Zippers and Pockets and Bears, Oh My

Working on the dress has been hanging over me all week. It's like some fearsome silent green creature, down in the cold and the dark, waiting for me to do my worst. Since Jelly had a sleepover at my neighbor's planned for the evening, I decided it was a good time to do some uninterrupted screaming and stitching.

I got the lining attached to the front and back skirt panels easily enough, and with the help of YouTube managed to get the pockets attached, albeit a little lower than planned (this is what happens when you think you know better and don't measure anything, ever). Then I pinned the entire massive 483 yards of skirt fabric to the bodice incorrectly, and had to undo everything and re-pin it. So that sucked up some time. While I was doing it I realized the dress was literally falling apart in my hands; the delicate and costly fabric was starting to fray. So I needed to get my shit together, both literally and figuratively.

I had solved the bodice problem by adding some makeshift panels, so while the dress now looked like a patchwork quilt at least it fit. This however meant I had some challenges getting everything to line up. Because I'm a total professional I made sure to make all the most glaringly obvious mistakes right in the front of the dress.

I was smart enough to stop and try it on after I'd pinned it, but before I'd sewn it.

I was super proud of my nice even zipper work until I remembered you're suppose to overlap it with the fold of fabric to hide it. Ripping it all out and redoing it will be for another day. Yes, of COURSE I sewed both sides already.

And then, just when I realized my back was aching and my stomach was growling and my eyes hurt, the doorbell rang and I looked at the clock and it was 8:30pm! I'd been sewing for three hours straight. I felt good about my work and decided to call it quits for the night.

I haven't quite decided what to do about the collar. I hate the pattern collar, but I may make it and pin it on and see what I think, and then figure out what I want to do different.  But it's a really solid start, and if I woke up and the wedding was next week I'd be in good shape, and that's really what I cared about - knowing that I'd having SOMETHING doable. There's plenty of time now for the fussing over a sash and making the underskirt and hemming and doing all the finishing touches. It at least LOOKS like a dress instead of a bag of material.