Wedding Excitement & Sewing Boo-Boos

Here's my smilin', gorgeous bride-daughter at her wedding shower last Sunday. Many told her she looked like 'Barbie'! Such fun...
The 2nd picture is an extra special gift - a Bridal Basket glassware antique from my parents. At 86 this year, it is very special that they are both still alive and hopefully will get to the wedding with my brother's help.
Here is my project of yesterday - and I was reminded what therapy sewing is. ALAS - good thing those 4 pie-shaped skirt pieces were symmetrical, as when I went to sew them together, I realized I hadn't flipped the pattern pieces when cutting them out! I was obsessed with matching the border-effect of the polka dots, and plum forgot.
I must say, too, that this dress 'put me in my place' - oft times sewing just isn't that easy, and directions do NOT make sense. I had even fitted a muslin top before I cut out the dress itself - then used that 'muslin' - actually silk tafetta left over from the wedding gown - as the underlining for this fabric. Sew...should have fit perfectly - eh? I thought the stable tafetta would have more than acted as 'stay' along the diagonal front neckline lines. NOT! I had to take it up - 2 times at the shoulders to get rid of the majority of the neckline gap AND slide the overlapping tops down into the midriff piece about 1.5" TOO.
The invisible zipper on the left side seam goes from arm pit through midriff, into the skirt, and I lined the bodice and midriff with silk batiste - and it was amazing to me the sewing that doing that entailed. I've left the skirt unlined, as she's 'borrowing' one of the bridesmaids' full crinoline type slips to wear underneath. Besides - I wonder if this dress will ever be worn more than at the Rehearsal Dinner. She absolutely loves polka dots - so we were thrilled to find this at Hancock's. It is actually a satin, but I convinced her that sheen = larger, so we've used the backside tafetta side as the 'outside' for the dress.

Just have the hem left - and also hems and a few nips and tucks on the bridesmaids' dresses. The finish I did on the tie back sash will work great on these dresses' hems as well as this full hem...Here are the steps:

1. Stitch 5/8" or so from the hem - single layer, regular length.

2. Roll the stitching just a hair to the wrong side. Stitch again, right on top of that stitching.

3. Trim CAREFULLY the excess hem allowance right up close to this stitching. I use an Applique Scissors for this task!

4. Roll one more time to the wrong side - stitching on top of the stitching once again.

So - you have actually 3 rows of stitching to accomplish this hem, but it works like a dream. Not a new technique - just one in my arsenal of tricks - and it should be in yours too.

Though I made some boo-boos, I got a new supply of 'Conquer Mentality' - an 'upper' I definitely needed. On top of that, watched some uplifting DVD's as I sewed. Beautiful day outside - so I'd gone on a walk to clear my head to start the day - and snatched some lilacs that I had at my sewing table enfusing the air with God's magic. If I could carbon copy a day like that and give it to every woman, that would be a wonderful thing...