This and That

Thanks for all your nice comments about my Roland Mouret dress.

Gail asked "I'm interested in the back insert. “Did you add over the top of the back or cut out and insert as a block?"

I thought I had put a description of how I attached the back in the post, but when I checked, it was nowhere to be found. It probably got deleted when I was moving pictures around.

Anyway I attached the back over the dress. I turned under the seam allowance on the back pieces and hand basted it to the dress, using a tiny catch stitch along the folded edge where the seam allowance was turned under. Then on the inside, I machine stitched in the fold. I was able to get to the seam allowance of the basted piece because it was not attached at the neckline yet and the fabric was very stretchy, Finally I basted the neckline of the back piece to the neckline of the dress and attached the collar.

Diana
gave me the Versatile Blogger Award.

To accept you follow these rules:

• Add the award to your blog
• Thank the blogger who gave it to you
• Mention 7 random things about yourself
• List the rules
• Give the award to 15 bloggers
• Inform each of those 15 bloggers by leaving a comment on their blog .

Thanks Diana,

Random Things

• I am an introvert and happily spend time by myself. In fact I need that time, which my family refers to as “Mom’s Piddle Time” or I get very grouchy. For people who like to describe this behavior as antisocial, because they live with and don't understand introverts,  I recommend  reading this excellent article called. Caring for Your Introvert

• My dream job was the summer of 1979 during college in the Engineering dept of Hershey Chocolate. I liked the job itself, and the perks included a huge container of “all you can eat” chocolate bars that was refilled twice a week. There was a company fitness center across the street with an Olympic swimming pool and an indoor track to work those fat bars off. My current employer offers its employees free product too, but I don’t take any since I don’t smoke, dip or chew.

• I also worked as kitchen help at a Girl Scout camp one summer. We had to choose a camp name, which is what we were called all summer. I chose Skunky. I think it is ironic that I now have wide white streaks of pure white running through my dark brown hair. What I took away from this particular job is never, ever work in an all female environment. OMG! And you know the theory the menstrual cycles of women living together will eventually synchronize. I swear it is true.

• My fabric stash is huge due to lots of years of two incomes, no kids. I have a room that looks like something on a Hoarder show. My sister assures me that it is just a very large, disorganized collection, and collecting is different than hoarding.

• I love to sit in a public venue and observe people. At a mall, a bench on the boardwalk, at a sewing expo. I look at families and try to figure out what parent the kids resemble and look for patterns in body shapes, postures etc.

• I am a tea drinker. The hotter and blacker the better. No namby pamby flavored teas for me. I buy it in bulk from internet sites and use an infuser to make cup after cup. Did you know there are now recipes for meat rubs, sauces and puddings that include tea?

Audrey Tea Bags

• I met my husband at a college dorm party that my roommate forced me to attend. (see number 1 above) Future DH was trying to get the party going and he was making his way around the room asking every girl to dance. I was the first one to say yes. He was taller than me and had long shiny shoulder length blond hair (it was 1975).  Not exactly a romantic “meet” but we have been together for over 30 years.

Here are some blogs from my Google Reader list that I enjoy reading, and that I have not yet seen in other Versatile Blogger lists.

Adriana live in Costa Rico, She is a fashion designer specialized in custom made wedding and evening gowns. She makes gorgeous creations for her clients and shares how she drafts the patterns. I also enjoy her pictures of the local flora.
Janine is an Australian who loves to sew and is a fellow tea lover.
Kelli is a young mother living in Midwest She is super creative and blogs about sewing clothing, makes jewelry and refashioning garments.
AnaJan live in Belgrade, Serbia. Her patterns and sewn garments have been featured on the BurdaStyle site and in their books, and also in Sew News magazine.
Lynn sews lovely garments and is a wiz at finding great thrifted garment and incorporating them into her wardrobe.

My current project is a raincoat, inspired by these ads. Because obviously I don’t have to wear any other clothes if I have a fabulous raincoat.

 And gorgeous men will flock to me when I wear a raincoat.

Aren't they a hoot! Actually the rainy spring weather is inspiring this sewing project. This is what I have made

so far.

Hmm you say, that looks more like a long vest than a raincoat. You are right. Here is the pattern I am using.

 See if you can discover 'the twist" to this pattern.