craftsy + gertie = HEAVEN

oh hai.  how are you?  moi?  i've been tucked away in a cave of sewing bliss for the past three days making the  Best.  Dress.  EVER.  no, seriously, look, i'm not really one to be all look at what i made ohmygod it's soooo pretty right?! but lemme just say:

LOOK AT WHAT I MADE OHMYGOD IT'S SOOOO PRETTY RIGHT?!

a couple weeks ago, craftsy asked if i'd like to take gertie's bombshell dress course and do a wee review here on le blog.  smell ME.  this is the first review i've been asked for!  in my daydreams of what will i do if i'm ever asked to do a review i always included full disclosure.  so: they graciously linked me to the course for free, but you can be certain i am absolutely honest in my opines.  i think you know by now i don't pull many punches.  let me admit to you also, in my smallest and most embarrassed voice possible: i never would have taken the course otherwise.  as you may have noticed, i am quite certain that i already know everything there is to know about everything.  i don't need to shell out for instructions or new techniques or what have you.

silly oona.  i need anything gertie haz.

but i'm getting ahead of myself.  do you know about craftsy?  i didn't till now.  craftsy is a delicious site.  the layout, the colors, the peeps, the information...  i could eat it with a spoon.  and a mint julep.  probably a nice fresh burata cheese as well.  it's a bit more craft heavy (natch), but there are garment makers there with a very retro vibe.  a LOT of truly funky knitting going on as well.  that said, i wasn't expecting anything more than some pretty sewing videos with good information (after all, it's gertie).

silly oona.  the good people at craftsy are type As of the first order.  mere videos do not cut it in their universe.

you get chapters.  glossaries.  shopping lists.  supplies links.  classroom discussions.  course notes.  oh!  the course notes!  i want to kiss the course notes on the mouth!  as you're merrily rolling along, hit "take notes" and marvel as a sweet yellow lined pad pops up under the instantly paused video.  type in your note and save it.  the video immediately resumes, but wait!  days later, you're on chapter 15 and you want to remember something you jotted down waaaay back in chapter 2?  hit the little marker on your yellow notepad, et volia.  you are flown to that exact spot in the video.  SWEET.

also sweet, you're able to see everyone's questions to gertie on each step.  she answers them all (she may have cloned herself), and you can chime in with advice or ask your own question.  craftsy has an eye on it as well, and they're on problems like white on rice.  par example: you're using a burdastyle pattern here (which is included with the course fee), and as usual burdastyle puts no info on the pattern pieces other than a number and a straight grain.  this control freak likes to know what every piece is from the get-go.  i wrote my first classroom question, then found the link myself at burdastyle minutes later, and answered myself so that my classmates could have the info.  that evening craftsy responded, thanking me for pointing out the url and adding it to their supplies sheet.

let me say here that a jaded sort would think the quick response was partly due to the fact that i'm reviewing the course.  for shame.  being a type A myself, i can tell you anyone as organized as the peeps who made this bowlful of sewing sugar would surely scramble to fix something forgotten.  it's a mark on a spotless course, chrissakes. that won't do, reviewer or no.

and don't think for a minute (like i did) you'll be walked through making a straight up burdastyle pattern.  gertie does alchemy with this jammy, and lets you in on ALL the magic.  that baby is underlined, padded, boned and handstitched.  light years away from the burdastyle instructions.  

and that's why you need a muslin.  did i say i'd done a bona fide muslin before?  i lied.  this  is a bona fide muslin. i've never had a bodice fit so well.  speaking of bodice, my larger breasted friends, gertie's got you covered. there's like five chapters on modifying the bodice to suit you.  even though i did not go all hollywood in that department, i still used her adjustment to raise the ever-low-tide burdastyle bustline.  and here's where the small, managable bodice pieces made this an excellent pattern choice for this course; fitting the bodice is a lot of work.

va va voom, i haz breasts! 

but, it's a lot of highly enjoyable work.  you could even call it play.  when this course first came out, it was proffered as a "staycation" in the sewing blogosphere.  i scoffed.  how are muslins and couture techniques a vacation?  joke's on me.  that's EXACTLY what it is.  i had the best time making this dress along with gertie.  who, by the way, wears a new and fabulous handmade outfit in each video.  she was dee-lightful to watch and learn from.  a piece of sweet retro candy wrapped in couture vintage palettes.  i might have a girl crush on her.

i'm so not even holding the sides down here, it fits perfectly, this dress just makes you want to strike a pose.

like so. 

i'm quite aware that i'm gushing, and probably pushing you away in doing so.  i can't help it.  you go must go get this course.  yes, it's money, and who has it, but holy shit, the sheer amount you'll learn will stay with you in every garment you make.  and if you follow gertie's videos, you WILL have a perfect dress.  

all right.  rant over.  do you want your own?  the fab peeps at craftsy know the peeps over here in kalkatoona rock, so just use this special oonafied link to get your own bombshell course for half off (a penny under 30 bucks!) and show me what you made if you do!!!