Sew Along Updates...

I have been busy. Not so much sewing, but busy none-the-less. My parents came to visit for two weeks and left for the cold Northeast last Saturday. It was great to have them visit, but it left me no time for anything else. We did a lot of traveling; a southern Italy trip: Pompeii, Herculaneum, Positano (on the Amalfi Coast), Ravello and a northern trip: Sienna, Florence, Orvieto. Phew. No wonder I was exhausted when they left! I had a great time and even got to show my mother the fabric store, and of course we didn't come out empty-handed ;)




So, as far as the sew alongs here is the latest news:

Swing Dress
Status: just need final finishing.

I realized when I took pictures of myself on our cliff-side balcony in Positano that I had forgotten to remove the basting stitches on the belt of the bodice. ::rolling eyes:: I also need to either find a button to close the front or sew it shut. This decision and finding the motivation will probably take another week. sigh. But to prove that I have actually done more than just cut sleeves, here are the photos. With basting! (not that you can tell)

Where is my cocktail?!  ;)

Realizing I need a button, or to sew the front shut

Forgive the annoyed look in this picture, it was right after I realized the basting was still intact

Negroni Shirt
Status: Done! Sorry they aren't great photos, but it was early and after the last shot, I got sucked into the lecture.

Really, I thought this was going to be another UFO, but lo and behold, I finished it! For real. It was hemmed and buttonholes were made*, and buttons attached. And it was actually worn. In public.

I had adjusted the pattern for a narrow and sloping shoulder and then thought that it wasn't going to work. The pattern and muslin sat on the sewing shelf pleading with me as I ignored it. Then I realized that I had lugged these three yards of fabric from the states and I am NOT lugging it back. It would either end up as a shirt or in the trash. Either way would make more room for other stuff in my suitcase come July :)

Standing in the Piazza Venezia after coffee, on our way to lecture

That is not a dreamy gaze into the distance...that is watching the late students NOT hurry up to the already started lecture. See the column of Trajan in the background? We got to go down into the forum. (sorry, classicist-nerd alert!)

* I realized that if I practiced buttonholes enough, they aren't as scary as I once believed.

So one down and one almost done...