5.11.2017

Simplicity 8013: Sanity Sewing!

oonaballoona | by marcy harriell | Simplicity 8013: Sanity Sewing!

YOWZA. I'm back from a shoot in Pittsburgh and playing catch up! I've been rabid to show you this dress since I finished it a month ago, so I'm going to give myself a pass on creating my usual, slightly incoherent paragraphs to go along with it.

oonaballoona | by marcy harriell | Simplicity 8013: Sanity Sewing!

Or maybe I have a couple of things to say.

oonaballoona | by marcy harriell | Simplicity 8013: Sanity Sewing!

I DO NOT DO WELL AWAY FROM ROB. That would be the first and main thing. Although I had a wonderful time with the people of Pittsburgh (the phrase "salt of the earth" is not only applicable but proven there), don't let my wackadoo grin fool you: when apart, we simply wilt like plants that need sunlight. 

oonaballoona | by marcy harriell | Simplicity 8013: Sanity Sewing!

Also, we make questionable choices. Anyone around here remember Rob's One Man DIY Bathroom Renovation of 2013?*  Well, a month ago, when I careened through this dress, it was Rob who was out of town, and me making bad choices. While none of them involved a sledgehammer, I got drunk on a heady mixture of power and loneliness, and rearranged the entire apartment into my sewing domain. 

oonaballoona | by marcy harriell | Simplicity 8013: Sanity Sewing!

The kitchen table was shoved out into the middle of the room, fully extended, covered in rulers and blades! Rob's desk was commandeered, all flat surfaces held a sewing machine! Small mountains of Ankara were piled on sofa and chairs! Lamps, railings, drawer pulls, ANYTHING HOOKABLE was repurposed as hanging racks for a dozen or more projects! Stitch centric podcasts blared! (with the occasional break for King of The Hill and Jill Scott.) It was a creative war zone, made to keep my sad brain occupied. But in the end, my war zone only reminded me that I was filling up all the space that Rob wasn't using, which just made me miss him more.


I've got three finished Ankara maxi dresses from that week to show you, and all of them are evidence of questionable choices made when apart. On this diddy, ooooo, take a gander at that back view! That's not just twinning, that's quadrupleting! The passerby might not mind it, but it makes my right eye do the boogie woogie--and not in a good way. 

oonaballoona | by marcy harriell | Simplicity 8013: Sanity Sewing!

Nevertheless, I obviously feel good in it! (And I did make the very good choice of packing up some dresses to shoot during my downtime in Pittsburgh, as evidenced by the ever present remote in my right hand.) I'm happy to be back home and together, and happy to give myself a pass on a happy dress sewn to ease a state of sad brain!

oonaballoona | by marcy harriell | Simplicity 8013: Sanity Sewing!

details:
Pattern: Simplicity 8013
Fabric: Anakara from AKN Fabrics --a VERY early birthday gift from my girl, Carolyn!!đź’•❤️
Changes: 
Reduced the width in each skirt panel, eliminating the gathers at the waistline. 
Used only the "flat" side of the bodice
Straightened the front bodice side seam by adding 1/2" width, tapering to nothing at armsyce
Shortened the sleeves, and added a 1/2" horsehair in the sleeve hem
Added a box pleat to the back skirt panels
Cut the CF panel in 2 to make the faux wrap appear less faux
Cut a deep V back 
Added twill tape to the V neck , front and back

*Rob: I LOVE THE BATHROOM.

46 comments:

  1. I think it looks fabulous, as do you wearing it! What more can you ask of a garment? ��

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    1. (...if the dress could do the dishes, tho. that'd be AMAZING.)

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  2. It looks amazing on you. And, I feel demos why that top was never going to work on me. I lurv the fabric. When I go out of town Jordan destroys one thing and totally cleans another.

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    1. at least he evens it out?

      you are more blessed than i in the bosom department. i feel the "valley" girls have an easier time rocking this than those with actual cleavage.

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  3. Yay for Pittsburgh! I have a tiny apartment here that regularly (between friends visiting or me deciding to go on a cleaning spree) is taken over by sewing explosions. Power to the sewing den!

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  4. I too, love the dress and material! My back view would be quints---but, even so, long, full dresses make me feel so good! Thanks for another beautiful project!

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    1. you're so welcome! i love that word-- quints. new to me!

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  5. Your blog is my #1 inspiration for sewing. Everything you make looks so fun to wear and this one is just lovely.

