"Blue Heaven" in "Pink, Green, and White" (from AS&E 79)

Can you believe I let this cute dress sit on my cutting table for 2 months before I sewed it up?  

Since this is a perfect summer dress, I made this in a size 8 so that it will fit next summer.  Below is a picture of the original dress.  It was done in a sweet navy blue and white dot.  Well, I have been trying to use up some of my stash, so instead of running to the store for navy and white, I chose something I thought might work.  I am pleased with the results.

My dress in pink, green, and white.

Front

Back

The sewing on the shoulder straps over the smocking was a bear for me this time.  I kept getting wrinkles in the straps and was most thoroughly ready to throw in the towel, but with that much smocking, I had to fix it and finish!

I took pictures of the skirt bottom as I made it, but I can't find the pictures.  (Result of living with 4 kids who love to make movies!)  I was lazy and didn't want to hand sew the bottom of this dress, so I did the follow:

1.  Sewed the piping to one side of the bottom panel.

2.  Sewed the other side of the bottom panel to the wrong side of the dress.

3.  Ironed the piping on the bottom panel, so that the piping was at the top and pinned the front bottom panel to the skirt with the piping sandwiched and showing.

4.  Topstitched the front of the bottom panel to the skirt in the ditch of the piping.  

True laziness at work!

Simplicity 2175 - Summer Maxi Dress

This was a fun dress to make.  It is a Project Runway dress from Simplicity and comes with a lot of options for the bodice, sleeves, and dress length.  I used a dotted-black Lisette fabric from Joann's.  I also added a black ribbon to the top and bottom of the bodice.  Below is the bodice on my dress form.

I lined the front and back bodice to make it more comfy to wear.  I sandwiched the sleeve ruffle between the stitching of the strap.  I also did a FBA on the front bodice.  It was a fun project for summer vacation!

"Ellen" by CC and the end of summer sewing........

This is "Ellen" by Children's Corner made with Nicely Jane fabric by Heather Bailey.   This is a quick and easy project.  The dress I made was a size 8 and it fits beautifully.  

My only addition was to pipe the band with yellow.  I can say that this pattern will be used more than once.  My daughter loves the dress pattern and fabric.  The Nicely Jane fabric is so cute, I don't think you could make something ugly from it.  It just pops with cuteness!

Isn't it cute?

This is my daughter all dressed up.  :)

I am trying to start to look at darker prints for the fall.  We are on our 12th day of over 100 degrees, so I am not too motivated.  I know most of you think Houston is hot, but it hasn't been this hot for this long since before I was born and so far there isn't an end in sight.  

We start school on Monday, so my leisure days of summer will come to an end, but a good education is priceless.  

"Sherbet Fizz" by AS&E

This has got to be one of the most popular dresses from AS&E in their history.  I know it is due to the great smocking, beadwork, and embroidery on the bodice.  It is a favorite of all who see it.

I used lime green pique for the simple sleeve-less square yoke dress.  The elaborate smocking on it make the dress stand out.  It is one of my daughter's favorites.  

Sleeve-less dresses are all we are thinking about in South Texas.  The heat is making me not want to sew because I would have to turn on the iron.  Stay cool!

The Perfect Summer Dress, McCall's M6123

I don't know which I love more, the fabric or the pattern.  Kay Whitt put together this pattern for McCall's and it is so much my style, simple and clean lines with just the right amount of detail.  I did a FBA on the front bodice.  My son took this picture the other day and the sunlight was a killer, so sorry for the blur.  This is another of those patterns that you can use your favorite quilting cotton in your stash.  This is a simple pattern to put together and the results are great.  The bodice is high waisted and the skirt doesn't add a lot of fullness, so it gives a clean line without the bunching of fabric at a spot that I don't care for extra fabric.

I have been busy sewing up a few outfits for my recent cruise with my husband's company, Nationwide Insurance.  As I can get some pictures, I will share with you.  These are a few action shots during the trip.

Me kissing a dolphin in Jamaica.

My husband kissing a dolphin in Jamaica.

Our boat, The Oasis of the Seas, in port at Cozumel.
We had spent the day at a cave and zip line waterpark in Mexico.