Men's clothing vs women's clothing -- Which is more difficult to sew?

Apparently it's Questions Week here at MPB.  (I don't plan these things, they just happen.)

Last month I received an email from reader Lynn S., suggesting an interesting blog topic.  Here's what Lynn wrote:

I used to know a lot of women who sew and there was an almost universal attitude among them that "Men's clothes are too difficult."  I can't honestly say that I will try anything but I decide for myself what's too difficult, so after I got married (over 35 years ago) I immediately started making shirts for my husband. I even made a couple of pairs of pants which didn't look at all professional.

I don't generalize. I think you can only judge the difficulty of patterns on an individual basis. But if one must generalize, it seems more logical to say that women's clothes are more difficult. Men's clothes usually don't have ruffles, gathers, princess seams, multi-tiered skirts or many other interesting details you commonly see on women's dresses.  Pants can be difficult but women wear pants too. If we're talking about jeans, men's and women's have all the same elements.

Frankly, I think Lynn is hedging a bit here, don't you?  I mean she's sort of saying women's clothing is more difficult, but then again the pants she made for her husband didn't come out so great.  And women wear pants to.  

Anyway, here's my response (a bit of a hedge too):

Thank you so much for your suggestion, Lynn.  I think it's a great topic.  I will say, however, that I once suggested (in an off-hand way) that sewing a men's suit wasn't as easy as whipping up a (women's) housecoat -- I've made both -- and someone accused me of sexism!

This is true.

So how do I answer Lynn's question?  Do I think men's clothes are harder to make than women's?   I hate to do this to you, friends, but I think the answer is, It depends.  



Just as there are the three "b's" of music (Bach, Beethoven and Brahms), the three "r's" of schooling (reading, 'riting, and 'rithmatic), and the three Powells of MGM (William, Eleanor, and Jane -- what, were they running out of names?); I propose that there are also the three "f's" of sewing: fabric, fit, and finishing (I like to think I invented the "three 'f's'" so correct me if I'm wrong).

Let's consider the difficulty of sewing men's vs. women's clothes according to the three "f's."

FABRIC

Women's clothes are often made from more challenging fabrics than men's clothes are.  You don't see too many silk chiffon men's shirts.  Traditional menswear fabrics tend to be relatively easy to handle: not too shifty, not too loosely woven, not too many sequins.  Therefore easier.

Men's clothing is more likely to be made from solid-colored fabric, however, and solids can be less forgiving of glitches, which can't be hidden by a busy pattern.  So you have to be very careful with all those piddly details when you're sewing menswear.  Therefore harder.

When you sew men's clothes, though, you're basically making the same three or four garments again and again and again: button down shirts, basic long trousers, notch lapel jackets, the occasional raincoat/overcoat, maybe boxers.   There's nothing like the variation that exists for women's wear, so with practice you really can master the basics of a standard men's wardrobe.   Easier.







FIT

The general consensus is that men's bodies are easier to fit (Kenneth King once told me so, so don't shoot the messenger).  We don't have boobs (well, not the kind we want to have stand up and out anyway) and we generally have narrow hips and less shapely...everything.  Exceptions exist, obviously, but I'm talking about what's most common.  Easier.

Men rarely wear clothing that wraps (and is therefore instantly customizable) and elastic waistbands are a bit of a cop out.  Clothes must fit.  Harder.

FINISHING

I think we can consider tailoring under "finishing" though it also is related to fit.

By tailoring, I mean all those fancy pockets and layers of special interfacings and all that careful fitting; it's not always clear just how tailoring is defined, frankly.  There's a lot of all this in most men's clothes and it's hard to do unless you have experience.  Of course women wear tailored clothes too, but most casual women's clothing these days consists of stretch knits.

Men's clothes are also held to a higher professional standard.  We're accustomed to a certain finish to a men's suit, for example: we don't see too many home-sewn suits out there and the difficulty of making them look professional is part of the reason.  It's not that there are necessarily more details involved in making men's clothes, but rather that we are accustomed to seeing men's clothes look a certain way with little variation: i.e., the fly zipper goes here, the shirt pockets look like this, the collar is this wide/long, etc.  Hence, harder.



I think rather than talk about men's vs. women's, we might talk about tailored vs. non-tailored clothing.  All those finicky details, whether on men's clothes or women's clothes, are exacting.  Same goes for precise fit and dealing with lots of itty bitty pattern pieces for things like inside breast pockets.

