The January dress is pretty much hubba-hubba, if I do say so myself.  I can't wait for a chance to let this one hit the streets. 

As an afterthought I made a little bow  as an accent.  I still haven't decided what to do with it, so stuck it on a shoulder for the photos.  I think it may end up at the waistline.  I usually like to divide the skirt and bodice somehow. With this dress, the pleats and stiffness of the silk make the skirt a little puffy, so I think more definition at the waist would be nice. 

Well, that was fun.  Let's move on, shall we?  I think the goals for February will be expanded to 1) a dress; and 2) a better back drop.  Time will tell.

Oh, it's on . . . aaaand perhaps I should have wished for a 24" zipper.  Pas de problème, because I am going to start jogging again on Tuesday.

But BEFORE Tuesday, here is the list of things that need to happen:

    1)  Put in my label.
    2)  Tack in the lining along the zipper. 
    3)  Hem the lining.
    4)  Hem the dress (by hand of course).
    5)  Press.
    6)  Pull out the basting stiches holding the pleats in place.
    7)  Put it on. 
    8)  Dance around.

If only life were always as easy as a red, silk dress. 

STATS

Needles broken:  0
Spools of Thread used:  1

Once in a great while the Gods of Dressmakery nod in my general direction. I am pleased to say that tonight they chose to look my way. Just as the last little bit of red thread ran through the sewing machine needle and I felt the first inkling of a curse leaping from the tip of my tongue, I remembered a bright red cone of thread that my mom sent along with a very old and extremely dirty serger. With a little bit of ingenuity I rigged up afore mentioned filthy serger to feed the thread to my machine. Et voila!

As if being provided with an abundance of right-colored thread wasn't enough, when the time came I found a 22" red zipper in my usually disappointing zipper collection.  Life really is amazing isn't it?

Perhaps even more amazing than the fortuitous appearance of both thread and zipper, is the fact that I actually tried the dress on.  AND made the necessary adjustments.  While I am quite dictatorial about fittings when it comes to making dresses for others, making dresses for myself is an entirely different matter.  I easily fall into race mode and just want to get the dress made.  I am afraid that this habit tends to result in dresses far too large to wear.

Much better than a teeny-tiny dress, you might say. Yes, that is true, but once the "race" is over I am done  and want to move on to something else. This problem of mine has left me with a box full of too-big-mostly-finished dresses I am sorry to say.

Anyway, back to the task at hand . . . I tried the thing on and even made the necessary alterations. This dress is going to fit darn it! It had best fit - I have plans for wearing it in February.

2011 Liz not only makes dresses for herself but she wears them.  (2011 Liz also admits the new shoes which will be needed to accessorize all these new dresses are almost as much incentive as the dresses themselves. ) 

The countdown for finishing this January project has officially begun. According to my paper pocket calendar (I'm an old-fashioned girl.) I have nine days to go. With just a hem, and a little hand work on the lining to do, this one is in the bag.  Oooh, I'll need a bag!

I think I have a dress, kids!

Despite lack of photographic evidence, my first project of the year is successfully started.  With adorable boyfriend out climbing walls (which I am not sure isn't a euphemism) or whatever sporty nonsense he does when I'm not around, I rediscovered my old productivity.  I guess it was still packed up in the basement. 

With a few hours to myself I managed to get the dress cut out and the darts marked, sewn, and pressed.  Unfortunately now it seems I am not just racing the clock, but  the spool.  Just after discovering that I had sewn in two pockets (Yes! Pockets!) with a basting stitch, I  noticed that my one spool of red thread is looking rather, well, threadbare. 

Finish this dress in two weeks?  No problem.  Finish the dress with this little spool of thread?  Well, here's hoping 'cause I'm feeling stubborn.

Strictly between you and me, it isn't true to say that I am not going to make any more dresses.  Circumstances being as they are, I have simply decided to spend the year making dresses just for myself.  Don't fight me on this.  I have already made up my mind: 2011 is going to be a lot more selfish.

Sticking with the original theme of Dress of the Month Club there will be a dress produced every month.  This time though, the final product will go straight from my trusty Pfaff to my ever-shrinking closet.  After the last two somewhat hectic years of turning out multiple products for your wearing pleasure, producing one little dress every month will be a cake walk.  And that is just what I need.  Cake.  And more time to take walks.  

As you may have noticed, I am already a little behind on my very first project of the year.  Somehow the first two weeks of January slipped right by.  But, have no fear.  I have found my inspiration in some beautiful red silk and one of my favorite pair of earrings.  I can already picture exactly what my January dress looks like . . . stay tuned. 

Earrings by Loved Jewelry.
Doily Dish by Gretchen Vaudt.