A Stitch in the Plan

Day 2

I start the day by sitting down with the pattern instructions and a cup of coffee. A couple minutes later I am confused. I am usually a pretty smart cookie and a good reader, but I am having problems following the instructions that are full of vocabulary I am pretty unfamiliar with, facings, bias, casings and whatnot. Luckily, there are pictures and with their help I can sort of decipher what I am supposed to do. I feel like an idiot, but I forge ahead figuring that if I have a problem, I can just look at how other clothes in my closet are put together.

The dress I am making has a bodice, a midriff and a skirt. In pretty short order I manage to whip together the bodice. It is looking pretty good if I do say so myself. I slip the newly completed bodice on and……..Houston, we have a problem.

I am a little chesty. The bust is about 4 inches long and I have at least 6 inches of chest to cover. If I continue with the bodice I have made, I will end up with the seam that is supposed to go under the bust directly across the fullest part of my chest. I will never wear that dress. I decide that I have two options, stop now or find a way to modify this dress so that it fits me. I decide I can just add a couple inches to the bottom of the bodice and all will be good.

Trip 3 to the fabric store is pretty uneventful. I have now bought more than twice the amount of fabric the pattern calls for. I wash and dry again.

While the fabric is drying, I start watching TV. When it is done, I decide that I can cut fabric and watch Buffy at the same time. I lay the pattern pieces out and start cutting as Ms. Summers kicks undead butt. Except, I am not paying enough attention and cut the pattern out exactly as printed. I was supposed to add some length. ARGGGHHHHHH!!!! I am pretty sure my neighbors hear my Charlie Brown-esque scream of frustration.

Trip 4 to the fabric store is embarrassing. I keep my head down and try to avoid eye contact with the same clerk who sold me exactly the same thing just a few short hours ago. I hustle the munchkin out of the store and get to work with the washing and drying again. I am starting to feel a little discouraged.