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    1. thank you so much! i tried for a bit to make the clothing i was "supposed" to... but it was short lived, and no fun for me. i like to make what makes me smile.

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  6. Fabulous as always Marcy! Know how you feel about being away from your other half--- mine is my rock.

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    1. :)) the four of us need to meet in all of our collective color some day!

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  7. You can really tell you feel good wearing this gorgeous dress! That smile!

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    1. i was a little shocked to see just how happy i looked in this! when i do the self timer shoots, i end up laughing uncontrollably at myself about 3 minutes into it.

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  8. I am so in love with your dress and your photos are amazing! Not sure if you've mentioned before, but what kind of camera do you have? I love my husband dearly, but he is no photographer. I think I need to move on to DIY my photos. Your photos are always so amazing.

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    1. thank you!

      to be honest, this camera is still very new to me-- i had a canon g12 (which i loved, and dropped). this panasonic lumix was my birthday prize last august. both cameras have a screen that swings out and rotates 180 degrees, which makes it so easy to shoot with a remote. i'd say the canon g series is a little more user friendly!

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  9. This is gorgeous!! I'm so excited you linked to the fabric site, too. I've been looking for a good source and they have a LOT of prints!

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    1. i would loooooove to see what you do with ankara! if you ever get to the brick and mortar, be prepared: it's overwhelming. and i don't get overwhelmed easily...floor to ceiling ankara in a room the size of a NY one bedroom (if that!).

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    2. Also check out vlisco.com (I'm not affiliated, just a big fan of them)

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  10. Very Nice fabric and work ... FIESTA :)

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  11. Oh man, I feel you--whenever my hubby is gone overnight I pretty much don't sleep. I stay up until crazy hours until I finally crash from exhaustion. My kids are probably the only thing that holds me together whenever he's gone. So I guess I'm not quite the independent woman I like to think I am. ;-)

    I do love that dress, quadrupleting aside. The shape and cut is amazing on you. :-)

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    1. i think a certain kind of codependency is the most lucky thing in the world to have :)

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  12. One of the most attractive and beautiful dresses you have made!!! gorgeous.
    I know what you mean--it's been almost 50 yrs here and I still miss him when we are apart. It's good to learn to be independent though....but it's better to be together.

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    1. 50 years! that's amazing! your last sentence puts it perfectly.

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  13. The Pics! The PICS!! Awesome!!

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  14. This is fabulous and the pictures are gorgeous. I love how the design is smaller at the top and huge at the hem. I was so busy admiring that aspect that I failed to see any quadrupleting!

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    1. thank you! i forgot to talk about the motif-- apparently they are brushes designated for a chief? i love how they grow bigger, too.

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    2. Thanks for the explanation of the motif. I was wondering why you had fake ponytails on your dress and knew there had to be another explanation. I love the dress but I wasn't getting the motif. And I don't want to know what the chief would do with those brushes!

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  15. Oh horse tails galore! You look great in this dress!

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  16. It's beyond awesome. The motifs get BIGGER at the bottom dammit, how cool is that! I am glad you are reunited. xo

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  17. WOW! Your dress is so beautiful it's astonishing - everything you could want in a dress - stylish, great gushes of stunning fabric but a good fitting bodice to top it off. So lovely!

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  18. That dress is amazing!!!! It looks so great on you, I am very envious ;-)!

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  19. I completely understand. My husband and I don't do well apart, either!
    On the other hand, I absolutely love that dress. Something good came out of it all!

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  20. Such a fun dress. I have had my eye on African wax prints for the longest time but my brain keeps going, "Should I?" "No, probably shouldn't." "But..."

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  21. Smashing as always! It never ceases to amaze how you can take a giant print and transform it into something so dramatic yet utterly feminine. Cindy (Creative Hormone Rush)

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  22. I love your style and you are a master of the machine. Kudos!

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  23. LOVE the dress and especially love the second to last photo!

    That being said, I think I love your story more. My guy works from home now and we are not in a big space. I get excited when he makes plans to go away for business...'I got da house; all to myself' But the truth is...I can handle a day and then the house feels lonely by nightfall.

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  24. Marci, your version of this dress looks far better than the illustrations on the pattern envelope!
    Great job.

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  25. I went to AKN earlier this week based on what you and Carolyn have made. They were so nice and I love the fabric I got! So afforable too.

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i thankya truly for taking the time to comment, i love a good conversation-- and hope you know my thanks are always implied, if not always written!