Finished! :)

I just ironed the last of three hems on my dress, and I finished my shrug earlier this afternoon, so my outfit is COMPLETE! I'll post pictures in a week or so.

For now, I'm getting into high gear on Christmas stuff.

Despite my six impending finals in the next four days, life is very, very good. :)

dress and shrug update

Very exciting news: my dress is almost complete! I've been working on it every chance I get, and now all I have left is hemming. That'll be easy, but time-consuming and very tedious.

The dress has three layers: the black lining, the green satin underdress ($2/yd at Jomar), the printed sheer overdress ($1.96/yd on clearance at JoAnn's. Can you believe it??), plus the black satin cuff and straps ($3/yd at Jomar). All in all, I estimate that I spent $15.00 on this dress, including all of the notions and the pattern itself. Not too shabby!

I'd forgotten how much I love making formal dresses. :) The lining is boned, which helps the garment retain its shape. It's McCalls 2954, and I give this pattern two thumbs up. Easy to follow, and with beautiful results.

Although I wanted to keep it a surprise, the boy's already seen it so I can post a picture (or two) just for you, my faithful reader. :)

I've also made great progress on my Anthropologie-Inspired Shrug. Unfortunately, I ran out of yarn while binding off the bottom, so I need to get another ball. A *whole* ball, just for 8" of binding off and 5 rows of 1x1 ribbing on both sleeves...breaks my heart. I'll use the rest of it for a hat and mittens, or something.


So the sleeves are on scrap yarn and not finished yet, and there's a cable needle hanging from the back...but I still think it's gonna look great. :) It's not too bulky, and it makes the dress look a little less formal and very winter-y. I'll be sure to post some more pictures after graduation.

I've been saving this fabric for years, for something really special, and I'm glad I did. I know I'll probably be a little dressy for the occasion, but I don't care. It is a hugely important day for the boy, and he deserves the best...I plan on at least looking the part. :)

Let me know what you think...I have two main questions:
1) Should I leave the hem as long as possible, or take it up to knee-length?
2) What do you think of the shrug? Too cutesy? Too short? Or just right?

Unrelated, but exciting: We (mom, Andrea, and I) just recieved 8 30-gallon Tupperware tubs full of yarn!! Our first job over winter break is sorting it all among the three of us. :-D *drool drool drool*

New Knitty

There's an update on the way of my dress and shrug...but I have no pictures yet. It's surprisingly difficult to get a picture wearing a full length dress all by one's self. Later tonight, maybe? :)

In the meantime...Winter Knitty is up!! I'm absolutely thrilled with this issue. It's the first time in a while that I've been moved to try more than one or two of the patterns. Here are some of my favorites:
- Knecklace: I have a partial skein of Manos [left over from Hot Lava Cardigan] that is yearning to become a knecklace.
- Namaste Yoga Mat Bag: Now, IF I decided to actually use my yoga mat and IF I made it all the way to the White building for a yoga class, this would totally be the bag I'd use.
- Tempting II: This is a sister pattern to a sweater I've already knitted (seventh picture down). I had a lot of fun with the first one, and I'm considering starting this new one sometime in the spring.
- Tubey Sweater: very cute.
- Blanche-Neige Jacket: This is a very (dare I say it?) 'grown-up' piece that might be good to have when I go out and get a real job. It's cashmere...which is good, because cashmere is lovely and awesome, but bad because it's most likely pricey. We'll see.
- Urban Rustic Gloves: I've been looking for a funky glove pattern for a while now and I think this might be the perfect one. I'm hoping that the wool yarn from the sweater I unraveled ages ago will be of a comparable gauge so I can start these ASAP!

Dress Progress

I took this picture when I was installing the zipper. This is the first time in my decade of sewing experience that I've *ever* hand basted a zipper before sewing it in. Usually I'm too damn impatient, but I'm very concerned with how this dress will look when I'm done, so I took the extra time.

I also managed to cut a hole in the back of the overdress as I was just about to put the whole thing together....GRRR! With some quick thinking, I put on a barely noticeable patch, saving myself the monumental time and frustration of re-cutting and re-assembling the pieces. I was very pleased with myself for salvaging a pretty bad mistake.

Once the zipper was in, I tried it on and it fits perfectly. For once, the dress looks exactly as I pictured it before I started sewing it. I cannot *wait* to wear it! I still need to hem all three layers, put in the facing, and add straps. There's no reason I won't be able to finish it in time.

Unnecessary Accessory
I don't know if this will even look right, but I'm making myself an Anthropologie-Inspired Shrug in Wool-Ease Chunky. It's actually a dark gray heather, much darker than it appears in the picture. Even if it doesn't end up going with the dress, I think I'll have other opportunities to wear it.

Liesel Scarf
Sadly enough, this was the best picture I could get of it. :-P

I finished this scarf while I was on Thanksgiving break, but didn't get to block it until I got back up to school. The damp State College weather has since furled it up again, but I'm happy with the results. The scarf is light and airy, but surprisingly warm. And the color, which I wasn't sure of in the beginning, has grown on me.

text-only update

The craft show last week went really well. Unfortunately, I'm a doofus and forgot to take any pictures of my booth. It was a neat setup, though...My mom surprised me with a blown glass mannequin head to display hats, and it was too cute for words.
I should make a pretty decent chunk of change right before the holidays, which is always nice. Of course I ended up spending some of my hard-earned cash on items from the other booths, but as you know, counterproductivity is my middle name. ;)
My mom and sister each contributed some knitted items this year, namely some lopi hats, sari yarn hats, and purses. They were very popular and we sold quite a few. I got rid of almost 2 dozen pairs of earrings, plus a bunch of necklaces and bracelets. All in all, it was another good show.

Christmas is approaching rapidly, and as such, I've started planning some crafty gifts for a few people on my list. Due to their sensitive nature, I can't post any pictures here (though I'm itching to do so!) Today I made up a pattern and then cast on something cute and cable-y for one of my good college buddies. I'm also in the beginning planning stages of a sewing project for someone special. Unfortunately, the fabric choices here aren't stellar...[don't worry, you'll laugh later. ;)]...so I have to wait till I get home to start that one.

In the meantime, my dress for the upcoming graduation is coming along really well. I've got the lining and main dress completely put together, and I'm in the process of assembling the overdress. I'd forgotten what a pain in the ass sheer fabric can be! I'd post pics, but (and I know this is silly) I kind of want it to be a surprise.
On a more personal note, I'm astonished by how quickly the end of the semester has crept up on me. There's a flood of mixed emotions right now, but I have faith, and that will get me through. :)