Readers, that's my take.

I'd be curious to know what you think.  Have I missed anything?

Which is more difficult to sew: men's clothing or women's clothing?   (If you've sewn both, I'd especially love to hear from you.)

Have a great day, everybody!

Should We Dress Better?

Are we a "nation of slobs"?

Erica thinks so and I'm inclined to agree.  (Of course, compared to ever-elegant Erica, even my cousin Cathy might be considered a bit of a fright some days.)

I read an argument similar to Erica's last week over at SewingArtistry.com.  In fact, this topic rears its bedraggled bed-head regularly, and it's always worth revisiting if only for the fun of hearing what people think and reading all those you'll-never-believe-what-I-saw-being-worn-in-church/Walmart/my daughter's prom anecdotes.

Here's my take, and it's probably not typical, since I live in the center of a big city so am exposed to a very wide range of types of dress, none overwhelming the others:  

I do not care how other people dress. 

If it makes you feel good to wear gorgeous clothes, whether you've made them yourself or bought them ready-to-wear, wear them and I'll appreciate them.  I love to see people dressed up.

If, on the other hand, clothes are not your thing and you really can't be bothered to care what others may think of you (and they may think nothing at all), then wear what you like.  I'm not offended by sloppiness (though poor personal hygiene can be unpleasant on a crowded subway).  It's not your job to make me happy with the way you present yourself and vice versa.  I'm often quite sloppy myself.

HOWEVER --

The way we dress is a reflection not only of how we see ourselves, but also of how we feel about our community.  With the exception of a few isolates, most of us have interactions with others every day.  We live in the world, even if we don't know many people in it.  Dressing in a way that makes others comfortable is a way of acknowledging that we are social animals and of showing appreciation for our community.  Same goes with dressing to suit the occasion (attending a religious ceremony, the opera, dinner at a restaurant, wedding, etc.).

If we feel alienated by, or invisible in our community, we may choose to express this in the way we dress.  Perhaps we reject society's values so we dress in an intentionally provocative way. That's our prerogative.  But at a certain point, when everybody adopts a similar I-don't-care-what-you-think-of-me posture, we're left with a society full of people who have no sense of the public sphere or feel part of a community.  That's pretty much where we are today in many, many places.  It's not just clothes, either, it's also the way we use our phones and other technology in public, how we behave while watching a movie at a theater, or the volume of our conversation at a restaurant.

It's usually up to a community's elders to pass these values along, but these days, most elders don't dare speak up, often with good reason (fear).

Ms. Spears: contemporary celebrity role model.

If you live in a place where there are very few public spaces -- sidewalks, parks, benches, etc. -- you may not understand why you would bother thinking about dressing for others or behaving in a particular way solely out of respect.  (I do not believe that dressing or behaving poorly has as much to do with a lack of self-respect as much as respect for others.)

When my mother first interviewed for teaching jobs in the Nineteen-fifties, she was expected to wear a hat and gloves to her interviews.  She is relieved that that is no longer the expectation.  I grew up in the Sixties and Seventies; you could wear whatever you wanted.  That's my normal.  Do I sometimes wish people dressed up more in public again?  Sometimes, but not usually.  That expectation came with a lot of pressure -- you didn't really have a choice -- and who needs that?







It does seem unfortunate that many people no longer know how to identify good fit, or quality construction or fabric.  We've lost a great deal of this kind of cultural knowledge -- the stuff we took for granted a few generations ago (and which was often taught in school).  It's not coming back.

We live at a time when our culture (I'm talking about the USA though I think this applies to much of the West) is focused primarily on the self: my happiness, my self-expression, my potential, my taxes, what feels right to me, etc.  We do not live in a culture that stresses the group, i.e, what benefits the most people, even if it's at a cost to a number of individuals within the group -- which is what helps to create a cohesive society/community.

Cultures like that, however (and most traditional cultures are still this way) can often be oppressive to any one deemed "other" living within them; these people may be shunned or worse.  But these cultures do create a sense of unity, safety, and comfort for the majority.  I guess we need to find a happy medium.

So should we dress better?  (Ironically, dressing better these days may be just the provocative, in-your-face way of rejecting the contemporary value of comfort-above-all-else that reigns supreme.)

You've heard my position, what's yours?

Photo courtesy of Shorpy.com

Can You Have Too Many Sewing Books?

