Beautiful purple lace dress with matching sweater!!!

 

I was in need of something pretty, comfortable and warm…always warm for winter because I hate to be cold! I didn’t have anything that fit the bill and so I had to sew something up.

I had this ugly plain purple long sleeved shapeless thick T-shirt that I don’t even know where it came from. It may have been my husbands, I don’t know but this is what I made with it.

Sorry, I forgot to take my before pictures…I get so excited you know, by the time I even think of the pictures I’ve got it half done!!! lol

Some of the pictures were taken, (by my husband Leon),on the water front, Killam’s Wharf, Yarmouth N.S. Canada

This is a beautiful painting someone painted on the side of the building!! Sorry forgot the name of the artist!!!…….

This is my purple sweater that I made

 

I folded the top in half to find the middle and I cut it. Just in the front though. I turned the edges under and sewed them down

.

I can wear this with jeans, jogging pants or dress pants. Love it!!!

That may look like the virgin Mary behind me….but it is not! lol

I added the lace from the fabric I had to make my dress on the edge of the sleeves and hem. Makes a nice touch I think.

I then sewed up my dress using a simplicity pattern that I had on hand.

And here it is…..

The lace has been sewed with the fabric as one piece. Really hard to get the pieces to lay flat but if you pin them together first while they are laying flat it shouldn’t be a problem. Just be extra careful because one false move and your lace will be crooked and bunched up and will not lay flat against the backing fabric. I used the scalloped edging for the hem which omits having to make the hem on the lace. I just hemmed the backing fabric right underneath the lace.

This is what you do when you run out of fabric!!! Yup, I ran out of lace but that’s ok because it looks fine without it. You see I don’t totally have plans when I buy my fabric. I see it and I like it and so I buy it thinking I could make a dress or a top out of this and so I am not sure how much I should buy at the time but being creative helps figure out what to do about the shortage of fabric. There is always a way to use it.

I don’t know what the pen on the floor is about but I think it was on my keyboard when I moved it :/ 

I can wear this with a belt too.
I already wore this dress to church so some of you may have seen it already.
I wore it with plain black tights, probably looked better but I think they were in the wash when I took these pictures and so I substituted with these…

My sweater and jacket together!!! A perfect match!!!

 

Sleeves are sheer lace. Flowers are bright blue, dark green, white and black and the sheer part has a slight purple tinge to it. That is why I decided to use a purple or lilac if you prefer, fabric underneath.

 

It can be worn with or without a belt

Zipper in the back

I smocked it, I smocked it, I smocked it!!!! YES I DID LOL I smocked it!!!! This is the first time I have ever smocked anything and I really really enjoyed it and I will be doing it again!!!  Doing this technique gathers where ever you smock it and in this case my square top that I used became nicely gathered at the waist for a neat fit, great to do for someone that has curves (hourglass or pear shape, even someone with a rectangle or ruler shape this will give the illusion of curves as long as it is slightly baggy on the top and bottom of the waist) The fabric is pinched together and sewn in an even pattern making a kind of triangle look all around the sweater. Did I say I loved this??? I do!!!

 

I guess it was time that I posted these pictures because fall is almost over!!! It is getting colder here! We had a fabulous fall though and hoping we will have a beautiful winter too! Hope you enjoyed my pics of my revamped sweater and my new purple lace dress!!!

Just want to say a big thank you to all who support my blog!!! WOW, you guys are soooo great!!!

Canada,United States,Russia,China,United Kingdom,Sweden,Netherlands,Poland,Australia,Germany to name a few! Don’t be afraid to comment!! Love to hear from you!! :)

P.S. Don’t ever feel judged!!!! If you are feeling guilty(like someone is pointing a finger at you and hating you), this is NOT of God! It doesn’t matter WHO(or who they think they are) is doing the pointing!!!
If you are feeling convicted(knowing it’s wrong and that you shouldn’t be doing it) this is God speaking to you. For your own good try to listen.

John 8:2-11

New International Version (NIV)

8

² At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.

 ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”

 ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.

 ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time,

the older ones first,

until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Whenever someone is trying to make me feel guilty as if they are better than me and condemning me or putting me down, I remember this scripture and it is very helpful to me. Jesus never condemned anyone and neither should anyone else because all of us have faults and if you think yours is better than someone else’s, you are only fooling yourself… yes some have more sins than others and are more in your face but it doesn’t mean that someone who’s sin is hidden(and you know who you are) is better than someone else. Sin is sin to God.

