Lucky Bird

It seems like everyone has gone mad about dresses this summer. So have I. Or well, actually I've been mad about skirts and dresses for quite some time already. You hardly ever see me in a pair of trousers anymore. And I've tried to master the skill of sewing every once in a while - to make dresses I like - but with hardly any success. 

The first one I made is this one. Haven't used it that much anymore. After my proudness of actually finishing something using a sewing machine had worn off, I started to see all the stupid mistakes I had made and that kind of ruined the dress for me. 

The second dress I made hasn't even made it to my blog yet. It needs some serious fixing... And the third one. Well, it was perfect. It was a beautiful 50's style dress with a wide skirt and a perfect fit for my body. Man, I was just so, so proud of it. I wore it on my graduation party a year ago in May and a couple of more times during that summer. But unfortunately I didn't take a picture of it while wearing it. And that's a real pity, because then I tossed it into the washing machine, and the damn thing shrunk. It shrunk so much that I just can't fit into it anymore. And I was just so guttered for so long, that I really didn't feel like sewing anything. The dress is still waiting for a miracle: me to either loose weight or to find the inspiration to make some pretty damn big changes to it. But here's a picture of it anyway. Perhaps you can at least sence the beauty it once posessed.

So, all of you out there who want to start sewing something: always, ALWAYS, wash and shrink the fabric BEFORE cutting and sewing it!! I've learned my lesson. I hope you won't have to learn it the hard way.

But this summer I took the bull by the horns and started sewing again. Mostly because I figured I really should practise a little bit more before teaching sewing in high school. And this is my first take on a dress in tricot.

The fabric is from lovely PaaPii and is called Onnenlintu. The design is my own, but since the pictures were taken, I've actually redone the sleeves (I really wasn't ready for puff sleeves just yet) and added some pockets.

I absolutely love this fabric. It's so retro and earthly. And it feels so lovely on your skin!

These pictures were taken in Hanko when I gave away these socks, but a few days earlier we also visited a winery near my parents' house. They had huge wine barrels on the yard and a cute, little friend right next to them. Really loved their ciders and white wines, too. You should definately pay them a visit if you happen to drive by!

p.s. Thanks dad for the photos!