Mad Men Dress Challenge III: Sew Together

OMG! 
Tomorrow! 
It's DUE TOMORROW!  
Mad Men Dress Challenge III is due on April 1st.

Little freak out there. Yes, I've been sewing all weekend. Between exercise and cooking, and a little sleep, all I did this weekend was sew. But I did get to enjoy the first episode of Jim Henson's Creature Shop (totally awesome & inspiring) while sewing, along with episodes of Doc Martin, Murdoch Mysteries, some Psych and found a cool Surfing play list - as in real surfing, yes.

Dedicating time daily to my Mad Men Dress, Lily, by Wednesday of last week I had sewn up 

• the bodice
• pocket flaps
• front pockets

Thursday I fit the bodice my form.  Then I took it off and marked each seam so the amount I took out would be even across points of the body - bust seams, side seams and back princess seams must be even because I'm even. Otherwise, the dress could twist or look lopsided. I'm having to take in quite a lot, particularly at the high bust and a little around the waist area. That's kind of nice. I'd much rather have a little room to ease out.
 
Because I want to get a feel for the finished look, I pinned several pieces to my dress form. Oh my! I love pinning the fabric to my dress form and seeing how a dress begins to take shape. 

At this point, as well as during the tissue fitting, I find myself standing back and staring at it, sort of drinking it in, rolling the ideas of it's completion around in my head and allowing visions of myself wearing it to formulate.  I will often begin to envision the dress in different fabrics during this and the tissue stages.  I hold this fabric up or that.  I sketch it.  It's really real. I'm actually going to make this thing! Yippie!

I lost momentum and interest on the dress by Friday. The colors started to look drab and dull the way a word looks weird when you've been looking at it too long. Like when you think you've spelled, "the" wrong. Know what I mean?

I got all excited again after followed the link from my printed pattern back to the Coletterie Blog for the Invisible Zipper Tutorial. I watched Sarai's video on how to sew an invisible zipper. I've inserted zippers before, even invisible ones, but not like this. Her video was so simple and I got it right the first time that I got my momentum back and stayed up late sewing into the wee small hours of the morning.

How to Sew an Invisible Zipper from Colette Patterns on Vimeo.

I have a few more things to finish... 

• Straps
  
• Taking in the high bust yet again (this time I have to rip out the flap and take it in too!)
  
• Adding a ribbon waistband
  
• Hem
  
• Skirt lining
  

Must finish tonight!