McCalls 5893 or the 1 year 1 hour dress

Okay I exagerated a little. I started making this dress about 11 months ago right after finishing this version. Then I got distracted by other projects, plus this one is made from an ITY knit and I wasn't quite sure it would wear as nicely as the last one. Through out the months, I would pick it up and complete a step or two, pin this, stitch that until finally I decided to finish it because the other dress actually works well in my somewhat limited Summer maternity wardrobe. I guess better late than never.

Pattern Description: Empire waist dresses A, B, C, D have hemmed, scoop necklines, side seam pockets and elastic casing at waist; dresses A, C and D have hemmed armholes; dress A has contrast bodice and hem band; dress B has sleeves gathered to sleeve band.

Pattern Sizing: B5(8-10-12-14-16), RR(18W-20W-22W-24W)

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Mostly, I omitted the elastic at the waist. I don't need anything binding on my growing belly.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Instructions were super easy. I didn't really need them.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I loved that this dress had pockets and that it went together so quickly (in theory at least).

Fabric Used: ITY Knit

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I added two inches to the bodice length and one inch to the width to make sure I had full bust coverage. I had already re-drafted the pattern pieces the last time I made this so it made this part a breeze.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I probably won't make this again since this is my second one but I would definitely recommend it. It's so comfortable.

Conclusion: This dress is confortable, easy to sew and can be used easily as a maternity dress with minimal adjustment and still work as a transitional garment after baby.

Finally . . . Great News!

Thanks to all of you who have kept me in your thoughts over the last few months. Back in April I was trying to recover from a MS exacerbation and just could not understand why I couldn't shake it. After lots of tests we got the results, I'M PREGNANT!!!! This is definitely great and welcomed if not shocking news since we had a miscarriage last year and had been trying unsuccessfully for almost a year after that. Then a new waiting game began, getting past the "dangerous" period which for me with all the health issues was a little longer than most. But we're finally over that and to top it off found out that we are having a GIRL (techinically my third but my first bio) and my feet have not touched the ground. I still haven't mustered up the energy to sew but I am definitely more relaxed and relieved.

Starting to feel a little better.

I can feel my energy starting to return and I know I'll be back to creating soon as I have recently began selecting patterns for my Summer sewing and placed a fabric order for my 10th anniversary dress. I haven't touched my machine though but I know it's coming. Thanks again for those who have reached out, I really appreciate it.

Checking In

Thanks to everybody for checking in on me. I'm still here, not feeling any better and just trying to do all I can to get rest and recover. I am daydreaming about a Mother's day dress which unless I can find something with no more than 2-3 pattern pieces, won't be happening, but a girl can dream can't she.

Planning but no sewing

It's been a while since I last posted but I'm still here. After having MS (multiple sclerosis) for half my life, one would think I'd figure out how to stay in front of it which actually I usually can do but this time, I can't seem to beat the fatigue which has me falling to sleep on the couch or when I go to cuddle with my boys at bedtime for a few minutes and waking up 4 hours later. So although I have three UFO's that I need to finish and a new pattern traced and altered and fabric pre-shrunk, I cannot seem to stay awake to do anything. I also have all the major components for my dedicated sewing area purchased (table, rolling task chair, Ott light (40% off at JoAnn's), I don't have the energy to put the space together. I haven't even been viewing the PR digests and keeping up with blog posts daily which is unheard of! Hopefully if I go to bed early for the next two nights, I'll have enough energy to make a simple top on Friday.

Finally, a perfect invisible zipper . . . or so I thought

So one of my projects for this year is to learn how to perfectly insert an invisible zipper. I stayed away from the evil things for years but everytime I see one in someone else's garment, I promise I'm going to learn to do this myself. After a few false starts with either getting the zipper twisted or having it not really be invisible at all, I finally did it.

A proud moment indeed -- that is until this happened.

This is what happens when I sit, bend or otherwise move in the skirt. I think part of it has to do with the fabric being a stretch suiting but do you have any other ideas about why this is happening?

Me-Cation es Sew-Cation

People often ask me how I avoid burn out with the often emotionally draining work that I do. My first answer is usually that I have been blessed with the ability to completely shift gears the minute I leave work, which is definitely part of it but the other very important part is that roughly every three months or so I take a me-cation, that's a mini vacation when everyone else in my family is still working or going to school. It usually is only 2-3 actual days off but when you combine my regular days off it will be 6 days. Not having to do anything for anybody, not having to solve problems or hold fears, getting to sleep in, read, knit or sew, cook more elaborate meals for my family and overall just getting to take care of myself is very restorative and keeps me from burning out. Honestly, I haven't had a real me-cation in nearly a year and boy am I feeling it. I took off last June but it just so happened that while I was off a friend came to stay with us and unfortunately she expected to be entertained. Sorry but I have two little boys, a husband and I talk for a living, when I'm supposed to be home relaxing, I don't want to talk or help people figure out their problems, but I digress. Over the holidays, I was off the week of Thanksgiving and two weeks at the end of the year but my kids were also home so while I loved spending time with them and we had a blast, I got no rest.

This time, I am planning a sew-cation to to finish a few more Winter pieces before I finally do move on to Spring sewing. With any luck, these will turn out to be transition pieces.

I like View B which I plan to make in a black stretch suiting. I finally found 7" nickel zippers so I think I'll be good to go.

I also want to make either

B5284 or

M5968 to wear with a pencil skirt I plan to make from a gray wool blend suiting with light blue pinstripes. I'm leaning toward the McCalls version but it will depend on which one I have to do the least amount to (since I have alter every pattern I use). If I get these things done, I will feel so accomplished because I really am pretty fatigued so I need to be getting a little bit of rest while I'm at it.

I'm also planning on taking a beading class because I'd like to step up my accessorizing and I have a knitting lesson scheduled because I'm ready to move on from scarves. Overall I'm feeling pretty pleased with the plan. Wish me luck!