Laurels for Laurel

And by that I mean Colette Laurel, of course 🙂

 

And this is after wearing it all day at work, and 3.5 hrs on public transit in the sweaty heat… hence the wrinkles 🙂

A fitting entry back into the world of sewing, if I do say so myself: this dress is a joy in every way. It is the perfect combination of demure and sexy. It has a simple silhouette but is saved from being a sack by vertical darts and bust darts (yay for bust fitting – my girls don’t look good in sacks – more on that later LOL). If that wasn’t enough, it’s comfortable, and makes me feel pretty at the same time – nice!! 🙂

To be honest, I wasn’t going to buy this pattern – after all, I already have lots I haven’t even touched. I bought it when it was released because I was going to enter the super fabulous contest Colette was holding. As it turns out, my plans for that version of Laurel went all out the window and it wasn’t until a few months later, fabric shopping with my mum, that I was inspired to make this beauty.

The fabric is silk cotton, and it’s sheer. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I could have used the handy-dandy built in instructions on the pattern to do an underlining but I decided the fabric needed to keep its light, breezy quality, so I decided to make a slip. So here I am in the fabric store, planning a dress AND a slip, when I haven’t even sewed anything in months LOL. Even I was pretty sure this was a pipe dream, and that pretty fabric would wind up in my stash. I didn’t care, as long as it became mine. LOL.

Nevertheless, I surprised even myself by getting to work on the slip project shortly afterwards. First roadblock: I didn’t have a slip pattern. No worries! I’d just download one – there’s tons on the interwebz, right? But none of them were quite right… so I drafted my own. Yup, just like that. Turns out I can do stuff. Whoda thunkit? LOL

Yay for cat photo bombing LOL.

A little more on the dress:

• I cut a straight 6, and did an FBA. I made a muslin of just the blouse part, and the fit was good without any other adjustments, so I went ahead with the dress.
• I could probably have used an extra 1/2″ in the armscye and sleeve circumference; either I have big biceps, or this pattern is for skinny arms LOL.
• This dress is short, peeps. It calls for a 2″ hem. I did 1″, and still had to take up the hem on my slip over 2″.
• The good: I made my own bias tape out of this flimsy silk cotton and lived to tell about it.
• The bad: apparently I cannot sew an invisible zipper. It’s quite visible LOL.

So back to the topic of sacks… this wasn’t TECHNICALLY my re-entry into sewing – I actually attempted a Burda drawstring halter top, which I was SUPER excited about, as it was exactly something I’d been dreaming about for a long time. Alas, after drafting the pattern, and spending an entire evening lovingly sewing it out of some beautiful Chinese silk I’d nabbed at a thrift store, and hung onto for just this blouse, I put it on triumphantly and then stared in horror at what I beheld in the mirror: me… only 14 months pregnant with quadruplets. I am not exaggerating.

We will not speak of this anymore.

So… Laurel!! Go get this pattern, friends… it’s a winner 🙂

Lola’s Week

So Lola survived her first week with her new family! 🙂

She had some bugs & some baths, (which she did not care for), her first nail clipping, and her first trip to the vet today, which has left even her seemingly boundless energy sapped:

On the bright side, there were steaks, treats, and lots of play & cuddles. She has even taken an interest in some of my hobbies:

kitties can game too 🙂

I’m not sure if that last one was “Mama can I sew too?” or “Mama, get your ass in gear and finish that dress!” lol.

I think it’s the latter, and she’s got a point 🙂

And not to forget my always stoic, regal, gentlemanly Hutchie, with the biggest kittie-heart in the world:

Broken sleep, bugs, baths, and brutal heat… it’s been a whirlwind of a week but we all made it, and our family is intact 🙂 Now, onto the next adventure! 🙂

Did you miss me? :)

It’s been awhile, right???

I’ve missed blogging and this super awesome blogging community – although lately I’ve managed to start reading more blogs & catching up with what everyone’s been up to 🙂

So what have I been up to?

Well, since I started my job, I’ve gone through a somewhat tumultuous time, as the new job is not very suited to me. Add to that, I’ve dealt with the emotional runoff from losing my old job, while still doing contract work with them, and trying to stomach the dynamics/politics involved with that, not to mention a 3-1/2 hr commute every day and juggling the additional work in my diminished “free” time. I’ve had to reassess my career choices/path quite wholeheartedly in order to cope.

In short, this whole process has sucked a LOT of my time, energy, and passion from me, and I’ve been through some pretty depressing times. But I’m figuring it out, one step at a time, and while I don’t particularly relish the next year ahead, I know it will end and I’ll move on to the next chapter.

In the meantime, I have to work that much harder to regain my passion for my career and my creativity so it will be a challenge, but a good one, I think 🙂

But to end my comeback post on a very positive note, I have a happy announcement – we got a new kitten this week!!

Her name is Lola, and she’s a little fireball!!! But SO affectionate and sweet; a perfect companion for my Hutchie… look, they are already getting along and it’s only been 3 days! 🙂

I had to make do with the bad photo cause I didn’t want to risk going to get the camera & missing this moment ^__^ Also, she looks a little mangy here cause she had to have a flea treatment – ugh 😦

I was hesitant about getting a new cat after my beloved best friend (Hutch’s brother) died last year, but she is not without similar qualities to him – which I’m sure makes the transition a little easier for Hutch – but not TOO similar; she is a girl, after all, and quite the mischievous little princess at that ^_^

As for personal projects, I’m trying to work on them but it’s a LOT slower than before. Still, I count every little bit a victory, as my time is rare, and my creative energy & passion is still pretty damaged. So baby steps…. and hopefully something to show soon 🙂 Until then, God bless & keep smiling! 🙂