Completed

Project update,

At the moment I don't have any pictures to show my progress, but I have been busy at work. Currently the sections of the dress I've been working on are hand stitching intensive.

The upper bodice portion of the dress and sleeves are now done. But not together yet. Monday I got the bodice section done. And the last two days I've been working on the sleeves. They are finally finished yay. The sleeve flounce has embroidered appliques and pearls hand stitch along the edge for embellishment, and where the flounce is pulled together. The upper sleeve is the pintuck silk dupionni which has the pearls stitched at the points of the diamonds.
The sleeves have been pretty labor intensive, but hopefully will please Sarbear.

Welp, am tired. So until later dream of velvet and pixiedust. . .

Inevitable . . .

. . . welp, my DVD rom in my computer finally died. I think that is the last remaining component from my earliest desktop puter. So I got a new one ordered through Fry's Electronic's website. And it was rather funny cause saturday I had ordered some DVD's. And the next day my DVD rom began to refuse to work.
So um, yeah, gotta get that fixed. If you're curious it was an animated version of Emma(I forget if its Jane Austen or Oscar Wilde based). It was on sale, had some spending money, and it looked rather cute, what can I say? I do like the look of that era and story telling. Have never seen an animated version, but it did look very cute.

Welp, till later dream of velvet and pixiedust. . .

OCD to new levels!

Welp today was ignore housework and work on stitching pearls. Tuesday I got the yard of fabric I ordered. So today(wednesday) I made a color comparison to see if I had to recut all the pintuck pieces or if I could get by with just cutting the one piece I wanted to replace. Fortunate the shade was comparable. So once the piece was cut I had to mark, pin, stitch and press the darts. Then I could start handstitching the pearls on.

After what happened this weekend new levels of OCD were brought to the work desk. I made sure I re-cleaned my work surface every time I returned from doing something, as well as my hands and under my nails to make sure there would be no mystery spots appearing. When putting the project piece away I left the tray out of the bin in case it was responsible. So that way it was just the fabric pieces in the sealed container. I then would cover the tray to make sure that my little pearls wouldn't wind up all over the floor lest some wandering trouble maker decide to bat them about while out of the room.
I'm pleased to say I got three pieces done with handstitching the pearls onto them, and am working on a fourth piece. Work has been halted for the night since I am very tired and I'm bleary eyed. Don't want to mess up my hard work with a stupid tired mistake.
No pictures yet, but at least I feel I have some progress for the day. I've also got quite proficient at my technique for the pearls. Admittedly I have tried a few different methods and am most pleased with the one I've used today.
Welp am very tired, so until later dream of velvet and pixie dust. . .

GRRRRR - warning useless ranting ahead

You know sometimes I think I should give up sewing. My perfectionist in me makes it hard for me to be satisfied with projects and circumstances make it very difficult to work on projects without constant interruptions which lead to many complications sometimes.

Today was one of those days where interruptions complicate things. And it's extremely frustrating. Especially on an already stressful project. Working with white has challenges, add to it that its silk, and I'm attempting to make a wedding dress for an associate. Can you guess where my perfectionist/OCD setting is resting at?

So today I started hand stitching the little faux pearls onto the pintuck silk dupionni upper dress piece portion. Doing so before assembling dress, much easier that way.
Well the problem with constant starting and stopping is packing things up and putting away, pulling out and getting things resettled. And in the process your once clean work area begins to not be as tidy.
Somewhere along the line I got a couple little mystery spots on the fabric, and then I pricked myself and got tiny dots of blood on it. Great, great, just shoot me now.
Well blood comes out with cold water if you catch it immediately. Unfortunately the mystery spots wouldn't. I tried Zout to treat it, while it lessened the appearance of the spots, however there is a noticeable watermark on the silk. And due to the area of where this is, it is not ignorable. And I don't have enough of the fabric to cut out another piece with the grain going the correct way. And I can't cut it with the grain going in a different direction than every other piece.
So I've had to go and order another yard of the fabric so that I can cut out a new front upper bodice portion for the dress. And of course this is my problem/fault so I'll be eating the cost. So there goes another $25 of my money just to get a single yard of fabric for just one piece.

Oh yeah and in case there is a dye lot difference, I will have to re-cut all the pintuck silk dupionni pieces. Which is why I can't start hand sewing on the pearls to the other pieces in case the materials don't match. Right now I'm really frustrated that I just couldn't have a couple hours to work without being disturbed, which has wasted all the time I spent sewing pearls on the now unusable piece. Set back the progress on the dress. Cost me yet more money. And further remind me why I turn away most people who inquire if I can make something.

Another set back was that my serger went in for its yearly servicing I got it back a couple days ago. We've been having quite a few storm fronts pass through which is never easy on me with my health. Just seems like whenever I do have a project if its not one thing, its another. *le sigh*

Honestly, sometimes I wonder why I try at all.
Welp, so yeah, no real progress to announce. Till later dream of velvet and pixiedust. . .