Recent Alteration Projects

Here, my friends, are some of the main reasons I haven't posted in so long.  I've been asked to do several alterations recently, and I've also been trying to prepare for my 12 day trip to TN (and staying busy with other things).  Yesterday was particularly crazy, since I was left home alone all day and had to do take care of the puppies, maintain the fire in the wood stove, clean the kitchen, wash laundry, clean the bathroom, run some errands, hide all evidences of puppies having been in the house and generally prepare for our Small Group meeting, fix dinner, and finish these dresses (among other things)!  

Packing for TN was on yesterday's list since I was planning to leave this morning...but that didn't get done.  So I'm not leaving until tomorrow morning.  Now that all my packing is done and my room is partially straightened, I thought I'd take a break and finally give you a little update and explain my recent absence from the blogging world.

Here are the two formal dresses that some girls from church needed me to alter before they could wear them to a banquet next Monday.  I had to take both of them in on the sides, and the purple one needed to be hemmed and have straps added.  The hemming was a little bit of a challenge, since the skirt sweeps around to a train in the back.  I had to make it four inches shorter in the front, but still grade it out to keep the length of the train while maintaining a nice curve.  

As for the straps...we ended up finding silver ribbon at Wal-Mart.  I overlapped two lengths of ribbon and stitched them together, then used the scrap fabric from the shortened hemline to make two strips to go over the ribbon and help preserve some continuity for the dress.  I thought it turned out well, and the girl I was altering it for seemed to be very pleased with the end result, so that's good.  :-)

Below are three Civil War skirts I had made for the same girls at church (plus their foster sister) as a Christmas present from their parents.  But because the skirts were supposed to be a SURPRISE, I couldn't fit them to the girls, and the measurements I was given didn't end up being exactly right.  So I had to take out the hems in all three and let them about about an inch and a half.  Also, I still need to put hook and eyes on the waist bands.

I've also started working on my summer dress, but I'll post pictures of that after it's done.  :-)  I'm excited to be sewing more, and I can't wait to finish some of my own projects.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to be heading to Tennessee for about a week to visit with my friends at Bryan College!  I'm not looking forward to the long drive (about 8 hours), but I'm equipping myself with my new CDs (Big Band music and the Newsies soundtrack!), plus "Lights, Camera, Action: Highlights from the 2009 Christian Filmmaker's Academy."  That should keep my mind pretty well engaged for several hours!  :-)

I haven't seen most of these friends since graduation last May, so I'm really excited!!!  Between current students, faculty, and my graduated friends still living in the area, I'm going to have a LOT of people to see.  It's a good thing I have a whole week to make the rounds.

Well, it's time for family devotions, some dessert, and the old Disney movie, "In Search of the Castaways."  Then SLEEP!!!

I hope everyone has a blessed weekend!