Join me in my adventures as I write romance novels and sew vintage and contemporary fashion.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

McCalls 6557

The Writing
The writing is catching up with me. I have three chapters of my next book due on Friday and I'm still working  on revisions to the book I finished this spring. However, I do have a title for that book--Cowgirl in High Heels. I love it! I think the cover will be really fun. Anyway, sewing is slowing down because the writing is heating up. After the 27th of May, I can really cut loose on the old Kenmore.

The Sewing












Since the sewing is on hiatus and I'm still shortening my orange coat, I'm posting one of the dresses I made last spring--McCalls 6557. I liked the dress so much I made it twice. The first time I copied the cover look from the pattern, making it out of black and white polka dot cotton with a red crepe waistband--only my dots are much larger. I've never learned to look at that little scale ruler on the fabric photos when I order on line. Good thing I like large dots.

The second dress is shorter and I made it out of a lovely green and turquoise sheer fabric that is really tough. It doesn't snag or run. I lined it with turquoise cotton and whenever I wear it, people stop me to comment. The colors are happy colors.




The Art Shots
This blog post actually came about because I ordered a crinoline and my husband took some artsy shots of it with the polka dot dress. So here it is, in color and black and white.



6 comments:

  1. My hat is off to you. I am so awed by people who seem to be able to accomplish so much. (Apparently there is a secret trick to slow down the time machine, and I skipped class that day.) You surely have a Betty MacDonald/Egg and I memoir in you somewhere. The off the grid setting is perfect.

    I am guessing you will enjoy treadling on the Singer 66. I have a dozen or so old machines and the treadle is the one I usually go to first. I think maybe it is just soothing. And maybe it helps that it is pretty much set up, while the other machines have to be taken out of their case, attach the cords and plug it in.

    Of course, having the treadle to work on when the power is off, may not help the writing deadlines. Which reminds me, I should get back to work.

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    Replies
    1. I'm so glad to hear that the treadle is the machine you go to first. I've been waiting for school to end to start my treadling--I need to rearrange a few things in my work space.

      I adore The Egg and I! I've actually yet to figure out the time-slow-down-thing, so instead I've given up housework. It has almost the same effect.

      Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  2. Hello! Both of your dresses are absolutely lovely! I just purchased this pattern and I'm having a difficult time deciding what material to use for it. It's going to be for me to wear to a wedding (as a guest, not in the wedding) and I was wondering what type of material you used for the polka-dot one you made. Also, is the tulle underskirt that is shown in the bottom pictures attached or is it like a petticoat type of thing? Thanks so much!

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  3. Thank you, Amanda. The polka dot dress is 100% cotton fabric I purchased from fabric.com last year. The underskirt is a petticoat I purchased at Resashay http://www.resashay.com/1950petticoat. They also have a softer, less full version that I have on my to-buy list http://www.resashay.com/product/R000056-MM-580. I love wearing the big crinoline, but there's a lot of skirt there, and I can see times when I'd like less skirt.

    ReplyDelete
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