Readers, this is a big week for me: the completion of my 4th year of sewing --  it's like my college graduation!

Partly to celebrate, I treated myself to a new sewing book yesterday -- new to me, I mean -- Roberta Carr's "Couture: The Art of Fine Sewing" from 1993, which I cannot believe was twenty years ago but whatever.  Did I also treat myself to her somewhat-pricey-even-though-second-hand couture sewing DVD too?  You'll just have to wait and find out.

I can't really remember how I stumbled upon the Carr book -- I know: it was recommended by Susan Khalje in the appendix of "Bridal Couture."  I read some reviews on Amazon, then more on Pattern Review, and the next thing I knew I was clicking "Proceed to Checkout."

It's not like I need another sewing book, but it's not about need.  I read sewing books (and watch sewing videos) the way some people consume mysteries -- as escapist entertainment.  Yesterday I watched Claire Shaeffer's "Couture Techniques Workshop" video and found it as enjoyable as a Deanna Durbin musical.  Am I actually learning anything?  I think so -- if only where to look when I need to thread trace my stitching lines -- couture-y stuff like that.

Confession time: I already own approximately FIFTY sewing books (I keep unearthing more as I sort through various piles, so the list keeps growing).  Many I've purchased, some I've been given, a few I've even found in the trash, but somehow they all ended up in my possession.  I would say that of these fifty, I probably refer to roughly ten on a regular basis.  But I still like to have the others.  As I said, they're my entertainment.

Here's my book and video list, unsorted.  An asterisk means I refer to it often (and if I don't that doesn't reflect on the quality of the book so much as how relevant I find it to my current projects and interests).  Sometimes I've added an author if the book has a somewhat generic title or one that's similar to others.

Any of your favorites on the list?   Any glaring absences?

Fit For Real People (Palmer, Alto)
10-20-30 Minutes to Sew (Zieman)
The Practical Guide to Patternmaking for Fashion Designers, Menswear (Knowles)
The Complete Book of Sewing (Talbot)
McCalls Step-by-Step Sewing Book
Kwik Sew's Beautiful Lingerie
Gertie's New Book For Better Sewing
How to Make Hats & Accessories: Introduction to Making 1940's Fashion
Easy Ways to Sew & Save (Vintage booklet)
How to Make Clothes That Fit & Flatter (Adele Margoles)
Vogue's New Book For Better Sewing
Fine Embellishment Techniques (Conlon)
Fashion Design On A Stand
Patternmaking for a Perfect Fit
Precision Draping: Using Vintage Techniques to Create 1940's Fashion
Making Trousers for Men & Women (Coffin)*
The New Sewing Essentials (Singer)
Sewing Magic (Hellyer)
Pattern Review's 1,000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts
Dorothy Moore's Patternmaking & Dressmaking*
The Art of Couture Sewing (Nudelman)
Singer Sewing Book (1969 edition)
Kwik Sew Method for Menswear
Make Your Own Dress Patterns (Margoles)
How to Make Sewing Patterns (McCunn)
The Bishop Method of Clothing Construction
Creative Clothing Construction (Bane)
Sew Everything Workshop (Rupp)
The Vogue Sewing Book
Readers Digest Complete Guide to Sewing (1995)
Readers Digest Complete Guide to Sewing (1978)
Shirtmaking (Coffin)
Serger Secrets
Patternmaking for Fashion Designer (3rd Ed., Armstrong)
Claire Schaeffer's Fabric Sewing Guide*
Couture Sewing Techniques (Shaeffer)*
High Fashion Sewing Secrets from the World's Best Designers (Schaeffer)*
Tailoring: The Classic Guide... *
Encyclopedia of Sewing Machine Techniques
Simplicity Fabric Guide
Singer's How to Sew Fashion Knits
Singer: The Perfect Fit
Classic Tailoring Techniques: A Construction Guide for Menswear*
Singer: Sewing For Special Occasions
Cool Couture (King)*
Singer: Sewing For Style
How to Make Men's Clothes (Rhinehart)*
Bridal Couture (Khalje)*
The Dressmaker's Handbook of Couture Sewing Techniques (Maynard)
Modern Pattern Design (Harriet Pepin, PDF)
Designing Men's Overcoats (Harry Simon, PDF)
Tailored Jacket (King, PDF)*
Sewing for Men & Boys (Simplicity, 1973)

I also own a few videos!

