A Horse is a Horse, Of Course of Course...

Doing the link up thing today, for Five Favorites and Yarn Along.

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Juliana: 1, New York 1290: 1.  I'm pleased to present my latest make: New York 1290!  After the disaster of several weeks ago, I was determined to figure this pattern out, and I had some fabric sitting on my chair begging to made into a summer dress, so I got a little brave on my drafting day, and pulled out the beast.  I trimmed 1/2" off the upper curve of the neckline so that it would hit lower on my chest (the original neckline was almost jewel-height, not a great look for me), and also trimmed 3/8" off the center placket as the instructions indicated.  I decided to add in the darts after sewing up the side seams, and split the shoulder yoke section so that there is a seam at the shoulder instead of just one curved seam at the gathered part of the yoke in the hopes that making a shoulder break would help with the facing issues I had on the last version.  I also shortened the whole thing by 3", which was just enough.

It was not to be.  Things were going great until I got to the facings (again!)  I decided to install a lapped (metal!!) zipper on the front instead of sewing 13 buttonholes by hand (obviously) and that went well, as did all the other seams, but then I came to the facings, and ran into exactly the same problem as before!  I had drafted full facings this time, instead of trying to bind with bias strips, and it was just.not.working.  So I threw the dress into a corner and pouted for a few minutes before getting really brave and just hacking the neckline into a square (don't worry, I used a ruler and chalk), which I know how to face, as well as being my current favorite neckline style.

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And it worked!  After that, everything came together swimmingly.  Also, my new favorite thing is lace hem tape.  Where have you been all my life?  I bought a bundle of them from an etsy seller for some ridiculously low price and pulled out a lovely mint green package to use on the hem of this dress.  I was able to use a machine hem on the whole thing and it just went so fast and quick, plus it looks so nice on the inside. Oh, and I had these vintage coral buttons that were a perfect match to the flowers on the dress--win!

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You like my horse pin?  It's from Acorn and Will and was part of a lovely bundle of their brooches that my husband gave me for Mother's Day! The theme song from Mr. Ed keeps running through my brain (and probably yours too now!)  Birdie keeps pointing to it, exclaiming, "Horsie!" and then asking me why I have a horse on my dress. 

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Sweater progress: slow but steady.  I've done the arm hole decreases, and now the top part is going pretty quickly.  It seems strange to be knitting a woolie when it is 83 degrees out, but if I want to wear it when it is cold this fall and winter, I need to keep at it now.  Plus it is nice to have something in my hands when I'm in a waiting room or some such.

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Reading: I just finished the latest Outlander novella, released this spring to help us Outlander fans last to the next Big Book publication in June (I can't wait!!)  I was so sad when I finished it (I basically read it in one big gulp--a thing you can't do with the Big Books!)  But then, I expect nothing less from Herself.  Now I need to know what happens to Michael and Joan!!  I'm hoping that thread will be picked up in Written in My Own Heart's Blood.  (Also: the Starz series has a release date of August 9!!  Which means hopefully Netflix will get it shortly after the new year--happy Christmas to me!!)

Go see Hallie for more Favorites, and Ginny for more Yarn Along!