Conchita's New Dress (Dress Form Fun)

As I mentioned in a recent blog posting, I've been working on altering my tried-and-true B5526 from a shirt to a short-sleeved, somewhat fitted, summer blouse. My dress form, Conchita, has been of immeasurable help to me in this endeavor as I 
a) Dropped the shoulder seam slightly forward
b) Decreased the torso girth
c) Added a waist to apex-of-bust dart.

Don't you think Conchita deserves this new lace frock to celebrate all the help she gives me? It's actually a piece of lace salvaged from a long-ago frock I had taken apart and then tucked into my fabric inventory. 

I simply draped the lace over Conchita's foamy body, but I think it suits her style.

Having fun with my dress form buddy is the kind of thing that keeps me...

Enchanted by Sewing!

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

Planning for Rosa: My Summer Dream Blouse (Liberty of London Tana Lawn)

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/07/fabric-for-rosa-summer-dreams-blouse.html

My Experiences Creating Two Different Dress Forms (Audio Podcast with show notes links to various blog postings)

http://www.enchantedbysewingpodcast.blogspot.com/2013/09/ench-by-sew-12-dress-forms.html

Notions: I Don't Give a Pin!

Pincushion Gal Helps Keep Me
Enchanted By Sewing

But Darling, we can't have your mother to stay. We're going to the country this weekend.

Oh fiddledeedee, I don't give a pin about going to the country!

You don't hear people complaining that they .... don't give a pin! for something anymore. Usually a more vehement expression is used to express disinterest in a companion's speech or interests. I suppose it's because pins aren't worth much anymore, though you can still find references to people paying for things using pins in the delicious Betsy and Tacy books. And how many people do you know who refer to their pin money these days?

I love my new friend, Pincushion Gal. Mostly she's content hanging out behind my sewing machine, but she has been known to go visiting as far as the ironing board. At first I kept knocking her over, because her heavier torso was supported by a rather frail little base. After a confab with my husband we came up with a solution to that little challenge. I stitched up a little sack of dried beans, using the end of a piece of flannel from the night shirt I'd just made him (another good reason to hold onto scraps!), filled the little case with dried beans, then attached the resulting bean bag around the base of the form with - you guessed it- pins! My gal doesn't get knocked off her feet anymore, despite all the work she does for me.

As you can see, it's quite tempting to add more than pins to the newest member of Sewing Corner. So handy to tack down bits of silk organza scrap (good spots to stick my threaded needles), spare bits of trim, beading, and the pretty little brooch I picked up from the flea market. And of course a lady like this needs a fan for flirting with her many admirers.

Hanging out with the new girl at my machine, keeps me, as always, absolutely enchanted by sewing.