Industrial Shortcuts for Home Sewing (including "Shirts, Etc.): Margaret Islander
Jackets for Real People: Tailoring Made Easy
Couture Sewing Workshop - Basics
Linings A to Z (Betzina)

Given that I own ten times more books than videos, I guess I enjoy books more.  What I don't like about videos is that you often have to sift through too many two-minute segments when you first watch it to get the gist of it.  Generally I prefer a video that takes you through a specific project from beginning to end ("Shirts, Etc" is particularly good at this); for a single technique I'm more likely to refer to a book.  (For learning hand stitching, however, I prefer video; drawings usually leave my puzzled.)
.
In closing, readers, do you have a single favorite sewing book (or two or three) or video that truly made a difference in the way you sew?

What makes a sewing book (or video) work for you -- or not?

Jump in!

This and That...

Friends, this is a holiday weekend here in the USA, and since I just finished a big project, I'm more or less in rest and recovery mode.  But that doesn't mean all work has stopped!

Realizing that I'm going to be using my Bernina 930 regularly and therefore leaving her out permanently, I needed to make some sort of dust cover for her.  As you know, I have a large bin full of fabric remnants, and I chose this quilt-weight cotton I used a year and a half ago to make that Burda dress for Leah.

I didn't use a pattern, but rather just measured the approximate height, width, and depth of the machine and cut my pieces accordingly.  Then I stitched it up (on the Bernina, of course).  Nothing fancy: I pinked my seam allowances and added some embroidery stitches at the bottom for fun.



I wouldn't call it gorgeous but it does the job.



Moving right along, I thought you might like to see a few details of Cathy's 40's silk dress close up:  the side zipper, the front gathers, and the hem.  I should have prick-stitched that zipper by hand, but (amazingly) I was able to attach it by machine; I might redo it if I feel inspired but it's not bad as-is.







Speaking of silk, at the flea market today, a vendor had a ton of gorgeous silk fabric -- taffeta, chiffon, beaded silk, georgette, you name it: he must have bought the contents of a small dressmaking business.  I was overwhelmed, so I decided to purchase just one thing, well two: A plaid silk taffeta in pale yellow, gold, and, I think, black -- and a coordinating solid gold China silk.  Not sure what I'll make with it all but I have roughly 3 1/2 yards of the plaid and at least that much of the solid.





Readers, I think that's it.  I have a few small projects on deck I'll be sharing with you soon; otherwise I'm just lying low for the next few days.

For those of you enjoying the holiday weekend, have fun and be safe!

Peter SPEAKS -- The Bernina 930 VIDEO!

Readers, it's here: the Bernina 930 video!

I hope you enjoy it and, naturally, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

If you'd like to view this video directly in YouTube (where it will appear larger), click here.

Either way, enjoy!

Cathy's Full 1940's Silk Dress Photoshoot!

Readers, I am delighted to share Cathy's silk dress photo shoot with you today -- in its entirety!

What fun we had galavanting around New York City, where my cousin received countless compliments on her smart frock as well as on her dewy complexion.  The upside of high humidity is that it brings color to the cheeks.

Cathy loved the soft lines and cool feel of this silk charmeuse dress and found the tulip sleeve detail to be especially flattering to her upper arms.   She seems determined to put polyester behind her; hopefully she'll remain open-minded. 

Without further delay, our photo shoot.  As always, to see these photos full-size, please click any image and, in Picasa, choose the album name, and then, in the upper left hand corner, "Slideshow."  (Those with mobile devices can click here.)



Hope you enjoy it and have a great day, everybody! 

Hey, that's Cathy in her new silk dress!

 

Wait -- THAT'S not Cathy!
 
Readers, if you'd like to see the real Cathy Lane in her Forties silk charmeuse dress, hop on over to the Mood Sewing Network today. 

I'll have more Cathy in the days ahead; consider this just an appetizer.

Have a great day, everybody -- enjoy!

In Praise of Pinking et al.

Friends, do you pink much?

I almost never do, primarily because most of the projects I work on either have enclosed seams (like men's shirts) or I serge my seam allowances.

On the skirt of my silk dress, however (which only had 1/2" seam allowances) I could think of no better way to finish the seams than pinking, and it worked beautifully.  I often think of pinking as an easy way out, or very home-sewn looking, but sometimes it is the best option, especially for delicate fabrics where serged or more thickly finished seams could leave an imprint when pressing. 

