I’m looking at my to-do pile/rack of sewing projects, my art supplies and other crafty things and I’m feeling rather…MEH about it all right now.   The desire is there but not the will to do any of it.  Eep!  Usually this feeling doesn’t hit me until mid to late summer.  I like to call this feeling “Befuddled Burnout.”  When there’s just so much on your plate and you canNOT even begin to pick at your mashed potatoes.  My husband reminds me that I don’t have to be Superwoman but it’s so hard to not feel like I must, you know?

On the bright side, I’m been working out almost every day (mostly yoga), finally getting enough sleep, and have read through book 6 of the Enola Holmes series.  (So, SO good!)  And just because I haven’t had the inclination to do much besides the aforementioned activities in addition to work, that doesn’t mean I don’t continue to find (and look for) inspiration in other people’s work.

So instead of forcing myself to do some of the things I think I “need” to do (like constructing a certain ’60s dress that has been driving me a bit crazy) I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the break!

Some of my favorite things, in green, for Poppytalk’s Spring Colours Week.  I hope to post each day this week.

Happy Monday to You!

UPDATE: “To Thine Own Self” giclee print in now available in le shop: To Thine Own Self 8×10 Giclee Print.  (Also on Etsy.)

I’m so glad to be finished with another dress – it seemed like ages since I made one, haha!  This one is made from 2 matching feedsacks, probably from the 1930s.  Luckily I had enough fabric (just enough, really).  When I acquired the feedsacks, I didn’t know I would use them to make something to wear; this type of feedsack fabric is thicker and more loosely woven than calico.  As a dress, I thought I might literally look like I was wearing a sack but the print was too pretty to languish in my stash for much longer so I went for it.  And in my own small way, I was paying homage to all the women back in the ’30s who really had no choice but to use their feedsacks to clothes themselves and their families.  (It’s amazing the pretty and eco-friendly frocks they created with similar sacks.)

The pattern I used is New Look 6889.  I decided on a simple, modern pattern because I didn’t want to spend a lot of time fitting the little pieces together that one often finds in vintage patterns, plus I knew this dress had to be 2 things: easy to put on without a closure and quick to make.

This pattern fit the bill although I laugh and laugh at their “2 hour” claim!  I must be the slowest sewist EVER because it took much longer than 2 hours.  (Even if you exclude the time it took me to make the ruffle and the belt.)  Thankfully, the fitting of this dress was fairly uneventful and not difficult to do.  Based on the given garment measurements I cut out the pattern 1 size smaller than my own.  I also took in the center front an extra 1/2″ (total 1″) and the center back 1/2″ (total 1″) at the neckline because it pooched out (extra width, I suppose, to allow for slipping it over one’s head).  I added some back darts to reduce the tent-like shapelessness which really helped.

To give it a ’30s vibe, one of the things I added is a ruffle around the neck made up of cotton/silk voile (my favorite fabric) that I edged with green thread using a zig-zag stitch.  A little green velvet bow tops it off.

I added elastic to the waist, the same way I did to my Built by Wendy dress.  Much to my surprise I had enough to make a belt!  At first I thought I might go with a vintage red bakelite buckle but opted for this sweet mother of pearl one instead.

Then I added some decorative mother of pearl buttons to the pockets.

(Don’t you love this print?!)

I really like how this dress is so comfortable and, as it turns out, the extra weight of the fabric has its advantages; it feels more substantial that quilt-weight fabric and probably holds up better on breezy days.  (Or should I say holds down better?)

What do you think – would you mistake this for a ’30s dress if you didn’t know I made it from a modern pattern?

Anyway dears, I hope your week is going nicely so far!  We got some rain which really makes me glad.  I just love listening to it.

I meant to post this sooner but last week just flew by and then this weekend – eek!  Worked late Friday night, cleaned all day Saturday and Sunday was spent doing shop stuff which is fun but a lot of work all the same.  Which reminds me – I’ve sold out of Silhouette Holiday cards for this year!  Thank you, thank you, thank you so much.  Now I wish I had ordered more, I hate to turn away lovely customers.  I’ll plan to issue more holiday cards for next season.

Anyway, on to the fun stuff: this dress!  Don’t you LOVE the color?  The picture doesn’t do it justice, the color is so vibrant and rich.  Overall I’m really happy with it.  After years of sewing for myself I now seem to be getting the hang of choosing the right fabric and pattern combinations to make something I’d actually wear in public.

Before I forget, some outfit notes in case you’re wondering:

• Merino ribbed cardi: Banana Republic (probably from 10 years ago!)
• Butterfly brooch: Mama’s Little Babies
• Handbag: vintage (my favorite cozy weather bag)
• Tights: Hansel from Basel (Finally, I was able to afford these because they were on sale.  I spied them on the lovely Lost in the Forest blog [April's outfits are hugely inspiring and full of personality and fable]).
• Shoes: Operetta by Fluevog (They’ve had this style for years and years.  These were my “I’ll eat rice for a month so I can buy them” basic black heels.)

I actually wore this outfit the other night when husband and I went out for dinner.  The cardigan is a little snug for this loose 1920s style but I think it works for the most part.  I like the black with the green regardless.

This photo (above) probably best represents the color.  The silk georgette was pretty easy to sew, surprisingly, but not very fun to cut.  So very slippery. I’m sure if you were to lay the pattern pieces on what I cut out, they’d be way off.  Oh well.  Here is the pattern, Butterick #1223:

It’s a junior’s or girls’ dress.  These styles don’t have much shaping anyway so the fit was mostly good.  I followed the pattern except for the capelet.  I like the idea of a capelet but I wanted something less dramatic and created the ruffle from the same pattern piece.  At first I thought it might look clownish but it really works with the cardigan.  I also didn’t follow the directions exactly where it came to putting the front and back together; I couldn’t understand the instructions and winged it.

Oh and I did tweak the keyhole a bit too.  Initially it was just a slit that was to be covered up by the capelet but I rounded it out and extended it, to make it more like a regular keyhole.  I don’t know if it was this change or the pattern itself but there was a lot of weird blouseyness in the bust.  So I had to pick out the keyhole and gather the fabric, hoping that would solve ugly blouseyness and that I didn’t totally destroy the dress.

Lastly, here are the dozens of tucks along the front with the scalloped edge.  This was the best I could do with pressing, perhaps I need to use a cloth and try again.  I was afraid to get those shine marks but ironing too much.

The fabric is dark but very sheer as you can see and while I don’t have a green slip to make (and am too lazy to line my dresses properly) a little black slip did the trick!  And I didn’t freeze while wearing this wisp of a thing with the woolly layers.  Basically I’m stocked up on thick black tights and cardigans so I plan to wear more little dresses this winter.

I hope you enjoyed this dress parade – Happy Monday!