The Start of Spring Sewing!

I completed my first round of early spring sewing with this brown dress, Simplicity 2444. I like the retro look of this modern Project Runway pattern, and I'm extremely pleased with the final product.

Simplicity 2444

The bodice has a great fit and I particularly like the sleeves. It's not easy to find a pattern with sleeves that fit properly! The skirt is very full - and perhaps slightly too full, adding a lot of extra fabric in the stomach and hip areas.

Fabric flowers with button centers.

I felt this dress needed an extra little something. It was looking a little plain and I'm generally not attracted to wearing brown. I decided to make some fabric flowers, which I sewed onto the bodice with navy blue buttons as the flower centers. To make the flowers, I cut the fabric into a donut shape. I stitched close to the outer edge of the donut to maintain the raw fabric edge (and used Fray Check), and then gathered the inner edge of the donut and tacked in place.

I have many more spring sewing projects in the works, including skirts in a rainbow of colors. I am participating in Me-Made-May 2012, so it's time for me to get serious and make much-needed wardrobe staples before May arrives! Ok, back to the sewing...