I never even considered serging this silk, though I guess if my serger can handle poly linings, it can handle silk.  But the possibility that my serger would chomp through my dress because I wasn't paying close attention discouraged me from even trying.  Plus I was afraid it would stretch things.

Do you ever serge silk?



Today I had to make a quick silk organza run, as I had exhausted the single yard I bought a few months ago to experiment with, in the making of this 40's dress.  I used it to make bias strips to interface my facings, turned it into stay tape, used it to make a back stay, and finally, decided to underline my tulip sleeves with it to give them more stiffness.

The first sleeve turned out great; I had to cut the second one twice, however, as the first time, the organza and the sleeve didn't seem to be relating properly.  The second time, I was extra careful to make sure the grainlines were even, and I cut them both together (atop a piece of tissue paper).



I enclosed the outer edge of my seam between my fashion fabric and the organza (after trimming the seam allowance).



The tulip sleeve has two pleats on either end, and then one end is lapped over the other before it's attached to the bodice.  You'll see the sleeve when I show you the finished dress -- it's quite a nice design element.

This has been a very challenging project for me, involving a number of firsts:

1) first silk garment.

2) first zipper stitched by basting the center seam, adding the zipper and then pulling out the basting.

3) first project sewn on my Bernina 930.

4) first time I've worked with silk organza.

I think that's enough firsts for one project, don't you?



In addition to silk organza, I also bought some Russian veiling at Mood (three guesses what that's for), and then spent the rest of the day tweaking things.  I've found working with silk charmeuse to be difficult, especially in a dress that has many gathers.  The silk has a beautiful drape but very little body of its own.  If I'd made this dress in something heavier and more stable, the dress would have been easier to construct, I believe.

Between my healing tooth (or rather, gums) and the sudden extreme heat (I think it hit 90 today), I'm not really at my best and my sewing has suffered: today was full of stupid mistakes and a lot of ripping out of seams, which is not something you want to do with silk charmeuse if you can avoid it.  Happens to everybody, I guess...

Readers, that's it. I hope you're doing better than I am.  I am eagerly anticipating the end of this project.

Have a great day, everybody!

(An important message from Ginger Rogers...)

One Less Tooth

Friends, have you ever had a tooth pulled?  I did this morning and I don't have to tell you it wasn't a very pleasant experience, and I like my dentist.

About two years ago I fractured a molar while chomping down on a chicken bone (suck out that marrow carefully, readers!).  The tooth already had a deep filling in it which was why it cracked in the first place and, long story short, two years later it was time to say good-bye.  I could have opted for an expensive root canal procedure followed by a crown, but since the tooth was already so compromised, there was no guarantee it would last.  So I had it yanked.  While my jaw is a little sore, I actually feel so much better knowing that crappy old tooth is gone (The damaged root was also affecting my sinuses, I believe.).  But I didn't feel much like sewing today, so so far I haven't.

But look what came in the mail.  Know what this is?



No, it's not a molar replacement, it's low-shank adapter that allows me to use all my Singer feet on my Bernina.  This means I have the option of sewing with my beloved Singer straight stitch foot!





I'm almost embarrassed to admit how much I love my new machine.  I knew it would be solid stitcher but I didn't expect an instant bond.  As far as not having the needle down feature, yes, that would be nice.  But one of the great things about the 930 is that even in the needle up position, the fabric does not slip out of place.  If I'm turning a corner, then sure, I turn the needle down manually.  But a lot of the time this isn't even necessary, like if I'm just stopping to check my work.

The one feature I'm not crazy about, however, is the bobbin winder.  It probably needs just a simple adjustment, but right now the little lever that turns off the bobbin winder when the bobbin is fully wound brakes too soon.  So I'll probably wind my Bernina bobbins the same way I wind bobbins for all my other machines: on my vintage Viking.  The Viking doesn't have a shut-off mechanism, you just stop winding when it looks full.  Works for me.

In vintage 40's silk dress news, I'm almost done.  I made the tulip sleeves yesterday but still have to clean up some seams and hem the thing.  I think it's going to be very pretty.  I've booked Cathy's services for Wednesday afternoon, so let's hope it doesn't rain so she can wear her mink.

Readers, it's time for a liquid meal.  Actually, I can chew, but on only one side of my mouth, and since I don't want to compromise the healing, I'm playing it safe for the next day or so.

