My new favorite dress

Here is my new favorite dress, made with the African wax print that I picked up in NY. I only bought one yard of the print and knew I wanted to use a solid with it to really show it off. I found a Robert Kaufman Linen Cotton denim at a local shop and it is such lovely fabric. I'm really happy with how this dress came together.
 

I used Simplicity 1651, a Project Runway pattern. I did a muslin for the bodice, though I still took it up quite a bit at the shoulders. That caused me to have to trim the armholes down some and I think I went a little too far. I always have a hard time picturing where they will end up after the seam allowance is taken away. I fully lined the bodice with bemberg rayon, and that was a little more tricky than the way the pattern has you do it. It took some thinking and a little hand sewing to finish it up. I used this technique for lining a sleeveless dress, a new and awesome one for me!

I love how the details in the bodice, with the twist and peekaboo portion. I think the linen really frames the African print and makes it pop. The simplicity of this pattern allows the print to not be too overwhelming. I wore this with a black cropped cardigan but have since found a perfect rusty red knit fabric and intend to try to copy that caridgan. I love the dress with this thrifted belt and my new Miz Mooz shoes that I got in New York. I felt so put together in this ensemble and I rarely feel that way.

I wore this to a sewing expo that mom and I went to when she was in town. The best compliment was from a girl running the local quilt shop booth. She asked if I made it and I said yes, but then she told me it didn't look like I made it. I love it when a sewing project comes together so well!

Fabric Shopping in New York

I'm sorry for leaving you with a picture of my face for so long! I know I'm tired of looking at it. I have been a bad blogger and Have not shared our vacation with you. Now I must share at least a little in advance of showing you my newest finished sewing project.

Our vacation had two parts. The first half was visiting friends in Washington, DC and the second half was a whirlwind three days in New York.

One of my main goals in New York was to fabric shop in the garment district. We knocked that out the first day after a picnic in Central Park, which was one of the highlights of the trip for me. I love a good picnic! Frank was with me at Mood, which I found completely overwhelming. I didn't go in with a plan or a shopping list but rather just looking for fabric that caught my eye. That was a mistake. I want to go back and spend days in the garment district, with a bigger budget and my mom in tow. Frank was patient but it was still a bust. The first stop I made was at B&J fabrics and it was actually my favorite. I made the mistake there of only buying one piece of fabric, thinking that I would find so much more at all the other stores. Wrong. Oh well, next time I know what to expect.

We also ventured to Purl Soho and though I didn't find anything there to take home I loved the neighborhood and all of it's cute shops.

One of my favorite spots was actually a warehouse type store on Broadway.  I don't remember the name, but the prices were right and I guess the better fabrics stood out much more easily.
 

Here are two of the three pieces of fabric that I came home with. A gorgeous African Wax Print on the left from B&J and silk from Pins and Needles in the Upper East Side.

I recently finished a dress with the African Wax print and will share that soon.

Our trip was really more about visiting friends, walking the city and eating, eating, eating.  I will probably show you more very belated vacation pictures soon.  It was so much fun!