Simplicity 2917 - A Simple Black & Red Dress

Black and red are great colors for me. This fabric is 100% cotton that I purchased at A Stitch Connection aka Carol V's Sewing Room in Port Charlotte, FL. They carry mostly cotton fabric for quilting. I could not resist this piece when I was there just a few weeks ago.

I'm not sure I am crazy about the finished results. The patterns seems a little short waisted on me. I plan to take in the sides a little to improve that, but I'm moving on to something else right now. I cut View A with the cap sleeves, but made the shorter version. I like my skirts/dresses to be just below the knee, but even with only 1/2" hem, the length was just above mid knee. I think it looks a little awkward. I did get compliments at church and at the grocery on the way home. I guess I am very critical of my own work.

You can really see how the flare begins a little too high in this photo. The cap sleeves stand out a little more than I expected, but if they were more snug I'm afraid I would not be able to lift my arms.

I tried it with a belt, as in one of the pictures on the pattern envelope. That did not work for me.





I fully lined the dress. I line almost everything. It makes
the inside prettier and helps cut down on wrinkles. I also
avoid wearing slips. Who likes to wear slips anyway?
I hand stitched the lining to the zipper. This was the only
change I made in construction.




My mother knits beautiful shawls.
I can wear this into the fall here in
Southwest Florida. It will be perfect
for those slightly chilly nights or out
to dinner where they keep the dining rooms so cold.

I think after looking at the pictures, that I definitely need a little something around my neck. Maybe a black beaded necklace with an oriental black or red piece in the center.

Sorry about the crooked kitty picture. It really is not crooked on my wall.

Daisy loves to sew too!

Meet Daisy. She's a great Kitty. Her favorite place is my sewing room, and her favorite spot in her favorite place is my sewing chair. She loves to sit on the back of it, right behind me, while I sew. This is where I found her today, and look at what she left behind. Lots of cat hair, which is why I have a lint roller in my sewing room, my bedroom, and my car. I know better than to leave my needle cushion out. I'm happy she did not notice it sitting right behind her.

In my last blog, I had cut out several things to work on. I have been sewing, but doing more alterations than sewing for me. I did manage to finish Butterick 4812. I had said that I might not pretreat the fabric, but my better sense took over and I did wash and dry. I was concerned with how the embroidery would take the washer and drier, but boldly went ahead. It washed beautifully.

I barely had enough to make this dress as this was the end of the bolt. I cut the dress out so the border was along the hem. I love how I was able to center the embroidery perfectly across the center front. This is a cute pattern with a casing and drawstring front. The casing is sewn to the back with the ends caught in the darts. I had considered sewing the slits on the sides, but decided that they were necessary for walking ease. This was a simple, basic pattern. My full review is on the Pattern Review website.

I wore the dress to work yesterday and this picture was taken after sitting at my desk all day. I chose not to line it. Even so, I think it still looked very nice at the end of the day.




My beautiful girls started school a couple of weeks ago. The oldest is a senior and the youngest is a freshman. For the first time since early elementary school, they are attending the same school. I sew for them for special occasions, but they wear the typical teenage RTW for every day. I am looking ahead to Homecoming for some ideas.



My oldest DD is an artist and loves photography. We have the most beautiful sunsets here. These pics were taken outside our back door in the last two weeks. The rainy season, especially with the tropical storms, brings some truly awesome skies. Just take a look at these.

Absolutely Breathtaking.