The excitement starts building about a week before. Deciding what to bring, what not to bring I should say. Every retreat I vow to bring less. And I'm getting better each time. This time, with four of us in the car I'll have to tow the line. Confession, I bought a roof rack for the car! Just in case!
One of the fun preparations for these clothing design retreats is deciding what to wear. It's fun to dress for women you know will appreciate it.
I've had time to do a bit of sewing these last two weeks. Here's Marcy Tilton's new dress pattern I tried in a trio of knits I bought from her at another retreat. These trios are such a great idea. I just pick up the package from my stash and it's ready to go.
Sorry, these pics aren't better, I think I need to finally bite the bullet and actually get a camera instead of using my IPhone.
This is made from a white and brown stripped knit in front, one of the trio from Marcy. The pockets are a burnout knit I got from a sewing pal and the sleeves are a sheer patterned knit that was in the trio.
I made a pair of leggings out of the sheer sleeve fabric and wore them with it. I'm just not feelin' that great about totally bare legs these days, u-hum, if you know what I mean. Leggings feel like a security blanket!
The back is from the last of the trio of knits. It's a puckered lightweight knit, not the easiest fabric to work on. I did a fairly good job of matching the stripes on the horizontal but the angular strips really suck. But, hey, that's ok, they're in the back and I can't see them! You can see a bit of the burnout used on the diagonal bottom piece.
I know I say this frequently but I'm really not a good technical sewist. I'm not fishing for compliments here, I know my limits. I'm getting better, slowly. Stripes are something I haven't tackled a lot. My strong point in sewing is diving into projects with abandon and not worrying about the perfection, just having fun. And that's big, I think. It's really why I sew; to be creative and have fun!
I do love this pattern. It's like a puzzle but so easy to figure out. It all went together well. The final step is bringing the pocket bottoms and hem together to form the draping you see in the first photo. I like it but you can leave it out.
I will be making this dress again, soon! Very wearable and flattering. I finished it last Sunday afternoon, wore it to a party where I got lots of compliments.
Here's my new pincushion that I am mad about. My friend Suzanne made it for me after I coveted the one she made for herself. What a sweetheart, eh? I can't tell you how much I love this. There's something about the colors and texture that brings joy to my heart every time I lay my eyes on it. It's filled with crushed walnut shells that make for a very good feel when you push a pin into it.
It's going to Ashland!
That's all for now, I'll report on DOL upon my return.
ps, the epic fail is on it's way. It's just more fun to show stuff I like!
