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Behind The Seams

Hot Patterns Cosmopolitan Dress

I know I've been promising to upload photos of my Cosmopolitan Dress for nearly two months and hear they are - finally! Honestly, I have to say that this is my very favorite new pattern of 2006. It is sophisticated, sexy, well drafted and quick and easy to sew. Without a doubt, it is the most flattering dress I have made in a looong time!

I literally whipped this up in a few hours on Thanksgiving day - just in time to wear to dinner! Because I was using a rayon/lycra knit (from Textile Studios) I made a straight 8 without any alterations except to the length.



The only other change I made was to the neckline. Instead of using the facings I opted for a quick-and-easy turned and stitched finish. I serged some lingerie elastic into the neckline and then used my blindstitch machine to secure it. I took the smallest bite possible with my needle for a neat, invisible finish that hugs my neckline.



On the pattern envelope, this dress looks like nothing more than a-line with a long belt. But, it has a beautiful inset waist and the long ties are sewn into the side seams - it is gorgeous!

When it rains, it pours

Tigger had been my constant companion since 1997. He followed me everywhere, literally slept on top of me every night, never missed an opportunity to curl up on my lap and licked and nuzzled me when I was sad. Three years ago, we almost lost him to a severe case of kidney stones. He had surgery to allow him to pass the stones more easily and was doing great until a few months ago when he had another severe episode. I was so thrilled when he made another miraculous recovery. All was well until Wednesday morning. I took him to the animal hospital, they fixed him up and I brought him home. And I knew deep down inside that this was it.



Yesterday afternoon, my poor little Tigger's body just gave out. His kidneys were shot, he was bleeding internally and his other organs were failing him. It was with great sadness and a heavy heart that I had to put him down. He was only 10 years old. Those of you who have pets know how hard it is to say goodbye to a special furry friend.

Happy Holidays

I have spent the last few days decorating the inside of my house. Christmas decorations always cheer me up so now I can enjoy them for the next 5 or 6 weeks. I won't be decorating the outside this year (aside from door wreaths and poinsettias) as, 13 months after hurricane Wilma, they will finally be starting on my new roof this week! I can finally say goodbye to buckets, leaks and ceiling stains and will gladly put up with the mess and the noise.

BTW, I made the Hot Patterns Cosmopolitan Dress on Thanksgiving and it is FABULOUS! I will post some pics and a review as soon as I'm able. Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season - hopefully, I will be back with you shortly.

On hiatus

Hello dear readers,
I am going through a very difficult personal time right now and need to take some time off. I hope you understand. I may pop up now and again on TheSewingDivas - must keep up my end you see. :-)

Since so many of you have asked, it looks like my son's liver problems are clearing up and he does not have hepatitis - thank heavens! The doctor feels that he had viral mononucleosis which was not caught at the student health center in Tallahassee. We are thankful that he is feeling much better and will soon be his old self. Thank you all for your kind words and well wishes.

Patience, please!

I feel so bad that I have had absolutely no time to post here or at The Sewing Divas since last week. I have become extremely busy with work and my house remodel. Also, my son has been sick for the past month and drove home this past Friday so I've been taking care of him as well. We spent the better part of today at the doctor's office and lab to find out what is wrong with him. He thinks he has mono but I think he is just suffering from a little Freshman Depression. Let's face it, no matter how independent, mature and well-adjusted you are, it's tough starting a whole new life in a new city. I was shocked when he said he was very homesick - none of us expected that from him. He's going home tomorrow but will be flying back next Friday for 10 days over Thanksgiving and then he'll have a long Christmas break soon thereafter. I suspect he'll have a whole new outlook once he goes back to school in January. So, hang in there ladies, I'll be back shortly!

Designer Bead Embroidery

Diva Phyllis and Diva Georgene have inspired me to add a little embellishment to some of my garments. Machine embroidery is my day job but I'm a bit lost when it comes to other embellishments like beading. I am a huge Kenneth King fan so it was only natural for me to order his brand-new beading book. Like everything Kenneth does, it is meticulous, thorough and loaded with wonderful beading patterns that seem a little less intimidating now. Best of all, this means I can build a bead stash once again! I used to do some bead weaving but purged my stash years ago - no time like the present to check out the local bead shops again.

This book is available for $16.47 from Amazon.com.

Embroidered cotton from Kashi

When Diva Ann was in NYC with fellow sewing fanatics Carolyn and Barbara, she found this beautiful embroidered cotton voile for me at Kashi's (Metro Textiles).

The colors look a bit off in the photo, I'm afraid. The red is a very deep red and the green is a light olive. I know this doesn't look like "my" colors but my eyes are a bright olive green so it works very well for me - good call, Ann! I receive lots of compliments every time I wear olive so I've vowed to add more to my wardrobe. You really can't see it very well but the fabric is embroidered with gold metallic thread. This will make a great shirt.

A Sew-Along it is!

Several people have mentioned that it would be fun to take the weekly designer-inspiration piece and have a sew-along! I love that idea! I am going to host the sew-along over at The Sewing Divas. I'll be using the Hot Patterns Plain & Simple Tee as the base for several designer tops. You can use it or another tried-and-true basic tee pattern.



It will take me a few days to get the materials together so hang in there!