Josephine Sews

This was a UFO I started a few months ago.  It became a UFO because of the low cut "V" neckline - I definitely should have done a muslin for this one. Rayon Challis Seersucker I was so frustrated that I wanted to throw it away, however, I loved the version 1 fabric way too much, so I put it away.  The weather got extremely hot a couple of weeks back and I decided to pull it out again.  I finished the dress before I knew what I would do with the front.  I ended up adding a triangle piece in the front for modesty. How I Did It Fabric Version 1 is sewn in a rayon challis and this is my favorite because it is more flowy Version 2 sewn in a seersucker (cotton/polyester blend) Adjustments Used 18 at the top and graded out to 20 for waist and hip Shortened length 5" Version 1 added a 3" "V" panel to the front for modesty Version 2 modified the front to raise the "V" front 3" (actually 1.5" or 2" would have probably been fine) Some Finishe...

Another UFO completed - yea.  I am endeavoring to work through my UFO projects alternating them with new projects. Grainline Studio Myra Slipdress & Tank - View C I made view C.  I struggled with this dress - I fought with the dart placement.  Not sure why that was a struggle at the time - it is quite easy to lower the dart.  My dart placement is off on this dress but the fabric design hides it really well.  The bumps in some of the pictures are a result of me having on the wrong bra with the straps tucked in the side. How I Did It I was a tester for this pattern and something happened where I wasn't able to get access to some files and I ended up dropping out of the testing.  I first made a muslin and that is when I realized the dart was too high.   Because I was so frustrated with the dart, I wanted to throw the dress away, but I loved the fabric way too much.  Instead I balled it up and threw it in a bag and there it stayed for 2 years...

This won't be like my normal posts.  Since Sew4Home has really great instructions and pictures, I think it best to refer you there for construction details. A girlfriend has a birthday this month and I wanted to make meaningful gifts for her.  The first one was a robe and because I know she loves to garden, I made her garden apron. This apron should take 1 hour to make, maximum 2 hours however it took me at least double that because of mistakes and waxing the fabric. Five Pocket Half Apron I did go to buy fabric, but forced myself to use my fabric stash.  White fabric for gardening is not the greatest choice, but I felt it was the better choice from what was in my fabric stash. I knew I would be waxing it so I knew that would help some. When waxing I found that if I warmed the fabric with the iron first it made it much easier to apply the wax.  I believe I applied somewhere between 5 to 10 layers.  To my surprise I found the waxing process to be very relaxing....

I was talking to a friend who mentioned she washed a robe and she complained how ratty it looked after washing and that's when I had a light bulb moment.  She has a birthday this month and I finally had something I could make her as a gift without knowing her precise measurements. I love, love, love making gifts for friends and family.  I like to think about our conversation(s) to come up with something they actually want and something that I can actually make in a reasonable amount of time. If I could have remotely fit it, she would have never received it as a gift 😉.  Unfortunately I don't have pictures of her in it and the robe is way too small for my dress form, but I took the best pictures I could. Compose Robe I initially chose a beautiful white fabric with daisies on them, but it was see thru and I wasn't interested in making lingerie for this gift.  I went to the store to buy some fabric, but ended up forcing myself to use my stash.  I had no intention ...