Christmas Dress

So here's part I of my dress! I want to do a double ribbon pull in the front where right here I just have it pinned. Then I'll have big bows. Just after this picture I got to borrow a hat from the Kirkman House, which was awesome. But I won't be able to do that again, so I need to think of something for my head.

I think the most challenging part about this was the top. I made the black bits according to a jacket pattern and then cut out the front piece and changed the sleeves. If I were to do this over (which I definitely don't want to!) I would make the chest piece thinner and longer and I would make the bottom of the sleeves longer. I also don't know if I would line it. That seemed to eat up a lot of time and effort.

Here's my original design sketch. I think I want to try and make this top again. The linework I did do on the dress, but just as a sewing texture. With black, it doesn't show up too well. It might be fun to do that with piping. Around the front too. And less lace! Larger bell sleeves....

Anyhows, I think I did pretty well making my sketch a reality. :)

Steampunk Vest

So I don't have a horribly clean picture of it finished, but you can definitely see that there's been some changes. The inspiration for this? Jeff needed a costume for the steampunk convention! I didn't have any time (or money) to get materials, so it's made out of two suede-esque shirts I never wear and jean material. 

I spent a day dying it all because I wanted more dark colors for this vest. Liza was wonderful enough to help me on color order. I was pretty limited in my options. XP

I think that the most challenging part of this was twofold: one, I was on a tight, tight deadline. It would have been great to have the time to mess around with it, take breaks, and generally not hate it's every thread and stitch by the end! XD The second, I wasn't using a pattern! And, without my boy around, I was pretty much making it up as I went along....I did the front and back, THEN THE SHOULDERS LAST. I feel this may have been more difficult then it needed to be if I had known the shapes of the pieces to begin with. then again, that's assuming I wasn't piecemealing my fabric together anyways. There was little room for oopsies. >.<

....Oh, that's hilarious. I just realized that I fitted the breastplate piece upside-down from the plan.....HA! I was wondering why the gold stripes up the sides didn't fit over the shoulders and then went in on the bottom....XD Oh dear, I WAS concentrating too hard! XD

But it turned out great! And some of the people at the convention who were selling clothes they made complimented him on it. ^^ Go me!

.....however, I am SO done sewing for a while. Not having a backstich lever sucks. XP 

The "pattern" I worked off of

Clothing

I went through one of my drawers, determined to get rid of the things I don't need/don't fit/wont wear. I did do a little of that. I also ended up resizing, combining, and cutting up clothing! I made a couple of tanktops out of too small or too big shirts and I also completely revamped this beautiful long-sleeved shirt. The sleeves were too tight/small, so I cut them off--instant tank top. But the shirt still didn't fit quite right, so I ripped out the back, put in a few grommits for lacing the top, and tied the rest together in strips. It looks amazing and I'm so proud of it! ^^

Cut off the sleeves, and added the black.