Monday, April 23, 2012

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!


Sunday, April 15, 2012

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!