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Back to Quilting!

In a moment of insanity I agreed to make a prom dress for a nice teenage girl I know. The pattern wasn't complicated. She didn't want too many changes. I used to sew custom stuff once upon a time. I thought it would be fun.

What was I thinking?!?

Nightmare. I have no idea why, but it was a nightmare. Because she kept wanting adjustments to the back of the dress I had to do the zipper

4 time! I don't like zippers. I really, really don't like invisible zippers. I was sick of this zipper.

On her last fitting she determined that she really wanted the bodice to fit tight "like a corset". I didn't think this was a grand plan, but you try and talk to a teenager three days before prom. I took it in a little. Thinking I was being a good seamstress I pressed the dress. For the first time in my whole sewing life I SCORTCHED the dress. And wouldn't you know it was the back so I had to do that darn zipper AGAIN? I tell ya. This involved delaying the fitting and running to JoAnn's for more fabric for a new skirt back. Thankfully they had more.

She came back for the fitting with her mom. The dress was snug and the zipper would not go up. Her mom made it go up and after determining that I should let the dress back out again we had a heck of a time getting the zipper to unzip. A little thread heaven seemed to fix it though.

They came back after their shoe shopping trip. Dress fit perfectly. Then she moved and darn if that zipper didn't split open!

That night I picked out that stupid zipper AGAIN!

A brand new zipper was installed the next morning and her mom came and got the dress on her way to work.

I was never so glad to have a sewing project out the door!

She reported to me yesterday that the prom was a blast, she got lots of compliments on her dress and no one could believe it was homemade.

I'm glad she was happy. Senior prom is one of those big deal things for kids. But, I'm mostly happy that the dress is done and I can get back to quilting!

marcella

Reply to
Marcella Peek
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Reply to
Taria

I can barely hem a pair of pants (and don't look too closely, the thread may not match very well. I leave the garment sewing to my mother. She is wonderful at it. One customer of hers will sometimes bring a picture of a dress from a magazine, 2-4 patterns that have different parts of the dress in question the way she wants them, and Mom can do it. She may have to tell the lady, "Now, I couldn't do blah and have yadda the way you wanted, so I did X and it looks the same." Boggles my mind. I can't even match points half the time on a nice flat quilt top! Anyone that can make clothing has my deepest respect.

Reply to
Debi Matlack

LOL I suspect Kate would just show you how to do it and groan along with you at ripping the zip out all those times

and yes it's not home made - that would have meant that mom or the girl had made it themselves not by someone else who has experience

Reply to
Jessamy

Yikes Marcella! what did you put yourself through! I have happily turned down sewing jobs that involved zips (box cushions - not hard but still involving zips) you are hereby prescribed a weeks worth of quilting time :-)

Reply to
Jessamy

I was enjoying reading your adventure in sewing - been there done that. When you got to the comment of "homemade" I became annoyed. Custom made would have been more appropriate!

Reply to
Bonnie NJ

After the first zipper incident, I probably would have handed the girl $200 and let her go shopping for a dress! :-)

Reply to
KJ

You are too good for this world! Either that, or they held one of your loved ones to ransom! And I wouldn't call it homemade, it was Custom Made! Roberta in D

"Marcella Peek" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@news.giganews.com...

Reply to
Roberta Zollner

Yup -- that was insanity. ;) I gave up clothing construction years ago, and I don't regret it a bit, though I used to enjoy it. However, even sewing for my then-preteen DDs was a nightmare because of all of the changes they wanted to the original plan. Teenaged girls just don't get it sometimes. Welcome back to quilting and sanity!

Reply to
Sandy

Me, too >gg<

I had enough of custom dressmaking when I made my three bridesmaids dress and the middle one was growing like a weed!! I started the dresses in September, and, by the time of the wedding (1 March), there was only half an inch of the hem left!! As she was 14, the bodice also needed frequent adjustments! . In message , KJ writes

Reply to
Patti

Thank you Dr. Jessamy :-) I will happily take that prescription!

No more zippers for me either :-)

marcella

Reply to
Marcella Peek

After I scorched the dress I was seriously considering just that.

marcella

Reply to
Marcella Peek

Yes ladies and gents, it was Haute Couture like Dior. Bravo!! Dixie in cold NB.

When I give to you something I made with my hands I share my heart.

Reply to
Dixie

Ohhhh Marcella... you poor thing!! I don't like zippers either - never have, never will. I did a reversible mens vest last summer, and was never so delighted to get something done in my life! It made me remember why I don't "do" clothing anymore!!

Now, go do something fun!

Patti in Seattle

Reply to
Patti S

All I have to say is: I aim to do only (well, mostly) 2-dimensional sewing!

Hanne in London

Reply to
Hanne Gottliebsen

LOL - did you ever ask the mother to stop feeding her for a few weeks :-)

Hanne in London

Patti wrote:

Reply to
Hanne Gottliebsen

He-he! She had the physique of a weed, too, tall and extremely slender! She might have faded away altogether without food >gg< . In message , Hanne Gottliebsen writes

Reply to
Patti

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