The second triple

As a follow up to my "One Pattern, Many Looks" post the other night, here's my other favorite dress to play with - BWOF 2/08 #113. I've also made this one three times, the final striped version just this weekend.

It wasn't like I needed another dress; I've been on a bit of a dress roll lately. But I felt like sewing something, and I wanted an easy project.

Because things don't always work when you want easy, this project presented a few problems, but nothing that couldn't be worked out. I cut the pattern pieces as a single layer so that the stripes matched on the top and bottom. I measured and marked my invisible zipper placement, and of course when I sewed it in, the bodice seam was 1/4" higher on one side than the other.

I thought about taking the zipper out and starting over, and then I looked at my leftover fabric and started cutting bias strips. I pressed it and then sewed it over the seam, and somehow - don't ask me, I think the gremlins were working this weekend - the bias tape ended up being 1/4" higher on the opposite side.

Profanity was heard in the sewing room. And outside the sewing room. And probably out in the yard.

Had a moment of thinking about it, and then I took some of the leftover bias tape and made a bow, and hand-sewed it over the crooked portion of the tape. It covers both sides of the zipper without making it hard to zip, so I'm calling that one a design element.

I still had some bias tape left over, so I stitched it down right above the hem to add a little interest.

Here are the other two versions of this same pattern - a stretch woven cafe print from last summer, and a cherry-printed cotton (non-stretch) from later in last summer. You can't see the bodice structure in the other two versions, but the cherry drses has all the seams outlined in piping, which not only feels vintagey to me, but shows off the detailing of the design in a way that I like.

The cafe print is basically the same version as my current stripe (although the new fabric is a little lighter weight and stretchier, and so the front neckline is a little unstable and wants to turn down). I may make lemonade out of that one as well, and actually turn down the part that wants to turn down, stitch it down and enjoy the visible contrasting stripes.

On the non-sewing front, we've gone from near-drought conditions to near-monsoon in a matter of days, and my house is taking on water like the freaking Titanic.

It thundered and rained last night, but other than the leak in the front porch roof that I've been avoiding dealing with, nothing major happened. This morning, the wind changed and when I came downstairs, it was raining in my dining room. Horizontally, spraying out across the room from the bay window frame. WTF? It was also raining in between the interior and storm windows, which brought on a fishtank effect and caused the water to run out - over the windowsill and down the wall.

After much swearing, some panic and every available bath towel and several old blankets, I had to go to work. My housemate checked later, after the rain stopped, washed and dried all the towels and reinstalled them for the rain expected tonight and tomorrow. She then called me at work, told me what she did and mentioned that oh, by the way, the attic was dripping as well, and is now spread with a fashionable blue tarp and several plastic fabric tubs to catch the water.

So, tomorrow. I have a hot date with my roofer at 8:00 a.m. Does it get any better?

And does anyone wonder why I've been stress sewing?