A Cool Blue Tablecloth Dress

for the last day of MeMadeMay'18

~ Am I Right? ~

It's funny how time changes things.  When I first made this, I wore it differently.   You can see how here, way back in 2014.  And now because of MMM, I'm liking it more in this relaxed, funky, layered-look way.

~ and here you can see it really was a tablecloth ~

And very simply made at that.  I just added thin navy bias tape to bind the neckline and sleeve edges.  The dress hem is the hemmed edges of the tablecloth.  There were some stains that I covered with appliques.  Like the two gray leaf forms at the center bottom.  They're actually cut out from other fabric and zig-zagged on.

~ this is the buttoned-up look ~

I added a matching button in the middle of the design and two buttonholes on either end of the fabric "wings" so I could fold them over, as you can see.  Those three little flowers on the white border were sewn on to cover more stains.

The blue lace pantaloons were self-drafted.  Piece of cake.

~ and cool blue platform sandals from ebay ~

I will be wrapping up my MMM'18 experience in the next post and comparing this year with last year.  Both had surprises for me.  

And thank you all for your comments of support.  It really makes a difference.  Especially since I don't do any of the other social media.  mmwwaaa!

  

Hey, Don't Say I'm Shapeless!

~ I'm a Square! ~

More or less.  Okay, okay, more on the order of a rectangle.  But isn't she lovely, that fabric of mine?  She just screamed out to be something that didn't interrupt her flow with unnecessary seams and such.

~ Her wish was my command ~

Keeping it as simple as possible, I even camouflaged the big patch pocket (on one side).  But couldn't resist throwing a little something something into the mix with another fabric pattern for the other pocket.  I edged the neckline and sleeve hems with narrow black seam binding and have side slits going above the knee so I can walk comfortably.

~ Just chillin' at the sidewalk cafe ~

Yeah.

Notice that flower clip in my hair?  I never wear anything in my hair, it's so fine and thin.  But I tried it and it stayed in!  Suzanne Carillo made one for all of us (among other things) at the Blogger Meet-up in Vancouver.

 

~ shozzz ~

Faded purple canvas multi-buckled zip-up the other side shoes by Blowfish from ebay.


Ed. note:  Pao was remiss in not mentioning the McCall's pattern #7020 view A she used for the bones of the dress (even though it's for a knit top)!

Pao also wants to thank photo-er Sara and her crew, Viv X for their delightful takes on her ensemble.  Thank you.

 

Speaking of Big Clothes

~ Woman Reading by Malcolm T. Liepke ~

Here's a big tablecloth that I've already rehabbed before I even posted it the first time.  Originally made in the summer, I've since made it a little bit smaller at the shoulders, neckline, sleeves and raised the waistline.  Other than that, it's the same.  But since you never saw it, here it is now....................

So, do I look like the Woman Reading above?

Joni James of An Artful Closet told me about the artwork saying it looked like me and asked if I'd seen it.  Nope, but I looked it up and voila, there it is for your perusal.  Thanks Joni. 

This is a big dress...

Made from a big tablecloth as well as 2 other ones.  Can you guess which is where?

Well, that's a give away.

I wish I knew how to type upside down on here so I could give you the answers...hmmm.
ahh, answers after the break.

Layering Underthings

 Don't know where to start?

~ painting by John Lessore ~

Just sit tight and watch it all unfold...

Okay then, hurumph.  I started out.  One day.  Once upon a time.  Okay,   I needed a slip to go under the gauze snap-up dress I made recently.  I chose this ridiculous black & white print fabric of skull & crossbones alternating with pompous looking crowns (??) from my stash.  What really did it was the seam binding I made from some old psychedelic hot pink and purple paisley fabric.  Perfect for the neckline and arm scythe. Once I got going with it, I thought, Hey, this looks good enough to wear on it's own.  Only it was so sheer that, well, it needed its own slip. With the itty-bittiest of fabric left, I made a little kimono-y wrap to go over it.  I call this my slip dress, yes.

So now on to the real slip.  I used a satiny, stormy grey material that was definitely not see-thru.  But really, it was so plain, it was looking like nun's underwear.   Suddenly, I remembered I had all this pale, pale, really pale, wide pink lace in my stash. Perhaps I over-reacted when I added it to the neckline, the hem and both of the side slits.  You be the judge. The coolest part, I think, is that it shows out from under the slip dress - through no foresight of my own, mind you.

Wanna see some pictures? 

check out the beaded fringe

okay, after the break...

Making Good with Scraps

stitch-work by Hinke Schreuders.

...and learning a thing or two in the making of my Reversible Vest #2 (with one more to go.)  This time I used fabric pieces that were already reversible.

First up, I learned how to officially make a flat felled seam since I needed both inside and outside to have neat-looking seams.  It was actually easy once I knew what they were and how to do it.  I also opted for bias tape around all the edges (except for the collar) for the same reason.  Made a continuous strip 'o bias tape from a small remnant (18" sq.) of black and white print cotton - tiny white outlines of hearts on a black background. ...ahhh.

I barely had enough of some fancy-smancy black fuzzy fabric embroidered with

A Vested Interest

painting by Clare Grill.

Okay, the reversible vest is done!  At least one of them is...2 more to go...at some point...some time.

But this is now and I've plenty of pix.

A feat of engineering for me in figuring out reversibility with pockets, mitering bias tape, and getting the ole' loop turner happening - but it's all good.  Especially now that it's done.

Tools of the Trade

painting by Kelly Reemtsen.

As I was saying previously regarding those vests I've been working on...that tube turner.  (ha) I bought one the next day, a Dritz Loop Turner and spent hours trying to make it work.  Even looked at a video, no such luck.  Why in the world people say it's such a breeze I have no idea.  Was mine broken or what!?!  Took it back and found a brilliant tutorial on turning a tube with a bobby pin (yes, really).  The hardest part was