Have a great day, everybody!

NAME THAT PATTERN: National Devil's Food Cake Day Edition!

Readers, what better way to celebrate National Devil's Food Cake Day than with an exclusive edition of the sewing blogosphere's favorite pattern naming game, MPB's NAME THAT PATTERN!

As always, the rules are simple: I present patterns I've found online (all of which are currently for sale on Etsy for those who may want to purchase one of these classics).  You must give these patterns a name.

We have some very special prizes in store for our winner, including an all-expenses-paid, two-week vacation to sunny Fukushima, Japan!

Are you ready?  Here's Pattern #1!



Are you still with us?  Great -- here's Pattern #2!



But wait -- there's more!  Here's Pattern #3!



Pace yourself, friends, here's Pattern #4:



We're coming to the end of our game I'm afraid.  Feast your eyes on Pattern #5:



We always have a bonus pattern for those of you who need some extra points.  Today, in celebration of National Devil's Food Cake Day, we offer TWO!

Here's Pattern #6:



And Pattern #7:



Readers, I hope you've enjoyed this special National Devil's Food Cake Day edition of NAME THAT PATTERN.  As always, I'll be contributing my answers in the hours ahead and hopefully clever Michael will too.  But please don't wait for us -- get your answers in early for a chance to win extra cake.

Have a great day, everybody and good luck!

Bodice Darts, Facings, and Back Stays, Oh My!

Friends, I'm almost done with my silk dress bodice; I've hardly left the house all day.

As I think I mentioned yesterday, there are four darts in the left bodice front (which is largely covered by the overlapping right bodice front) and four darts in the back, two of them fish-eye darts.  If you look closely at the back piece (below), you can see the small perforations marking the darts (the three large holes at the straight edge mean cut on the fold).



I usually enjoy making darts but they're much more challenging to create in shifty silk charmeuse.

In an ideal world, the darts would be basted by hand.  I took some shortcuts and I'm happy to say they worked just fine.  Rather than make tailor's tacks to mark my dart points, I used a water soluble pencil on the wrong side of the fabric.  It doesn't bleed through the front and since it's pink, it's easy to see.







Then, with pins, I matched the dots and set the outline of the dart.



With my iron, I made a quick crease to set the basic shape.  From the outside, this is how the back looked before I sewed anything.



The darts came out nicely.  The Bernina handles silk beautifully and I used a trick I learned from a Margaret Islander video: when making a fish-eye dart, start from the center and work your way toward either end.  It's easier to stitch off a teeny edge than to start sewing on one.  I hope that makes sense.

Can you find the dart?

I decided to make a back stay with my silk organza to give the silk a little more firmness (it also reinforces the back armhole).  The stay has the same shoulder darts as the back piece.  As you can see, I used the selvage at the bottom of the organza so I didn't have to finish any raw edges.  (I think I got the stay idea from "High Fashion Sewing Secrets" by Claire Shaeffer -- a very useful book for this kind of project.)





Next came the facings.  I had the hardest time on the back neck piece -- the pattern just tells you to cut bias strips to make the facings, nothing about width, interfacing, nothing.  I ended up using my back stay to finish the back neckline; there's no additional facing and the neckline lays beautifully flat.  I just stitched the neck up right sides together, trimmed the seam allowance, and turned.



My front facings are 2" bias strips of charmeuse underlined with 2" bias strips of silk organza.  The edges don't have to be finished since it's cut on the horizontal and doesn't fray.  I may still stitch these down discreetly here and there; I'll see how they lay.



There's still a lot to do on this dress, including adding a side zipper, attaching the skirt, making the sleeves (I'm doing the tulip short-sleeves -- never made those before), and hemming.



Oh, and shoulder pads.



In other news, I found a few nice patterns at the flea market this morning -- two for $5.  This Simplicity looks to be from 1939 or 1940.



This variation on a New Look-inspired cocktail dress is likely early Fifties.  Who doesn't love a sweetheart neckline?



This evening, Michael was kind enough to make dinner -- red snapper and fiddle heads!



And that's it!  You probably know I tend to get totally consumed by my sewing projects these days and this one's no different.  I would love to finish the dress tomorrow but I'm not sure I will manage it.  One thing about silk -- it demands your full attention.

Readers, please don't spend the entire weekend at your sewing machine: it will turn you into a zombie, take my word for it.

Have a great day, everybody!