Some of you may remember when I said I was going to sew a dress. It seemed laughably impossible and I didn't think I was going to be able to do it. After one weekend afternoon working with my sister I felt discouraged: one beginner's mistake after another made the idea of making a dress seem ridiculous. I couldn't even figure out how to cut the fabric, for goodness sake. The tension was off on my machine, and it just wasn't happening.
I decided to take a step back, take a break, and try again in a few weeks. Luckily, in that time I managed to score a supposedly "easy" pattern from the thrift store, decided to make my first dress using a bedsheet and not actual valuable fabric, and figured out how to fix the tension. So when I took my second attempt at the project it was actually stress free... especially since I forced myself to think of it as merely a "practice dress".
So here's my very first dress. My practice dress. It looks sort of retro, don't you think? Like something you would wear while waiting tables at a diner. I'm happy to report that it was only a two-naptime project (a "naptime unit", in our household, being around an hour and a half to two hours on a good day). But I haven't sewn in a zipper yet, so I guess it's not technically "done" quite yet.
So, for today: I love the dress, I love that it has pockets, I love that I learned all sorts of things like how to sew "darts" while making it, I love that I can easily make another dress just like it in another fabric sometime, and I love that for that next time I have lots of little things I will do differently. And I think most of all I love learning something new and having something concrete to show for it.
Now if it would only warm up enough so I could actually wear the dress (who said I can't wear it just because it's a practice dress :-)... and with that, I'm back to stockpiling the house for the next storm that is barreling our way as we speak. Stay warm, everyone!
13 comments:
Congrats! It looks great. I tried a skirt last month and gave up halfway through (I had read the pattern wrong, screwed up cutting the fabric, and couldn't sew a straight seam, among other things). Your dress inspires me to try again.
It is darling!
Nice work! I admire you for jumping in there and giving it a try... then a second try. I haven't attempted a dress yet but perhaps, just perhaps, I could swing a "practice dress"!
Practice, shmactice! It is adorable. Congratulations on finishing your first dress!!!
I think the dress is wonderful. Perhaps you could wear it over a pair of jeans. Certainly retro and well done you for completing the project.
Holy cow girl that is on awesome dress. I am so impressed. There is a lot of cutting, pinning, and stitching involved in a dress. I love the idea of using sheets as a practice fabric. Great idea!
Of course you must wear that! It is amazing! I am so impressed. Thanks for sharing about your tries and your way of looking at it as practice. It makes a lot of sense and takes some of the pressure off. I also picked up a dress pattern the last time I was at the thrift shop... it sits and will sit for a while yet I think! If only I could find a cute bed sheet there too!
Found you on Today's Creative Blog. I'm a professional level seamstress and sometimes even I have to drop a project and walk away or I'll cry. So kudos for coming back again. It gets easier the more you practice. Plus there's lots of how-to videos online now. It turned out lovely!
Adorable! I love, love these sorts of patterns. Nice work! I hope you get some sunny days to wear and enjoy.
Thank you all, as always, for the encouragement! I will wear it and wear it with pride. :-)
that is awesome!!! i love dresses with pockets too. i made one at the end of summer last year and i was so surprised at how much i use the pockets! you look so cute with the tie on it too!
Such a great dress!
Oh my goodness. It is adorable! Couldn't you just pair it with some leggings and funky boots and rock that dress today, despite the cold? Love it! Great work.
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