Not-So-Haute Couture

This site looks interesting--I found it on Rusty Bobbin's page : English Cut

The wedding is just under 3 weeks away and I feel slightly sick to my stomach. All I have left to do on my suit is tack down the facing and give it a good pressing. I'm disappointed in my frou-frou purse--I put the zipper in backwards at first (both sides look the same--how was I to know?) and spend a half-hour trying to put the slider back on. Plus I'm not too crazy about the purse's shape. But I like the pattern and the suggested uses by the author (who happens to live in the same town I do). One of the uses is a jewelry bag for travel and I sure need one of those. I will use the MoB purse, though--it's not that bad. I hope-hope-hope I can get the last bmaid skirt altered and the last few modesty panels finished tonight. Then I will have met my goal of being finished with the sewing by March.

The lavender jacket is lookin' good. That bag lining technique is neat-o. Sandra B. offers a tip about decorating the seam that joins the jacket facing to the lining. I did that, using one of the few decorative sitches that my ol' Viking can do. (Different cams = different stitches and I only have 3 cams). But it looks really nice. Of course, the jacket isn't actually finished , but it almost is, and it does look nice. Jacket almost done.

I'm still working on the MoB suit. Things have been pretty crazy around here. Just in the last few days, DH has been especially busy with his business, younger, soon-to-be-married dd moved into dm's motor home that is parked in front of our house, older dd and dsil moved into the attached apartment, we hosted our church's worship team's monthly workshop and our washing machine drain backed up--complete with growing mount washmore and sopping wet floor. I did get in some sewing amidst the madness. The suit is now about 75% finished. I'd hoped that a 3-day weekend (I got paid to stay home on President's day--I love my job!) would give me enough time to be 100% finished but let's not forget that I am a slow-sewer. Having to re-cut the back lining pieces (twice) and sewing in one sleeve backwards did not help. Here's the progress report: Skirt: Needs taking in just slightly at the right-side waist, needs hemming and attaching the lining to the zipper. Top...

The left skirt seam doesn't line up because my left hip is bigger. I moved this seam 1" toward the center so it would line up like its brothers and sister seams.

Right front seams line up; so do the back seams.

Full-length of MoB muslin (kinda wrinkled, kinda grainy) The dress form is named Mrs. Dinky and she has mild scoliosis, just like me--that's why she's a little crooked.

Moving along, albeit slowly as usual. The zipper is in. The skirt and lining are seamed and attached. Waist facing interfaced, edge finished and pinned on. I accidentally serged the lining seam where the opening for the zipper will be, but I think I can make it work. I must remember that I can't use steam 'cause I keep reaching for the fusible web and the fusible twill tape and have to force myself to put them back. Think to self, "dry iron only, dry iron only." Next step is to attach the waist facing and hem the skirt and lining. Hems are not my favorite thing to do.

My MoB outfit is cut out. I was going to do the top first. I had planned on using silk organza as interfacing. Fusi-knit fusible tricot interfacing would have been my first choice but I can't use a fusible interfacing because it would involve steaming and this fabric has not been pre-shrunk because pre-washing would have faded it according to the nice lady at Thai Silks. I basted the organza into the front pieces of the jacket and could tell right away that it would not be sufficient as interfacing. This means a trip to Jo-Ann's (horrors!) for some lightweight sew-in interfacing. It also meant I could not proceed with the top, so I started on the skirt. The skirt is basted together. I tried it on and.....it looks great ! Yay!

Yee-haw! Kim's bridal gown is altered and bustled, and her veil is finished, too. I have deepened my relationship with my serger in the process. I no longer fear the little metal thingy that converts her to a 2-thread machine. To finish the bottom edge of the veil I used a 2-thread narrow stitch that wraps the edge of the fabric. It's not a hand-rolled hem; not a rolled hem at all, actually, but it works, and most importantly, the bride is happy with it. veil hem I gathered the top edge, wrapped a hunk of veil fabric around it, sewed it down and whip-stiched it to a comb. Done! whip-stitched comb top outside Kim had her trial hair-do appointment Saturday afternoon. Attaching the veil in the trial-updo Looks good! The bridal gown has been bustled and the gaping neckline tamed with clear elastic. I was able to spend Sunday afternoon cutting out my outfit. Again I say, yee-haw! I can hardly wait to get started with the actual sewing.

I've been practicing making rolled hems on sheers so I can hem Kim's veil and the as-yet-unmade bridesmaid wraps. The practice hems don't look so good. There's just a lot of thread there. I'm using a 3-thread rolled hem and I think I need to go down to 2 threads. My serger will do a 2-thread rolled hem, but it involves a little metal thingy called a 2-thread converter. The little thingy scares me because I think I bent it the very first time I pulled it out of it's little cubby-bed back when I first got my serger. Now I have to face my fear and try serging with 2-threads.

I've jabbered on about my outfit, but here are: The Bridesmaid's dress overall it's a pretty conservative design, but that neckline plunge is deep! Guess where the modesty panel will be inserted? Thaaat's right! The Wedding gown A closer view of the Bride in her gown (trying it on at the store) Kim & I discussed wraps last night and agreed we'd try to make some. In the bridesmaid dress chiffon if possible, in white chiffon if not. I checked the After Six website and the chiffon is available! For $70 a yard! Not! I'm going to Jojos to check out their fancy sheers. A wrap is just a rectangle of fabric after all, and don't I have a fancy new serger that does rolled hems on sheers ? You bet I do!

Last night Kim & I picked up her wedding dress from Galleria Bridal . While there, we learned that they had apparently not written down the tux information and that the guys are supposed to get measured 2 months before the wedding date, not 2 weeks prior. Oops. Glad we found that out when we did! We went home and dressed her up. We determined the veil length and the bustle pickup & hook points. I got the veil cut; all I need to do for it is hem it, gather it and attach it to the comb (which I don't have yet, but will get today). Her neckline gapes and I'm going to try clear elastic, per How to Alter a Bridal Gown . It's possible that her entire wedding day ensemble will be completely finished by Friday. Her trial up-do is on Saturday and she's going to come home from that and try everything on. In a perfect world it will all look perfect and we can return her gown to Galleria Bridal for storing until the day before the wedding. I hope it turns ou...