Smocking

It's been a little while since we've been able to write a new post. So for this we apologize. You see, life has taken on a new level of busyness. Carrie is in her busiest season with her work, and Miss Natalie has started school (which is so exciting!). You would think that this would free up my time; but with all the newness of school and Nat getting up much earlier than she has ever done (truly, no joking. this is the girl who lays in bed for 2 hours because she just is so not sleepy. not any more! to bed early, and asleep in about 4 minutes. glory! love it! love a quiet house in the late evening), and lunch to pack, and volunteering at school, and...well there's more, but you get the point. So even though we love the blog, and love to post, we just haven't allocated the time. Because quite simply, the time has been nonexistent. Tonight though, I thought I would squirrel away some time, and blog. I've been thinking of a sewing project I did some time ago. And so this, I will share with you. It was a dress for Natalie. Who else? It involved smocking. I had up to this point never before smocked. It has intrigued me for years. Like welt pockets. Which someday I will sit down and learn. So true to my nature, I bought a pattern involving smocking. Actually two patterns. And I bought the loveliest light blue material. And lining. And matching thread. And then because I really don't have much sewing time in which to sew (you'd never know that by the amount of fabric and patterns stored in my sewing room), the whole project sat in a neat, hopeful pile. (i realize fabric cannot be hopeful, but i certainly was every time my eyes beheld it). So the project sat. Then the moment came that Natalie needed a new dress. And so I did what I often find myself doing; pulling out all stops and cranking out something in record time. Certainly not the most relaxing way to sew. So I had 4 days to create this dress. A dress with smocking. And I knew not how. I remember pulling the tissue pattern out of the envelope and thinking, "Oh! This is cool! What in the world?" For a bit, I was truly dumbfounded. The bodice was about 4 times the size of Natalie. I had much to learn. Having no choice, I dove in. No, it is not perfect. It's definitely a learned skill. But it was fun. And it satisfied the creative juices pulsing through my veins!

and because I knew the smocking wasn't perfect, I added silk ribbon roses...

the beginnings of a sleeve

the finished dress. done in time. fully lined. would like to do another. someday