nervous to try an invisible zipper, having never done one before.  It was so easy (with the proper presser foot on my Bernina) that I don't know if I'll every do a lapped or centered zipper again!
  

My first invisible zipper insertion!  Yea!

After the side seams were sewn, I tried it on for my daughter, and was happy to find that it needed to be taken in a bit.  Once I took care of that, all that was left were the sleeves to set in and the hem.  The sleeves did give me a bit of trouble...I ended up cutting them shorter, and in retrospect, I think that I made one adjustment too many on the armscye (the opening for your arm to go through).  If I ever want to wear it again, I may have to take the sleeves out and trim away a bit more fabric for wearing ease, then re-set the sleeves.  It didn't look bad, it just was a bit uncomfortable that day.


So, how long did it take?  Well, if you don't count the time invested in making and adjusting muslins (and the 30 years of experience!), the actual sewing took about 6 hours.  Yes, that's all -- 6 hours to complete a semi-formal dress.

There are three reasons to sew it yourself -- first, the fabric, pattern, zipper and thread cost me only about $50, a fraction of what I would have spent in a bridal salon.  Second, I could adjust the fit so it was comfortable on my body -- something you have to pay dearly for when purchasing ready-to-wear that needs alterations.  Third, no one else will ever have the same dress.  I had many compliments that day, and people came back to me a second time when they learned that I had made it myself, to tell me how impressed they were.  (I take that to mean it didn't look 'homemade', but 'custom made!)

My d.h. and me, after the ceremony -- one down, three to go!

I have more wedding preparation photos to post...check back later to see what else kept me busy in June!

Happy sewing!