A sewing blog about building a functional, cohesive handmade wardrobe, one garment at a time.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

A bit of sparkle in the gloom

I had originally planned to sew myself a dress to wear to my brother's wedding.   I even bought the Appleton dress pattern and some fabric to sew it up. As time drew near, however, I made the uncharacteristic decision to save myself stress and not try to do all the things, and went shopping instead.  


I got really lucky and found a beautifully fitting princess seamed lace fit-and-flare dress at, of all places, Dress Barn. I find the name of the store really off-putting, but I had received a coupon in the mail and there's one near my house, so off I went.  Dress sorted, the only thing remaining was to decide what to wear over it. I had a number of appropriate shawls, but one day I found myself with a couple free hours, so I sewed up my fifth Lisbon cardigan (affiliate link) in a metallic knit from the stash.


I sewed the cropped variation with a few mods. For this one, I went down to a 10 shoulder and graded to a 12 bust. I sewed a thinner bottom band and left off the buttons. When it was done, I found that the sparkle wasn't reading as much as I thought it would be, so I spent a few evenings embroidering beads on it.


It was a very satisfying project.  I was so busy during the wedding that I didn't have time to do any proper blog modeling, but here are the two photos I could find.


I know I've already posted about how much fun the wedding was, but it's good for morale to keep reminding myself of it.  Because two days later, my husband had open-heart surgery for a problem that we thought wouldn't need addressing until his 50s. Then not two weeks later, we found ourselves back in the ER and were admitted for another surgery to fix complications arising from the first.  We spent a lot of time in the hospital in November, and the few weeks since at multiple doctors' appointments each week.  He is at home recovering now, but I have to say I wouldn't be sorry to never enter a hospital again.


That was the last thing I sewed for about six weeks.  I'm finally back at the machine again and have finished a few things for me that I'm looking forward to sharing.  We just need some sunshine so I can take photos. Our winter has been warm thus far (and I'm not complaining), but a little dreary too.  Is it spring yet?
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12 comments:

  1. The cardigan is so pretty - all that beading was really worth the effort. And you look very pretty in that dress - what a find! I'm so sorry to hear about all your troubles; best wishes for a happy, healthy and hospital-free 2017 :)

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    1. Thanks Marisa, I'm also hoping for hospital-free in 2017!

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  2. I am so sorry, Masha! You guys have been through the ringer and yet you are so strong. The cardigan is beautiful and the beading impeccable. I hope 2017 is filled with much peace and joy for you guys- and no hospitals!

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  3. Oh my goodness, Masha!!! Sending good vibes and prayers to you and your family, and wishes for a speedy recovery. You poor thing! You look gorgeous in your sweater, though. Love the beading - so classic and pretty! The cropped length is perfect with that dress and the fit is spot-on. DANG, lady, hugs!!!

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  4. The beads sure 'kick it up a notch' as the saying goes. Clever! You and your outfit look lovely.
    My husband went through similar issues after his open heart surgery with multiple trips back to the hospital to fix things, so I know what you and your husband are going through.

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  5. Your amazing girl!
    A whole lot of love winging its way to you.

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  6. You look absolutely stunning! I love the cardigan and the beading. You did such a great job.
    What a difficult November has it been for you! I am really glad your husband is at home recovering now. I also hope you never have to see the inside of the hospital again. Sending warm wishes and hugs to you and your family!

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  7. Love the beading work, I never think of embellishing items I make but result is lovely, you looked amazing! Sorry to hear it's been so rough for you, it sounds like you've really been through it lately, I really hope 2017 is much better, onwards and upwards.

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  8. Very pretty little jacket, and I'm sorry to hear of your husbands health difficulties but happy that they were resolved successfully.

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  9. What a lovely sweater. The beading is just perfect and really inspires me to do some beading too! I am so very sorry to hear that you two have been at the hospital so much and that your husband had open heart surgery. No one ever enjoys spending time at the hospital and especially this time of year. Sending prayers your way!

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  10. I'm just reading this post now and just want to send you a hug! Wishing you all health in the new year!

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Hi! I am so happy you came by. Thanks for your comment!