Vogue Dresses: 3 from 1 pattern

I have a business trip to New York City coming up tomorrow, and I needed new, "modern" business wear for the occasion.  I went to an upscale thrift shop nearby, and scored a Calvin Klein suit jacket for $15; the fit was perfect, so I snagged a pair of Saks Fifth Avenue pumps for $7 while I was at it.  No reason to skip the good bargains, right?

Anyway, I knew I had a plaid piece of fabric at home, and thought that might mike a great business dress to go with the jacket.  I also had a pattern which Shannon used to make a court dress a few years back; other than needing to cut it 2 sizes larger than hers, it was perfect.  But since I hadn't made it before, and wasn't positive that I would get the sizing perfect, I decided to make a test dress from this paisley, which I loved.  It was a little too big, so I took it in.  I love it with my jacket.

Then I made a gray version from a lightweight cotton, a size smaller.  I gave it a test wear one day, but wasn't thrilled with the skirt. However, it did look good with my jacket.

So when I made the final version, I went with a slightly flared skirt.  And since I was short on fabric, there is no collar.  I'm absolutely delighted with my pattern matching; it's almost perfect.  And since I have not really played with plaid before, and, further, plaid requires very close matching in 2 dimensions. I thought I was pretty smart here!  This one is exactly what I had in mind when I bought this jacket.

So I sent all of these pictures to my daughters, and to Jeff, who works for a Giant American Corporation.  The girls voted for the paisley; Jeff voted for the plaid.  Patrick likes the gray best, but since I have to sit for 6 hours, the straight skirt isn't ideal.

So, that's what I've been working on these days.  No more sewing for at least a week; it's time to live through Thanksgiving!

Happy Monday, everyone!

A Real Compliment

So, I went to the supermarket this afternoon; not really a surprise, I do believe that most people have that experience every so often.

It was not too cold, about 33, so I was wearing a long leather coat and some shoes I needed to try out, along with a dress that I made at Sew Camp in March.  It was my first raglan sleeved dress, and I made a complete muck of it, stitching the sleeves together at the shoulder before ripping the seams out and starting over.  Not my finest hour, but I do like this dress.

Anyway, I was paying for my chicken, milk, london broil and bread (that's all I bought), when a woman walked past me, pushing her heaping cart of food, and said, "I like your dress!"  I was stunned.  She had to be at least 20 years younger than me, so it really made my day.  She';ll probably make me smile for about a week with that offhand comment, and she didn't even realize it.

This is the dress, which I think I showed you back in April; I used the same fabric to make a little dress for Maddie, which she wore on Easter.

Oh, and the shoes?  I need to go to a business meeting, and found these Saks Fifth Avenue heels at an upscale consignment shop for $7.  Seven Dollars!  I was able to walk in them, and they make my feet look very delicate, so while I have another pair to try out, right now these are the front runners for said meeting (in NYC, which always requires a lot of walking).

Narwhal Jacket in Action!

I went on vacation with my daughter's family, and brought Nora her new jacket.  As soon as I pulled it out of my luggage, she grabbed it, put it on, asked me to snap it closed, and wandered around indoors wearing it.

I guess she likes it!

Oh, and that guy she's hauling around by the arm?  Despite the fact that you think his name is Donald, she assured me his name is "Duck Goose."

Happy Weekending, everyone!