Playing dress up

I love costumes!  I'm one of those people that wears "costumes" on random Tuesdays just for fun ... blue gingham tank top check, red lip gloss check, white cardigan check, today I'm Dorothy! Because I've never lost my childish enthusiasm to play dress up Halloween has always been a favorite holiday of mine.

This year I decided to use my new found passion of machine sewing by making my very own costume.   Years before I would buy these poor fitting cheaply made things for way more than they were worth and let's just say that began to aggravate me.  As a kid all I would ever wear were costumes my ma would make: black kitty, princess, hillbilly, sock hop-er, and you get my drift.  So making the leap as an adult really wasn't that far for me.

The final result wasn't exact to the pattern,  some errors were discovered at the end of the night, and I rushed the overdress but I'm still rather proud of what I accomplished. Snow White has never looked so voluptuous!

Snow White with her bff Joan Holloway

Princess selfie

The first step is the hardest

Or at least that is what I am hoping for.  I've never been good with following patterns.   For the most part I see the general idea of the project and just wing it and for the most part I've failed miserably.   "Who needs interfacing, I mean really?  I bet I don't." Yeah there is a reason why patterns call for it, why there are different varieties of it, and if a pattern calls for it use it. 

Why I decided making a costume would be easier and cheaper than buying one I'll never know because in the long run it has been more expensive and time consuming than going to a store and grabbing something would have been.  That being said I know that this costume will last and if I happen to lose more weight (fingers crossed) I could alter this one to fit since I've made it and know how it was constructed.   Now here is to hoping I can finish the second part of it this week so I can wear it on Saturday!

Thankfully with my lack of experience with patterns and making clothing I was able to find a great tutorial online for the exact pattern I had bought. https://www.professorpincushion.com/professorpincushion/simplicity-1773-medieval-dress-series/ Seriously if it weren't for that YouTube video I don't know how I would have been able to finish the dress and it actually end up looking halfway decent. The dress alone came out decent enough I would wear it for more things than Snow White in the enchanted forest ... like Ice Skating Princess, expensive harlet from a beer tavern, lady kidnapped by pirates, Maria Antoinette post beheading, and I'm sure I could come up with more concepts. 

The dress

I decided to add some embroidery

Another one bites the dust

I've been busy, I promise.  Ok so maybe not 100% true but I've been doing stuff.  This past weekend I finished the quilt for Kara. It isn't perfect,  but really in a way that makes it perfectly handmade.  As the old wives tale about the humility block goes and what not. Some how there are pictures attached, I don't know where since I'm a phone blogger and I don't have all those lovely editing dohinkys but still I hope you enjoy! 

Handmade with love as always!

Quilt front: Saddle Up Bandana panel by Riley Blake

Quilt back: Saddle Up Medallion by Riley Blake

The back is my favorite print

Hand quilting detail

The quilt front