Muse Natalie Tropical Print Dress

Have I ever told you I love the Muse Natalie Dress Pattern?  I had two yards of this ITY polyester like knit tropical print fabric that has been screaming to me!

I think I have a new favorite dress!  Comfy, goes with anything.  I'm ready for summer!




Muse Natalie Tropical Print Dress



Muse Natalie Tropical Print Dress-Bust



Muse Natalie Tropical Print Dress-Back View



Muse Natalie Tropical Print ITY Knit Dress

Dress for $8.00!

I am thinking I need to start working on my next project, Easter Dresses!  I'm so excited!



Easter Inspiration Fabric Choice

Until next time...................

Bonnie

Chevron Jersey Knit is NOT my friend!

I've recently purchased 5 yards of a multi-colored chevron print tissue like jersey knit fabric from www.fabric.com.  Let's just say that I now know why this fabric was on the clearance rack!

I love the color of the chevron print. I also thought that this thin fabric would make a nice dress for the hot humid summer weather we have here in h-o-t Florida! 



Chevron Jersey Knit Dress



Chevron Jersey Knit Dress-Wonky Lines

Every time I touched this fabric it would grow.  Stretch out, get all wonky, making me crazy.  I did my best to line up the chevron lines when I cut the fabric out.  But as you can see, it was not good.  If you tilt your head a little to the left, it looks ok......


Once I finished the neck line, it was so stretched out that it looked ridiculous.  I remembered a tutorial I saw a few months back in which to add a piece of elastic between the stitch lines to gather the neck a little.  I had used steam a seam 2 hem tape to fold over the neck edge making inserting elastic impossible.  I just folded over the neck edge again and inserted the elastic into the casing that I made.  Great idea I thought.  I tried on the dress and adjusted the elastic, sewed it together, then closed up the casing seam, tried it on again, and it's almost a choker!


Chevron Jersey Knit Dress



Chevron Jersey Knit Dress-Neckline

Besides the elastic around my throat, I let the dress hang for a day to stretch some more so that I could hem it.  Not too bad. 

My biggest problem with this whole mess of a chevron is that I really like the feel of the fabric, but the slanted zig zags drive me C-R-A-Z-Y! 

I think I might have to make another Muse Natalie dress to get my mojo going again!

Until next time.................

Bonnie

Floral Muse Natalie Dress 4th version

I really can't get enough of the Muse Natalie Dress pattern.  I was given 2-1/4 yards of a medium weight knit fabric from my church lady friend.  The fabric had a one way design with the flowers grouped into rows every 24"  I wasn't sure if it would work but the Muse Natalie dress pattern only has a few pieces so moving it around to where I thought the flower placement was needed turned out to be easier than what I thought.

Floral Muse Natalie Dress

 I have to keep reminding myself that the seam allowances are only 1cm.



1 cm seam allowances

 Gathering at the bust and skirt. Keeping the gathering stitches within the 1cm seam allowance. 



Gathering at the bust and skirt



Flower placement Muse Natalie Dress

The dress sewed up great!  I love the easy of assembly.  I looks like it takes a lot of time and fussing, but it just sews together like a dream.

I like the placement of the flowers on this version, it makes my waist look small.  I need all the help I can get in the waist, butt, thigh area.

This fabric seems to want to poof out at the stomach for some reason.  I am hoping that washing the fabric again, will softened the fabric, making it want to hang better. 


Fabric poof at stomach?

 


Floral Muse Natalie Dress



Floral Muse Natalie Dress-Back View

 Gertie, my dress form is closed to the smallest setting and my dresses are having a hard time getting on her!  I'm glad for that, but I'm between dress form sizes so I'm just going to have to make do.

Floral Muse Natalie Dress Bust View

 I have a tropical ITY knit that I think will make another great version. Maybe a sleeveless version and adding length to the hem about 2". Something for summer, cool and light.

Our dishwasher hit the dust last weekend.  I'm deciding on what model to get.  The last one only lasted 5 years.  We do use it A LOT.  At least once a day and on weekends, twice a day.  I'm just having trouble bringing myself to pay $700 for a nicer one.

Until next time.......................

Bonnie

More Fabric Blessings and Patterns Too!

Another great haul from my Church lady friend!  She purged more patterns and a box of fabric too.  There were a lot of patterns for children and purse patterns in this load.  I found a few patterns that I will keep.  An apron pattern, a tote bag, a few wardrobe and skirt patterns.  Unfortunately I don't have any little girls to sew for, so I will be passing those along.



Fabric Blessings and Patterns too!



Fabric Blessings

 I love when fabric comes with a story!  I was told that this lace panel came from a trip to Europe.  They don't have screens on their windows and use lace fabric panels to cover window openings.  This is a beautiful lace panel.  There's a rod pocket along the top edge and a weighted hem.  How interesting!



Fabric Blessings-Lace Panel

 This yard of fabric is my favorite one out of the bunch.  It's a medium/heavy canvas type fabric.  I'm thinking a tote bag for the beach this summer.  It's talking to me..........

My Favorite Canvas fabric

When making my pattern fitting,  I use a brown kraft paper to redraw onto.  I have had the same roll of brown kraft paper for over 5 years!  It lasts forever.  I have finally gotten close to the end of the roll so I had to do some shopping.  Thank goodness for Amazon so I can shop from the comfort of my recliner. 

I found a roll of brown kraft paper that was 30" wide and 1010' feet long!  Compared to my previous roll that was only 24" wide, I won't have to piece fuller skirt patterns or sleeves. I can lay multi pieces of patterns on a sheet of kraft to retrace.  I'm ready to trace out patterns!


Brown Kraft Paper Roll for Pattern tracing

I'm hoping to work on another Muse Natalie Dress this week.  I was gifted 2 yards of a floral print knit fabric that I think will make a nice version.  The only thing that has me hesitant is that the floral print is a one way design............. 

Wish me luck...................

Until next time....................................

Bonnie