Sew Sweet Adventure 1:A Berry Sweet Project

I’m the type of person who sees a piece of fabric and will instantly know I need to sew something with it. It won’t matter what I was doing when I found it, but all my plans will change to accommodate my sudden desire to sew.

Strawberry print fabric used for the dress, along with the red cotton fabric used for the lining.

In early June I was sifting through boxes of old sewing patterns when I came across a massive pile of cotton fabric with an adorable strawberry print, and I knew I needed to make a dress with it. According to my mother, the fabric came from grandmothers old sewing stash, likely from the 1970s.

Next I scoured through my family’s pattern collection, and found a pattern I thought would be perfect for the project I had in mind. The McCall’s M7500 pattern is one I bought on a whim several years ago. The dresses featured in the pattern are whimsical, and they remind me of ones you would wear while picking flowers or going out on a picnic, with full skirts and gather details.

The bodice offers two variations; one featuring gathered details, the other incorporating lace accents. I chose version A of this pattern, which incorporated gathered details and had no sleeves, since the pattern of the fabric reminded me of summer.

Ironically, both the dress pattern and the fabric pattern reminds me of cottagecore, an aesthetic that has recently risen to popularity on tiktok. Urban dictionary defines cottagecore as: “A niche aesthetic based around the visual culture of an idealized life on a Western farm…” Having grown up on a farm, I can say that the tiktoks I have seen definitely idealize farm life, incorporate clothes I would never choose to wear while chasing cows, and in general are not realistic. Regardless, I felt like the pattern and fabric were a perfect combination.

The pattern itself was not challenging to follow, however the outer layer of the bodice that featured the gathering looked too puffy and overwhelming on me. As a result I had to deconstruct the majority of the bodice to take in the outer shell of the bodice(the lining fit perfectly).

Darts in back of dress.

Another alteration I made was sewing two darts into the back of the dress along the neckline to get rid of some gaping.

I did this to fix the fit of the dress, but did not think it was a tactic normally used in sewing.

Later, after I sewed this addition into the dress, I noticed several dresses I already owned that had a similar detail. This made me feel validated in my decision to add the darts.

Under stitching at top of bodice.

Another change I made was the under stitching of the dress. After I reconstructed the bodice to fit my torso, I was no longer able to machine under-stitch the neckline as directed in the pattern. To rectify this, I hand stitched the under-stitching detail.

My mother suggested a decorative stitch for this purpose, which I incorporated. I love this detail about the dress now.

The under stitching is a combination of back stitches and singular daisy stitches. To me, it looks like a vine with little leaves along the top edge of the bodice.

The final step of the dress was hemming the skirt. I found a red lace seam tape, which I machine stitched to the edge of the skirt before hand-stitching the hem in place.

And with that, the dress was finally done!

Me, super excited about finishing the dress and getting to wear it.

Although I started the project in June, I did not get to put the finishing touches on the sewing project until August. July proved to be a hectic month, so I was ecstatic when it finally came all together.

There were definitely a few moments where I had to do some deep breathing during this project, mainly while seam ripping bodice and pinning it onto my body multiple times, but I am so happy with the results.

I already have several projects in mind for what I want to do next. It’s just a matter of deciding if it makes sense to sew another fruit themed dress or move onto some fall appropriate apparel.

A Pandemic Plot-twist

With coronavirus, it seems like everyone’s plans have gone up in the air. From job opportunities to weddings, major life events are getting rescheduled or shuffled around. Just like everyone else, I had a very different plan in mind for the year 2020 until the pandemic resulted in a country-wide shut down.

I was ready to run away from 2019, seek new opportunities and accomplish more. I felt like I had been stuck in a rut with limited opportunities. Unsurprisingly I feel different now. Looking back on 2019, I realize I accomplished a lot, and that it was a great year. But it took the plot-twist of 2020 to make me realize and feel grateful for everything I had done the year before.

A rainbow over a farm in Maryland. Brighter days are ahead.

When the shutdown first started, I was afraid, assuming the worst-case scenario with every situation. For over six weeks at the beginning of the shutdown, I never left the house. I was anxious for everyone in my family who had to leave the house to work. I felt a lack of control not only of the situation (which was uncontrollable), but also for myself. It was only after accepting that not everything can be planned or calculated, and that the risks are not as intimidating as they seem that I felt like I could begin readjusting to leaving my home.

One of the good things that came from the pandemic was that I moved back in with my family and ended my lease for the space I had been renting. Not only have I saved money, but I’ve been surrounded by my family who has offered me support throughout these past months. Being surrounded by people who care for me and who I love has made this time easier to manage.  

Over the past few months, the situation in Maryland has fortunately continued to improve, and I have adjusted to the changes that have impacted the country. Time feels as if it has both moved quickly and stood still with days and weeks blurring together.

At the beginning of the year, I picked a lock screen for my phone I liked. It says: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us,” from J. R. R. Tolkien. 2020 is not yet over, and there is no doubt in my mind that it will continue to evolve. I hope to make the most of it, and whatever challenges that may come my way. And, maybe, begin trying to plan again.