Time Flies ...

Time is flying so fast here at Newman's Needle! It seems like only last week that I posted and promised pant photos. Since then, I have finished the cashemere wool pants, made a rain jacket for Dino Boy and then a dress for Hamster Girl for Easter (really a wearable muslin for her First Communion dress). I have managed also to alter a work shirt to fit much better only to have to tweak it a bit more. The photos are still AWOL. I find I am making more time to sew and to read my blog friends works, but not returning the favour by posting my own. Now that I am back in the sewinng world again, I am going to work more on posting as well.

I just got caught up over at Couturesmith where Connie is working on yet another wedding gown for her daughter's upcoming event. I smiled as she spoke about the mundane hand work and the inevitable rip stitching that comes with the end of a project. Today I spent in the work shop cutting and sewing and doing my fiar share of rip stitching as I worked with the beaded silk that makes up the bodice of Hamster Girl's First Communion Dress.

The sleeves in the original did not meet her desires as they were too wing like for her taste. So, the very full sleeve became an overlapped tulip sleep with a gathered cap. The ties were put in backwards (lining up) to the original as she likes it to wrap in front then tie in back. The beads needed removing in the seam allowances and the seamline (+1/4") to allow for a flat sewing surface. There were issues with the sleeve redesign that had me ripping the serged finish (lucky for me I don't trim the s.a. off when edge finishing at the start!) and that took a while.

All through the frustrations I kept breathing deeply. For like Connie's many wedding dresses, this is a memory project. My daughter's First Communion is tomorrow, you see, and I wanted to add a piece ot the family collection of special pieces. Both sides of the family have a baptism gown that has been handed down. There is a baby quilt made for me by my grand mother that is a constant companion to Hamster Girl in her bedroom. The head piefce that held the veils for my 3 sisters way back on their First Communion was worn for my wedding. All these memories. All these special sewing projects that have been handed down to me. This is my chance to continue the pattern and to hand something down to my children. So, no cotton for this dress. This one is beaded silk bodice with a dupioni skirt. This will be stored with my wedding dress for the future. I am pretty sure that she will be too tall for my dress, but I am sure that I can alter it to make something special for her wedding out of it.

Tomorrow my little girl walks up the aisle in her little white dress. Soon enough the time will come when she ias asking for her prom dress, then soon enough after that the "Big" white dress ... time flies. Time to take photos to freeze these moments! Tomorrow there will be lots of photos taken as she wears both dresses for her Nanna and Poppa and her Auntie who are here to share this special time. Maybe I can finish a skirt while I am at it for myself for tomorrow ... all I need to do is construct the lining and hem it. Doable before 1:00 pm???? Stay tuned!