#BLC 2018 - Day 24: Another Simplicity 8557...

...before I put the pattern back in the drawer I thought I'd make another a-line knit dress combined with the sleeve flounce from Vogue 9123 - this time as a gift.  Different fabric this time, a solid ponte that actually gave me a bit of a fit.

This ponte did not want to be sewn, and gave me a problem with skipped stitches.  After much trial and error the solution was: change machines, a stretch needle, increased machine presser foot tension, and Guterman thread.  I don't usually buy Guterman, but I was blessed to have just a few spools of it in the sewing room.  Maybe I should invest in a few spools to add to my bag of tricks...

#BLC 2018 - Day 20: Make it Simple, But Significant...

...I'm glad no one has ever asked me to define my personal style.  I would have bounced back and forth between dressy casual, to business casual, to I don't even know what else.  Truth be told I've never really done the work to find out what my personal style aesthetic is.  I am; however, a true admirer of fashion.  I love to gaze at beautiful and glamorous clothing all day long. I like many different designs of style, but liking them doesn't always mean they are well suited for me.

 WHAT PROMPTED THIS PARTICULAR TRAIN OF THOUGHT:  Several weeks ago I saw a lady wearing a simple A-lined dress with long trumpet sleeves.  I admired her dress and of course immediately thought "oh, I can make that".  So I set out to make this "simple" A-Lined dress.  In talking about the project with Andrea of SewtoFit, she suggested that I add a little something, something to make the dress stand out.

When it was time to think of a title for this particular post I needed something other than I made a simple dress.  Then I happened to run into this quote by Ron Draper...
 

This quote expressed exactly how I felt about my dress!

To give my dress a little something, something,  I used a black and brown animal print pontederoma from my stash.   I frankenpatterned Simplicity 8557 by using the flutter sleeve from Vogue 9923.        Added piping to the flutter sleeve, and when the piping didn't work the way I wanted at the neckline, I substituted fold over elastic as a trim that worked like a charm.

Piped flutter sleeve

 

Fold Over Elastic neckline trim

 

I know, I know its a mannequin picture!  I will post pictures wearing this "Simple but Significant" A-Lined dress when I return to work next week...