I swear, soon I'll use another pattern: Tiramisu #4, #5, and a #sewingdare!

At this point, I don’t have much more to say about this pattern - You’ve heard it all! 

Instead, I’d like to declare my first #SewingDare finished!  My very first dare was to Pretty Greivances, who just posted the funniest post about finished her three versions of a TNT pattern. In return, she dares me to mix prints in a single garment. Et voila! Polka dots and paint splatter in a single united dress! 

I do feel like this is cheating a bit… I mean, only two prints? I really wanted to combine three. Besides which, the honest truth is that the combo of prints here drives me batty - I just don’t like it! I think the polka dots have just a slightly creamy undertone that clashes with the harsh white of the “paint”. It’s not terrible, but it doesn’t make my heart sing!  

As for the rest of the dress… well, I chose this fabric as an experiment to try polyester knits, and it was very informative! I learned that the ITY knit was quite easy to sew, and doesn’t need hemming etc… They are also less clingy than I feared! On the other hand, I also learned that I don’t like wearing pure poly. It feels cold and clamy in winter, and I imagine it would be worse in summer. The dress doesn’t feel *bad* when I wear it… but it has none of the cosiness of a cotton or rayon knit. The proof is in the pudding: I haven’t worn this dress once since I finished it!

Since I wasn’t loving the contrast waist, I started thinking of ways to hide it! I came up with this 2m long tie, which I tried as a pussy bow and as a belt.  I know it’s hard to see with this busy fabric, so I highlighted the tie in green. In another fabric, I think this idea could work! 

Honest truth: I haven’t hemmed the sleeves or skirt, and I’m not even sure I will. I just don’t love it. However, I have a secret love for themed teacher-clothes, so I’ll just *have* to plan some splatter painting or marble painting sometime soon so that I can wear this dress at least once!

Tira #5, though? I love it! 

It’s the same poly knit that I don’t like in #4… but somehow the short sleeves and looser fit make this one feel much more breathable!

As a challenge, I thought I’d time how long it took me to make this one. 

• Cutting: 15min


• Stabilizing and sewing bodice: 25 min


• Sewing and Attaching skirt: 15 min


• Sewing side seams: 10 min


• Hemming: 20min (which I usually skip, but Steph #sewingdared us!)

From start to finish, it took 1h28m! I”m kinda in shock - I really thought it took me 3-4 hours. The big difference this time was that I’d used similar fabric before, and I knew exactly how it would fit without ever trying it on. I serged the whole thing, and there was no stripe to match. With a new kind of fabric or a new pattern I’d never be this quick. That’s why I love repeating patterns over and over - for me, it’s all the fun of sewing with none of the uncertainty! 

(Sneak peek in my classroom! After hours though - I swear no children were harmed or ignored in the taking of this pic!) 

One last note: How annoying is it trying to take outfit pictures in winter? All the pics my husband took in the early morning came out dark and blurry… then I’m at school until the sun is setting! What’s a girl to do? 

Seriously - How do you handle this problem, those of you who live in the dark cold northern hemisphere?