Prom corsage

So, I didn't exactly take pictures through out the process, but I made the corsage for my son's date for prom tonight. We bought our supplies at Michael's. She wanted a wrist corsage, so we started with a pearl wrist corsage base that you can find in the wedding accessory section. I added a nice variegated, sparkly, wide ribbon followed by a gold sheer ribbon. Then I added the small white flowers. I placed the large flower in the middle of all of that and added ribbons between the petals and the butterfly clip to a top petal. 

I will say, this was not the first attempt. I had actually put it all together, looked at it, hated it, then pulled it apart. Thankfully I worked fast enough that most of the hot glue had not completely hardened. It was easier to pull apart that way.

So, after a first failed attempt I created this, which my son thinks is perfect for his date. I hope she agrees.

Just as a side note, the large flower came colored that way. I did not dye or paint anything. 

McCalls Wrap Dress Sew Along

I love participating in Sew Alongs. I love wrap dresses. So this sew along from McCall was perfect for me. I could get tips and tricks from other sewing enthusiasts, and wrap dresses are so flattering for so many people. They help me hide a little pooch in the belly but still look good. So, as soon as I saw the invitation to join I was in. I started perusing the McCall, Butterick, and Vogue patterns online and watching the mailers from my local Joann and Hancock stores for pattern sales. I found one I loved.

I chose McCall 6884. 

As you can see, a fairly simple pattern, but that gathering at the waist will help with hiding the afore mentioned pooch.

Now that I had my pattern, I started searching for fabric. I love to search online and get a general idea of what I like, then see if it is available in the store. I don't like ordering fabric online unless I have seen it in person first. So, usually after searching online I just buy at the store. I did find a fabric I liked at Joann.com and saw that it was available at one of my local stores. I am very lucky in that I have 4 different Joann stores and 2 Hancock Fabric stores all within 25 minutes of my home. Here is the fabric I chose. 

So, I have my pattern, I have my fabric, and eventually I had the time to get started.

Always read your pattern instructions thoroughly before starting. Nothing is worse than cutting into the perfect fabric only to realize you screwed up. (I speak from experience) Anyway, after reading through the cutting instructions and making sure I had all my pattern pieces together, I started cutting out. I was able to cut all the pieces fairly easily, but I did use a hint I read from the sew along. Never let the fabric hang off the end of your table as it will stretch and distort the fabric as you cut. I would not have thought of that. 

After getting everything cut out my free time was used up. I had to wait a little while (read two weeks) before I could start sewing my dress. Hey, I have two teenagers at home, a missionary half way across the country, a husband, a full time job, and a wicked Pinterest habit. LOL So, I started sewing, and was able to finish it in one weekend. I used my server to make nice finished edges. 

I also used it to make sewing a narrow gem easier. After serving the edge I simply double folded the edge and came out with a lovely narrow hem with no hassle.

This is the sleeve edge. It is very easy to do and looks great.

 I love the way it turned out. However, being a short, slightly busty girl who doesn't like to show her cleavage, I wish I would have adjusted the front of the wrap to give me better coverage. That is an adjustment I will make before using this pattern again. But for this dress and cami with a nice lacy edge works well. I did lengthen the dress by 3 inches as I wanted it to come below my knee.

Here is the dress hanging and tied on the side.

A close up of the side tie. And here is the dress on me. 

I am very happy with this dress and can't wait to wear it to church. I know it will be a huge hit with all the ladies who admire my sewing skills. Now, I'm just waiting for the next sew along. In the meantime, I'll be working on more spring skirts and dresses for my girls and a prom corsage for my son's date. Stay tuned.