Heightened Reality (or Hello Sagittarius!)

Heightened Reality

(or Hello Sagittarius!)

Do you ever just take a moment to close your eyes and in that quiet a design simply comes to you? Fluttering so close and then you see it, the visual of what you absolutely want to make is ever so clear now. Well, this top is one such design and I absolutely love it! You don’t have to love it, it’s all mine after all, but I did so very much want to share…

There I was one lovely rainy day meandering through Mill End when I spotted the most fabulous Sagittarius fabric. For those of you have not guessed already, I am one such fabulous Sagittarius (yes, we are awesome, we just don’t usually boast about it like some of the rest of you do :p). I of course had a fabric budget at the time but I also knew I just had to have some of this fabric. So I picked up a yard and a quarter. Not a whole lot but I didn’t think I would need much since I knew by the time I was at the counter having the fabric cut that I was going to make the top you see before you.

I used one of the patterns from Mary Adam’s book The Party Dress, and I know I have mentioned this in former posts but this is a really great book. If you are looking for a solid dress design book, it is definitely a great one to have. Having personally gone through the book many times over and even having emailed and received the sweetest email back from her, I can honestly say it is a fantastic resource, and she’s as nice as can be!

Normally, a yard and a quarter is not nearly enough fabric for a full skirt style like this but I used what I had and mixed in a bit of navy blue for the skirt and then as you can see in the photos, I went with a navy blue for the bodice base and hand stitched the Sagittarius printed fabric strips down for accent. For the skirt I laid the pattern pieces out flat and then took the patterned fabric and cut out smaller pieces and mixed them with the navy. I then sewed the skirt pieces together and continued to do this until I had the pattern pieces equaling the size of the pattern pieces. Then I sewed those pieces together as instructed in the directions, down the sides, leaving the back open until the top and bottom pieces are sewn together and the zipper is put in. One thing I did not worry about really when cutting out the pieces for the skirt was the bottom hem. Not until later at least.

Once the skirt was made I moved onto the top bodice, which I made out of a navy cotton stretch sateen fabric. I added stabilizer to the inside bodice seams and sewed the strips to the outside before I sewed the inside lining down. Once finished with the bodice front I added the zipper and then for the bottom hem I wanted to keep it different heights so I ever so lightly trimmed the angles on the bottom a little and then hemmed, folded, pressed, and hemmed once more.

Heightened Reality

I do need a big navy blue floppy hat to go with for the beach. When I say ‘floppy hat’ though I really mean ‘big hat’ (and less flop) because who wants to have a hand constantly up holding the brim of a hat while reading a book at the beach? No one does. It’s much better to have one on that cold drink and one holding the book. Or as the boys say (in their own way), a hand free for each Shih Tzu  for belly rubs.

But with faces like these, who could deny belly rubs… 

(Yes, those are our babies. Don’t they make the cutest pair? They’re brothers. You can find more adorable photos @ www.GizObi.blogpot.net because I had so many photos of their cute selves I couldn’t resist sharing ;)

Mommy's Fuzzy Pandas!

Alright, I am off to the shop to make some new blouses and finish some new bathing suits! I know I know..I’m behind because I meant to have these finished by the weekend and here it is Wednesday but the fun part is we’re all going to look so fantastic! Ohh you’re right, we already do!  But new designs made today bring about even more inspiration for future projects, and everyone loves that!

Have a fabulous day and shoot me a message via Craftzies.etsy or Sophia.etsy if you need anything. I’m around ;) I just might be pulling a sewing machine out onto the deck and sewing in the shade this afternoon. 

It is ever so HOT in the sewing room today but you know how it is, the sew must go on…

Lindsay ;)