It’s been AGES since I’ve even contemplated working on my Macaron Redux dress. And as more time had passed, I’ve grown quite wary of the project since I really had no idea if the bodice even still fit me. It is the month after Christmas and yummy holiday treats after all…
So before even picking up my pattern notes & such, I gently tossed the bodice over my head, peeled it down around me and was trilled that it still fit! *hip hip*
What prompted me to work on this dress instead of anything else you may ask… The answer is Valentine’s Day.
I read through everyone’s awesome comments on my Cleaning the Slate post. You know the post where I shared the insane amount of projects that are work-in-progresses. I was strongly thinking about picking up the Gertie coat but then I read Gail‘s comment:
Hahaha! I DO remember that red lace dress! I was wondering what happened to it! My vote is you start with that. (And then make Felix take you someplace special for Valentine’s Day!)
Gail’s comment was a fun, silly one but it just stuck with me. So my new motivation for finishing up my Macaron Redux Dress is Valentine’s Day.
Felix and I don’t really *do* Valentine’s Day. Felix and I will exchange little gifts, and oftentimes just have a quiet dinner at home (or a treasure hunt). I don’t ever recall going out to eat on Valentine’s Day since it’s usually overcrowded and unpleasant.
But this year, before I even said anything about my dress, Felix asked me where I wanted to go for dinner on Valentine’s day. *huh* We decided to go out on Saturday, following Valentine’s day in hopes that it would be a bit less crazy. (The place we’re going is a surprise apparently….)
Long story short, Valentine’s day is my new motivator for completing my old-new Macaron Redux dress. Isn’t that exciting?!
I still have quite a lot of work to do on it, but I spent the great majority last week completing the hand stitching of the lace appliques on the bodice, stitching the side seams (also applique seams), attaching the cap sleeves, and finishing all of the seams.
Since I’m using couture sewing techniques, every step involves lots of basting, removing the basting, and basting some more….
I have silk organza stabilizing the armscye, and also the side seam for where the zipper will be inserted (amongst many more areas of the bodice…). This is the bodice, right before I attached the cap sleeves.
Bodice, right side:
It’s kind of a hard picture to see…. but I have the sleeves stitched in and have finished the seam allowances with some nude silk charmeuse bias facings. There’s nothing so stretchy as silk charmeuse on the bias, let me tell you! But it does look ohh soo nice on the inside.
It took me 3 times to hand baste in each sleeve properly, so that the bottom edges of the scallops would be parallel to the floor instead of askew. But for some reason I didn’t seem to mind unpicking them. I think on any other dress I would have been frustrated and would need a break.
Truth be told, this is how much work I got done last week during the evenings; I haven’t even started to write about the work I did on the dress this past weekend. I have gobs of more pictures to show you on the progress, I can’t wait. :)
In: Sewing
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