back to regular scheduled programming

I have really been enjoying the handful of blogs I read this week! Everyone seems to be back to their regular lives, after all the Christmas hubbub and sewing for themselves again. Including me!

I bought the Lady Skater dress pattern with my birthday money and finally got a chance to try it out. I had a sweater-ish knit in my stash. I had plans for a drapey cardigan or something, but finding out about our move to Hawaii had me rethinking sewing anything long sleeved or warm. So I used it for this dress instead. I'm liking it!

 Try to focus on the dress and not my hair, ha! It is super windy ... and I'm trying to grow my bangs out. Recipe for a bad hair day. But the dress! I lined it with a lightweight super-soft grey rayon knit I scored on clearance at JoAnn's because the light blue parts of this fabric are almost sheer. It feels SO soft and comfortable.

 I am pleased to have overcome a huge fitting hurtle by learning to do a swayback adjustment. I noticed that clothes on me tend to always have extra fabric in the center back. Things with a waistline seam always tend to pull back on my shoulders, raising the hem in the front, making me look almost maternity. And things with no waistline seam always floated so far away from my back arch, which looked so frumpy from the side. Then I stumbled on this post and my sewing world was rocked! I've done a swayback adjustment on the last three things I've made and they all fit great!! You can see in these pics, I'm having no extra fabric issues in the back and my waistline seam and hem are hanging straight. Yay!

I can't wait to make this up in a couple other fabrics, it's such an easy everyday dress to wear. I'll for sure be making some sleeveless versions too.

On to the Spring patterns! Both McCall's and Vogue put their early Spring lines up. I hit the 5 for $7 sale at JoAnn's yesterday and got all the McCall's I wanted, which was a lot this time! Here are my picks:

6886: A simple knit dress pattern. If I can get the fit right, I think this could be a useful basic for me.

Next, 6887:

6891: I have the perfect plaid fabric in my stash already, I like the sleeveless view:

6865: 

I like what they did with this pattern on this drawing:

6890: I bought a rayon yesterday on clearance that I'm excited to make this into. I think I'll try view C with the lace inset first because I have the perfect not-too-granny lace to match my new rayon :) Lace can be a tricky thing to pull off! 

Next up, 6905: It's been forever since I've bought a purse pattern! I like this view, but not the quilty cotton look. I do like the stripes, though. I'm thinking a striped canvas with more sophisticated straps, maybe even leather!

Lastly, the irresistible 6904: Doll sports clothes! Check out the shin guards!!

Whew! That was a lot, I think I'll save my couple of Vogue picks for another day. Did you hit the JoAnn's sale this week? What did you get?