All The Clothing I've Been Making

A Year of Sewing Creative Dresses

I took on a couple seamstress positions last year. Which means I hardly clean anymore, and I've discovered I actually like sewing a lot. It's rather amazing how a change of work has impacted me. I love life just that much more. I love people better, and feel better, and do more things outside of work. 

And I sew more. 

Here are most of the things I've made outside of work. 

1. 

I did a bit of sewing for Revivall last spring, and she gave me a black trash bag full of wool scraps. Originally, I was wanting to make a sweater dress. But the wool was too heavy for the sweater top. It was meant to be a simple wool skirt with a diamond cashmere top. This dress is one of my first truly creative pieces. I had no pattern and no idea of what I was making. It changed with every added piece. At the end I even added a ton of embroidery to the hem and bodice. Only thing new: buttons bought in Germany. 

2. February I went to a wedding!

We put on this wedding in two weeks! It was quick and successful. We made all our dresses on a treadle sewing machine. I sewed up mine and the blue one. 

3. Custom ordered wedding dress 

It's simple and lacy. I had a picture to follow and made my own pattern. 

4. This gal did a steampunk themed wedding. I did her shorts. The entire ensemble all together was quite cool!!

5. Mother of the groom custom made dress. 

This is one of the try on photos (I hadn't hemmed it yet). 

6. Made myself a nightgown on my birthday!! 

7. Found this corduroy on Facebook! Made a pattern from a picture I also saw on Facebook. The trim took hours and hours of concentrated frustration. But isn't it such a happy result? Button from that sewing machine drawer I've mentioned in previous posts. 

8. Corduroy dress. 

Patter was from an old polyester flannel dress I found at my favorite Missouri thrift store for 75 cents. A client gave me the fabric years ago. There wasn't quite enough so I pieced some of it together (very happy with results.). All the shell buttons found in that old sewing machine drawer. The fabric is a bit old and rips easily, so have to walk business like. No running allowed. I even prefer to wear shoes with this dress. 

9. Remember those wedding dresses? Baby came in December!! I made the dress from fabric I found in a goodwill bin. Used a cereal bowl as a pattern for the neck, then eyed the rest of it. There's a banana in one sleeve and a spool of thread in the other to make the cuffs poof out properly for this picture. 

10. Custom made skirt

I actually made this before I made the baby dress. Same fabric and lace. Has pockets.

11. Nursing dress

Met a woman from the Jim Robert's group a while back who wore a nursing dress similar to this. I was inspired. With more fabric I'd found in a goodwill bin I cut out and made the "Chayah" nursing dress. Might try to market it, or maybe just make up as gifts. 

Sewing this last year has been quite the experience. I've learnt that I don't hate sewing. I've also learnt how to tighten bobbin tension, about double needles, and that industrial Juki's are amazing (I'd really like one!!). Learning to love to sew has shown me that we can face the things we hate and find ourselves in love.