The "Don't Get Too Excited" Dress

Fabric:  About 2 yards of drapey, cotton from a yard sale my mother-in-law picked up for me.
Pattern:  Simplicity 1987 Year:  2012?

Notions:  1/4" elastic, hook and eye closure, thread

Time to complete:  Should have been 4 hours, instead it took 8

First worn:  Last week to work with belt, cardigan, and boots

Total price:  $0.99 for the pattern, fabric was free, and I had the elastic and closure.

Wear again?  Yes

Yes, this pattern says "one easy project" and really it is telling the truth.  But in Toni's sewing world, nothing is that easy.  Especially when I thought that I was on a roll - I got too excited.  I had cut out the pattern in record time, I was sewing along thinking that I could wear the dress the next day, I was doing so great.  That is until I tried to serge the bodice before attaching the skirt.  You all know how sergers work, right?  See, they have this little knife.  The knife cuts.  The knife cuts through fabric.  The knife cuts nice little triangles out of fabric.  RIGHT OUT OF SIMPLICITY 1987! 

Yes, my friends.  I had a serger casualty.  I swore and then I retired for the night.  I got up the next morning thinking that everything was going to be OK.  I had some extra fabric, I'll just unpick the back panel that got munched and sew it right back in.  Good as new.  Well, it so happened that after I unpicked that back panel that I figured out that I did not have enough fabric (more swearing).  So, I was stuck.  As luck had it, the day before I saw a little tutorial from The Slapdash Sewist on how to repair holes in fabric.  I repaired that gaping gash of a hole and here you have it.

The fabric is kind of '80s but isn't that fashion nowadays?  I'd like to make this dress again but a little longer and with a little more drapey fabric.  It has side seam pockets which are kind of fun to have.  These pictures are of me the night I finished the dress.  I wore it the next week to work with a black cardigan, a brown braided belt, and my new Tony Lama cowboy boots (that I love).  All in all a pretty easy project.  Just wish it was a little easier (I have only myself to blame!). 

The last picture is the dress on Ms. Antoinette.  Terence gave this to me for my birthday.  I need to spruce her up a bit, but isn't she lovely?