What do you think Jesus was writing in the sand? Why do you think the oldest left first?

Don’t forget that even though Jesus said he didn’t condemn her, he asked her to leave it behind.

Is he saying it’s ok that you did it, I don’t condemn you, now go, I got you out of this one but now stop living that way?

Why do you think he said that? Was it so he could have his own way or was it for her own good that he said it? 

Jesus does NOT condemn and it does not matter WHAT sin your are committing but he asks for you to leave it. Will you do it for him?

2013 spring cotton jean style jacket 1

Hello everyone, I made a jacket for this spring 2013. I bought the fabric at Fabricville, my favorite store, even though it is 3 hours away. I do a really good job when I get up there. I think I scare all the workers there! " What I'm going to have to cut out all that fabric for you!!!??" Geesh!! lol

This is in the "try it on" stage
"Seams" to be fitting

Here it is finished. Wearing it with a skirt I made a in 2012. The top is from the store Eclipse

I used a pattern for this one, although I basically had to reconstruct the whole pattern or it would have been
pretty ill fitting. I don't know how they get away with making patterns like that and selling them!!??

 I forgot to check the sleeve length and cut out my sleeves waaaay too short shame, shame, shame, lol and so I had to add pieces to the sleeves but if I didn't tell you you would never know it wasn't part of the jacket. Now having been sewing in draperies and apparel wear steady for the last 9 years or so you learn that you make a lot of mistakes BUT where there is a will there is a way I always say. Instead of crying about your mistakes you have to learn to be VERY creative especially if you have a brain like mine that forgets everything.
 Sometimes the worst mistakes turns out to make you look like a creative genius!!! LOL  I still hate to make mistakes though...I just don't want to do something twice!!! Sometimes my mistakes sit in the corner for a long time too. hahaha

See my sleeve "design" hehehe



It dips a little in the back making a point, this is a design feature that I added, wasn't a mistake! lol

I didn't have the correct size zipper so I didn't put it in yet. I've got to get one, but the more I look at it the more I think I just want to put a snap instead. I think it just needs one snap right where I'm holding it. I'll probably wear it mostly open anyhow.

I am planning on making another one in the same style with a different fabric so stay tuned for that one!!
It's going to be a little longer and not so fitted I think. The sleeves will be the right length!! lol I usually learn from my mistakes the first time! hahaha

This is the back on my dummyAnd this is my casual look for it

The blurred look, I thought this was cool lol
That's it, hope you guys enjoy my creations...Actually they are not my creations, I'm just a copy cat like
everyone else, because I believe there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10
⁹ What has been will be again,
    what has been done will be done again;
    there is nothing new under the sun. 
Is there anything of which one can say,
    “Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
    it was here before our time.
¹¹ No one remembers the former generations,
    and even those yet to come
will not be remembered
    by those who follow them.

a real green dress

So I made this dress, actually it's my green top and skirt that I made last year. I didn't dare wear it together last year because it seemed like it would be too green but this year it feel just right and so I'm going to be wearing it together and I think it looks good. What do you think? I've never been much of a "green" person but these last couple of years that's all I can think about. It's green everything and not just a subtle green I'm talking lime green!!!! Wooooohoooo!

I made the belt too

I match my decor lol

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter!!!
I'm going to be singing tomorrow morning in the church choir a melody of about 6 great Easter songs!! We have been practicing for 5 weeks now and having a great time, but it will be nice when it's over as it gets pretty tiring always having to be somewhere all the time and listening to the same songs over and over and over until we know them by heart. We aren't allowed any words only following our conductors lead and if we miss the words we have to say watermelon, watermelon so no one will know we missed the words! lol  I think there might be a lot of watermelon going on! hahaha
So remember on Friday Jesus died for you and me, took my and your place and my and your sin on himself and on Monday HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND IS STILL ALIVE!!! So now if you and I believe in Him and except him in our hearts and ask for forgiveness WE ARE SET FREE FROM SIN and will be raised in heavenly places with Him!!! How do you come to him you might ask???  Just as you are!!!  It's a FREE gift from God!!! You just have to except it!!!
Lots of love and happiness to all wherever you are, may you be blessed beyond anything you could imagine!!!! xox