Summer Garden Smocking

Yes, I know it's becoming winter for some girls out there, but this past week in Boise, ID has been the perfect fall weather. It's been in the low to mid 60's and sunny! I'd love to have this lovely of weather all year round. I'm not an outdoorsy kind of gal, but I certainly have nothing to complain about, except not enough time to smock and sew. Oh well, I guess we can't have everything.
Since my last post I've been working on a smocked bodice from Gail Doane's book 'Sew Cute Couture'. The name of the dress is Summer Garden. I absolutely adore everything in that book! As you can see I'm not quite finished with the embroidery. Where the rose buds are going to be embroidered I am going to use bicone crystals. I think every girl needs a little bling in her life, don't you? The skirt will be a stripe from Hancock Fabric in pink, purple and lime green and I think I am going to use an eyelet underskirt. Haven't decided just yet. This dress is kind of a work in progress. As to the differences in colors, the top pic was with a flash and the bottom one was w/o a flash. The top pic I'd say is a little closer to reality of te colors in the striped fabric. I think I will send a pic of the finished dress to Gail when I have it finished. If I was the designer I'd want to see what others come up with. I love seeing what customers are making when they come into my store. Since I always share with my projects with others that can snowball into so much fun for everyone.

I had a lady in Thursday who had found a couple pairs of really cute printed tights and then decided to make some dresses to go with the tights. She said she wasn't much of a sewer or coordinator of fabric prints/colors. Well, I was in design heaven. I didn't want to make things too complicated for her, so I showed her a couple of options for trims on one of the dresses and Wonder Tape to make putting in the zipper on one of the dresses a piece of cake. Me, I hate putting in zippers, much rather do buttons and buttonholes. Since I'm partial to old fashioned dresses, then zippers don't really fit with that. When I can't get out of doing a zipper, I always use Wonder Tape.
Okay, back to my story. She went home with an 'I can't wait to get started' kind of attitude. I love to inspire people to do just that! I suppose my enthusiasm rubs off on them, everyone wins.
The other day I bought Disney's Beauty & The Beast; love that movie. The movie is for me! Since I've said in the past that I make princess clothes, I love Disney princess movies. My faves are Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and of course, Beauty & The Beast. I have a wistful sigh at the end of those movies. The girl gets her handsome prince. What more could a girl want, except more time to smock maybe. What's your favorite princess?
Happy smocking everyone!