oh, the things i do

Why, oh, why do I do this to myself? I know, why don't I make a few cute dresses to bring on the Vegas trip! Won't that be fun!?
When I have these crazy ideas, I really wish I could remember that I have NO TALENT FOR SEWING!
Last night I cut out all the pieces for my new dress. Today, after doing just two out of several errands I needed to accomplish, I started sewing.
Things started off pretty good

I got the bodice together after a couple snags. This should've been my first sign to stop and try again another day, though. After sewing the first couple pieces together, I thought, 'why don't these seams match up?' It was because I made my front seam using what should've been the side seams! Stitches removed, and bodice started over. Pressing on, even though I had to do some actual pressing, which I HATE! I don't iron ANYTHING if I can help it...and now I am doing it for 'fun'?? I am a crazy person! Somehow, I managed to to the collar right this time...trimmed with the interfacing! Ta-dah!

Yet, still I know I am not a seamstress and the real trouble started when the instructions said, 'bias tape'. I have NEVER used bias tape, and after reading and re-reading the instructions, I was still very unsure of what was going to happen. I got it on, and was able to move on, but this took a LONG time. My machine was trying to tell me something. There was a moment when I thought the fabric was just rebelling somehow...over and over, I tried sewing the tape on one small section of the armhole...over and over, the thread would break, bunch, or just plain not go into the fabric! I'm not even joking...FOUR times, I had to pull the mess of stitches out and re-thread the needle. This is when the real swearing began. 'ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!' was the phrase of the day!

I STILL didn't take the clues and stop working! Nine a.m. I began sewing. 11 a.m. I stopped to eat so that I wouldn't pass out. TWO O'CLOCK I finally gave up! After making the pleats and sewing the skirt halves together, I thought I was actually going to finish this dress the same day I started it! Unfortunately, upon attaching the bodice to the skirt, things didn't line up quite right. So I got this little extra pleat on the front. A little bit of effort to fix it ended in a small tear in the fabric, and no solution to the bulging mess.The back pleats were a mess, too. Yes, I did continue to try sewing this mess, even after NOT being able to fix the front. I am stupid about sewing...I think I mentioned that.

The back pleat sewing was also hindered by an episode of fabric folding where I started to sew the dress together! Oops. There were also a lot of times when I had to go over some sewing because I had not sewn far enough to cover interior stitches or 'hash marks' (I don't remember what they're called in sewing, but it's the little cuts you make in the fabric for reference points??)

All in all, it was a stress filled afternoon of 'what the ---- was I thinking?!' I threw my machine back in it's case in a way that suggested I didn't care if it broke as I would probably never use it again.

But just as I finished packing every thing up and getting ready to do the workout I had meant to do hours ago, my phone rings and it's my friend (aunt). She makes all of her dresses and sews just about every day. I felt bad dissing sewing so much, but I was really angry that I basically wasted an entire day with nothing to show for it but a dress that I couldn't wear. After talking it out with her, I decided that even if the dresses I make are obviously handmade, I couldn't really give up this easily. I sweated out my frustrations with a kick ass workout and decided to just remove the skirt from the bodice, tear out the pleats and try to get things back together. It'll be a few days probably before I can stand to look at any of that, but I'm not giving up!!

It really will be a cute dress if I can manage it.