Cmon baby, finish whatcha started

Don't you hate finding halfway completed projects? Like a pattern that's been cut out but that's it, or a dress that's mostly done but why didn't it get finished? Well, no more - for me, anyway. I've promised myself to finish one project before starting another.

So here is the newly completed Vogue 9959, a now-discontinued pattern for LONG skirts. At the time I was thinking that long was the way to go, after all, I'm 5'8" so I can carry it off, right? And the drawings look so very fashion-forward. Only now that I've seen myself in it I'm thinking it's a bit too long. Which is very easy to fix. Besides, how will people see my knee-high, black, lace up Mudd boots with such a long skirt? The fabric is that wonderful skull bandanna fabric in black. I have to resist the urge to buy more of it whenever I see it.

Adventures in the A-Line Zone

I recently completed a dress using my first vintage pattern - Butterick 5681, an A-line dress from the late 60s or early 70s. It's not an exaggerated A-line, that's for sure, it nips in nicely at the waist and the darts are flattering too. It does need a belt though for optimum effect. It went together easily, except for the fact that my serger came unthreaded, which is always a major sewing heartache, though one that really can't be blamed on the pattern. The other snafu concerns the zipper. It's been a while since I've installed one, and forgot that there's a real good reason the directions specify that you sew in one direction only. Yeah - a bit wobbly on the top. But that's fixable.

The fabric is a Tracy Porter design I spotted on clearance at Jo-Anne's. I'm not sure why it called to me, but it did. It was one of fabrics that you see and instantly adore, even though it's nothing like what you usually gravitate toward. (What? I'm the only person who does that? Never mind then.)

I prefer more of a scoop neckline, so I'm not sure if I will use this pattern again. I would give it three out of four thimbles.