Spring Palette Challenge 2012!

For the next several weeks, I will be participating in Colette Pattern's Spring Palette Challenge. This is my first palette challenge, so I'm trying to keep it manageable.  I was a little behind on my mood board (some people have finished their first garments), but I love how it turned out. Working on the mood board really helped me to narrow down my color and style choices. I love how fresh and bright blue and yellow look together, and I guess I was feeling the primary colors because I was really drawn to the  barn-red accessories. So here is a run-down of my plan for the challenge.

1. I bought an adorable Heather Bailey pincushion pattern at Home Ec. in Iowa City. My mother is a quilter/ fashionable mitten maker and she is constantly sewing. I want to make her and each of my grandmothers one of these sweet little elephants for Mother's Day. She also loves antiques, so I want to find some pretty antique jewelry and pin it to the elephant! It should be really cute.

2. For my second round, I will be making a Peony dress. For the bodice I have some light blue fabric with with white embroidery in my stash, and I plan to do the skirt in a dark denim. A few weeks ago, I saw some light blue velvet ribbon and I might make some embellishments with that. The pattern has a boat-neck top and I want to try to make it a slight scoop-neck. I've never altered a pattern before, but I think it will be fun. It will be pretty, summery and easy to dress down or up.

3. Finally I want to make the beignet skirt in a cornflower yellow. I think I might do a lightweight corduroy, but I haven't totally made up my mind. It's number 3 - I have some time :)

Good luck to everyone else working on the challenge. I can't wait to see everyone's work! Stay tuned for the adorable elephant!

The fun has arrived!

She's here!

After much anticipation my new dress form arrived (a few weeks ago)! I started using it right away on the Colette Peony dress for my mom. It was a great relief to know the dress would fit, and it was soo nice to use for  hemming. I used to have my sweet fiance help me with hems, so Old Blue is putting him out of a job. 

We've gotten pretty close :)

My dressform is a Dritz Double Deluxe. To be honest I think they were pretty generous with the term "deluxe." It seems pretty cheaply made - cheap plastic dials and such, but it works well so far. I found it on Overstock for half the price Joanne Fabrics was selling it for, so I got a really good deal. I think it will be a great starter dressform for me. I'm happy to have it!

Sewin' Time!

Now I should be able to make my family and friends garments that fit! Yippee!