Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Perseverance

Peeps, this has been a very good day.

It's been good in so many ways: insanely beautiful weather, time to myself, productive at work. But two ways in which it's been extra good are these:
  • I have inserted the invisible zip into the new, non-bias version of the skirt. Before doing this, I cut that section along the selvedge (for extra stability) and then added silk organza interfacing along the inner seam and allowance. My friends, there is not a wave in sight. Hallelujah! (On this topic, I've come to some conclusions about inserting invisible zips without using any pins or wonder (soluble) tape. It's nervy. Stay tuned.) I still have to finish the waistband and hem this skirt but the rest of it is complete. I hope I have the energy to do it tomorrow after work
  • I won a truly awesome giveaway! And in the most unexpected way. See below for the very interesting back story but here's the Julia dress!


The Very Interesting Back Story: Recently I discovered a blog, written by a blogger who also runs a boutique for which she designs and constructs all of the clothing. A number of things have really impressed me about Lady D and her shop.

  1. She, and the people who model her handmade wares, are utterly adorable and they look great in her designs.
  2. Her ability to design and create garments is fantastic. Everything is so lovely. Clean but elegant. She's a young woman but she's not designing exclusively for the 20-something set. Her clothes are good for working women of many demographics.
  3. She wrote a post, a while ago, in which she discusses how she thinks (spatially) which fascinated me.
  4. She's an actual tailor (from a family of actual tailors!). The more I sew, the more I realize that tailoring is the direction in which I'm headed. I am not a naturally "spatial thinker" but fit and construction are everything, IMO. I sense that Lady D concurs.

Here's the thing: I didn't actually win the dress?! I wanted to win it, but some other lucky woman won the draw. Incredibly, though, this woman did not claim the dress?!?!? As I was the first commenter, indicating my interest, it was generously offered to me.

Can you get over that?

I really respect this woman's path. It can't be easy to sew for a living (though it must be very satisfying). Look at a few other beautiful - and insanely affordable - things in her shop that I am resisting:


Both of these are constructed from vintage fabric (hello, sustainability!) I can totally see a theme in my latest fashion urges. I appear to want muted florals. Hmmmm.....

Please feel free to purchase them and tell me how I've lost out :-)

So, am I a fortunate woman, or what?

19 comments:

  1. Hooray about the zipper! Organza is a wonderful thing. Congrats on the giveaway!

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    1. Thanks - organza really is great. If only it didn't shed, though. I had to pink it and then I got bits all over the dress.

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  2. Wow! congratulations on your win! What a very generous giveaway!
    With invisible zips; if I think the fabric is going to stretch I use a short strip of bias cut woven cotton pinned underneath the fabric, inside where the allowance is going to get folded in. This has always worked a treat.

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    1. Isn't it?! That's a good trick to have up my sleeve.

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  3. Oh my god, that dress is awesome. Fortunate for sure! Thanks for the tip on this great boutique.

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    1. Please buy something and tell me about it :-)

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  4. Hurrah for good luck! You will look SMASHING in that dress.

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    1. I'm secretly afraid it's not going to fit, but I will alter it if I have to. It's so beautiful.

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  5. Fantastic, it's gorgeous and sure it will look smashing on you. I myself have fallen in love with the skirt.

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    1. Well, that skirt can be yours with a weekend of fun...

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  6. Fabulous about the zipper! I love organza. And what great luck about the dress. It looks fabulous.

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    1. M: I don't know if the organza was strictly speaking necessary with the non-bias version. But I was not taking any chances.

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  7. Hip hip hooray! (a bit too exuberant? Somehow it just seems to fit) You deserve some good karma after putting up so stalwartly with the sewing challenges. That's a gorgeous, gorgeous dress -- can't wait to see you model it.

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  8. Congrats on winning the dress! It should go to someone who is passionate about the process and creation of a garment!

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  9. Isn't it shocking that the winner didn't claim that prize. I mean, her loss is my gain, but people shouldn't comment to win giveaways unless they're totally excited about the object.

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  10. Wow, I'll be visiting that blog!

    Congratulations on the successes with your new skirt. It has to be really gratifying getting it to work so well after so much struggle on the bias-cut one. I had a bias-cut skirt (mass-produced, from the Gap) that I loved. It draped so well. Except for the zipper, which was waaaaaaVY! And the fabric was cheap!

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    1. Thank you! I cannot believe the zipper on an RTW skirt was wavy. Ha! I guess it's a challenge for all sewists.

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