My sister is getting married at the end of the month. This isn't a spur of the moment event, but it's been difficult to get much information about the ceremony and reception: is it indoors or outdoors? Is it formal or casual? The bride and the groom are kind of take-it-in-stride types, so this kind of planning, or at least explanation to guests (stakeholders) is rather foreign to them. My mom and I are more concerned with knowing the lay of the land and the specifics of an event such as this one. We even have our suspicions that their lack of forthcomingness is a secret plot to make us crazy (ok, that's just me). I've found myself wringing my hands (well, not literally) in the last week because it occurred to my sister that she'd like for me to do a reading. I'll not just be part of the crowd but instead a participant. The semester is well underway, and I don't have gobs of time to be reflecting on an appropriate Headwaters of the Mississippi themed reading, let alone guessing how I might want to dress myself (difficult for a normal day, but worse because I was looking forward to blending into the crowd).
I just bought fabric (one piece pre-washed and ready to cut, and I'm waiting on another to ship) for this dress M5890 | Misses' Jackets, Top, Dresses and Pants In 2 Lengths | Nancy Zieman | McCall's Patterns because after some alteration, namely a FBA and some adjustments to the bodice length, it's finally ready for prime time. Overall I'm happy with how it went together because it's, ya know, speedy. I wasn't as happy with the sizing as I was muddling through fitting it. Trying to figure out what size to cut took nearly as long as cutting and fitting my two muslins. Yuck. There's a ridiculous amount of ease built into this pattern, and I believe the seam allowances are 5/8, which is just annoying for a pattern intended for knits. Even with carefully comparing the actual pattern measurements to my measurements, I still ended up with a muslin that was more than 2" too big to be at all flattering or hang right. I'm also skeptical of the recommended neckline finish which doesn't include a facing.
But! Now that it's worked out -- and that was really my goal here, to have a princess seamed knit go-to -- it will go together quickly, and I've got a garment design that I'm going to be happy with. And I can stop grumbling about it.
Also, I just worked out a muslin for Cake's Espresso Leggings . It was a fab experiment, and I forsee having a whole drawer full of these things before long, probably in more variations than I realistically have opportunities or need for, but there's something to be said about the satisfaction of making something that's custom and that's generally awesome.
I'd hate to be underdressed for this upcoming shindig, so I'm thinking black knit dress and leggings with a scarf that includes a metallic thread or something else sparkly. I saw a string of pearls that I really liked. I think I'll order something interesting for the leggings, like cream with words or something else nerdy. My sister has made herself a nice cream evening gown, so we'll all be of a color family, and after the ceremony, as a literal extended family.
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