Uh, Catching Up is Hard to Do...

So, I'm talking with DD#2 and she mentions my blog. She said it had been awhile since I had posted and I should get back to it...Yes, I'm feeling a bit guilty and I do miss it. However, in my defense, my solo workshop has been producing, I've merely skipped the documenting part.

I've yet to show you what I had sewn for the wedding, which by now seems so very long ago. I enjoyed sewing with silk, beaded lace, pretty linings and learned that installing an invisible zipper is much easier than a lapped one.

If your guess for the wedding venue was the front porch of The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island you would be correct. What a beautiful place to have a wedding! If you ever have a chance to visit – do it!

A few details regarding my dress: I overestimated the size needed for the McCall’s jacket. Therefore, the first muslin was a fail. Besides being excessively big, it was also shapeless. I pinned a few other jacket patterns together on the dress form and was not any happier. Finally, because I knew it fit, I pulled out my BML classic shirt pattern and, using the front and back pieces, blended the front and hem of the McCall’s pattern. The muslin looked good and I went with it.

The dress was colorful, comfortable and perfect for the occasion. For the most part, the pictures were professionally done (copyrighted) and those that weren't included folks that might not appreciate being splattered across the web. So, sorry - I'm not going to post pictures.

Once back home and settled, I took the dress to be cleaned. The Bah! Humbug! dry-cleaner refused to clean the dress. Why? It lacked tags stating the fiber content and how it should be cleaned. No matter the sign stating they did fiber testing before cleaning. I was sent next door to a bridal gown cleaning/preserving shop and the young woman there told me that their fees started at $60, but my dress would certainly be beyond that. I haven't had anything dry-cleaned in years and that seemed a bit high. Is it? Months later, the dress still hasn’t made a journey through the chemicals...

Besides the wedding on Mackinac Island, there was also a Texas reception at the Welfare Café in Welfare, Texas. I sewed the bride's dress for the reception from an ivory beaded lace and silk dupioni.  Lovely. But once again, no pictures...

Since the wedding, I've been sewing everyday things, just no blogging. I had to make a choice. Either I could sew or I could blog. Due to a diminishing wardrobe, it was indeed an easy choice. I sewed mostly TNT's: t-shirts, simple dresses and even a skirt, along with a few pairs of pants. Not many pants as all of the jeans, shorts and pants I sewed last year are still going strong, though I admit that my favorites are fading.

So, see, you didn't miss much. I'll be back. Promise.