A New Gown for a Gala/A New Pattern From Pattern Union

The highlight of the holiday season, for me, is the American Opera Society of Chicago's Holiday Gala. It's held at The Fortnightly, and it is simply an enchanting evening. Pictured below is Whitney Morrison, an incredibly lovely, and talented woman. So...you know what that means :), I needed a new dress. Yeah right...I "needed" a new dress ;)   

About a month ago, I shared with you 2 free patterns from Pattern Union, the Maisie Dress, and the Phoebe Jumpsuit. That prompted me to begin following Sarah on Instagram. She posted a request for pattern testers for a new pattern, and I thought, "oh, why not?" She promptly sent me a note with all the particulars, and the time frame worked for me, so I agreed to test the pattern.

The pattern is the Sumekko Dress. I was surprised to see that it only has 1 seam. How great is that?!! It has the option of no darts, 2 darts, or a more fitted version with 4 darts, so you can easily customize the fit.  

Another special aspect of the dress is that it comes with 4 fabulous stencils. I haven't had a chance to try them out yet, but I can't wait to get my hands dirty :) My only difficulty is choosing which one to try first. 

Since I "needed" a new dress for the gala, and I also needed to get my test pattern made up, I decided to combine the 2.

I loved how the dress has a slight racer back.

The pattern is intended for a jersey knit. I used a knit, but a much heavier knit. I wanted something with sparkle, and this piece has lots of sparkle, and I already had it in my "collection." To give it just a bit more pizzazz, I added the beaded motifs to the neckline, and then added the rhinestones as well. I had both, so nothing was purchased. But, I really wished that I had some larger rhinestones to mix in with the smaller. This is something I am planning to add.   

If I had worn flat shoes, the hem length would have been fine, but I wanted to wear heels, so I added the lace to the bottom of the dress. I loved how it just seemed to finish it off.   

The pattern has not been released yet, but Sarah is planning to release it later this week. You can find Pattern Union HERE. 

The pattern has so many possibilities. You can make it a casual garment, or dress it up for a gala event. Then, there's the opportunity to really make it special with the 4 stencils. You could cut it off and make a tank as well as a knee length dress. So, a pattern that is well worth adding to your collection.

Have a wonderful day!
Hope you have time to do something fun. I'm on my way to see the dentist :/ 
 Rhonda

The Wednesday Showcase

Well, it's happening, we're melting and melting fast. We've dealt with a crazy amount of snow and now it's a crazy amount of water. I have one dog who is like a typical little boy and will walk through any and all puddles(of course coming home and needing a bath after her walk, fun...not!) and another who does her utmost best to avoid water at all costs. What a treat it is to walk them!! Oh well, this too shall pass.

As always, I have two sensational and very talented ladies to introduce you to today.

First up is Mary of http://inspiredsewing.wordpress.com/. She says, " I lived in Ireland for the first half of my life and Philadelphia for the second half--so far! I have always loved Sewing and all things creative . I am starting an inspired sewing and design Blog to connect with like minded friends." Mary is brand new to the blog world, she just started blogging this past November, so please welcome her with open arms.

Mary's work is simply, as her blog title states, inspired. Above is an incredible jacket that she made. She was inspired by the colors and the terrain of Ireland. 

I encourage you to read the post for yourself as I think you will enjoy reading about what brought her to be inspired to make this jacket. You can find the post here, http://inspiredsewing.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/picking-up-the-pieces/ Oh my goodness, I love this jacket!

 Bead work that she added to a bag creation.

Fabulous work Mary. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your creations!

Next up is Graca of http://sewessentiallysew.blogspot.com/ Here's a little about her, "I'm a Canadian prairie gal who lives far from any respectable fashion districts but who loves to sew. I've been sewing off and on for many years. Any day sewing is a happy day. Yes, even if I have to put down the sewing needle and pick up a seam ripper. I love the creative process of starting a project from shopping for the fabric to hand stitching the final details."

Graca is on Pattern Review and you can find her reviews here,  http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/search.pl?search=1&ProfileID=265247. She has also taken the No Ready To Wear Challenge that so many of you have joined. I knew better than to make the commitment and it's a good thing I didn't as I just went out and bought a brand new ski outfit. I applaud all of you who have taken the challenge and are happily making all of your clothes this year. Graca has also been working on the Stash Busting Challenge. She's doing a fabulous job as she made over 30 new pieces last year for herself, family and her home.

Here are some lovely examples of her work.

The above piece is the  Liz Misono Angel top. Love the print.

What a beautiful jacket! When she posted the coat, she talked about the fact that Tim Gunn says that we all need a trench coat in our wardrobe. Hey, who says it has to be boring?!!

I don't post a lot about quilting, but I do love to quilt believe it or not and there is nothing I love more than a true scrap quilt. I see them as a window into the life of the person who made the quilt. So pretty.

One of her stash busting projects. This is one piece of fabric that needs to be out of the closet. Beautiful colors!

Graca has also been trying her hand at making lingerie. She highly recommends this Butterick pattern. She said the panties are sexy and have give great butt coverage. Now there's a combination you don't see too often ;)

As I said, two very talented and inspirational ladies. I know I'm very excited about getting to know them a little better through their blogs.

Have a wonderful day!

Rhonda