Editing as I go along

When I teach people how to sew, I often tell them to think of their efforts as a draft rather than the finished product. Too often people get so anxious trying to get things right that they become afraid to proceed. They end up with lots of beautiful fabric but very little actually gets sewn up. I would be in that very camp myself, if I didn’t think of all of my work as being in progress and not quit done.

I had made up this dress a few weeks ago out of a lovely drapey rayon knit that my sister in law had sent me in a www.fabricmartfabrics mystery fabric bundle. I wore the dress in Florida and a few times after we got back. The dress felt too unstructured and too floppy. I had also cut the neckline a smidge too low. The dress felt more like a beach cover up than like an actual garment to wear on the street. I love the print which reminds me of onions. The dress had too much potential to declare a wadder.

I decided to add a waistband in a grey rayon knit and to add the same rayon to the neckline, raising it up just a bit and to the hem. The whole dress looks more structured and a bit more grown up and less like play wear. The dress is still as cool and as easy to wear in the heat.

The alterations were pretty quick to do. It makes me want to revisit other garments in my closet, which fit into that close but no cigar, category and see if they can be improved with just a little bit of effort.

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Connecting with the past

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sarah in nyc

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