Just Joey

The weather cooled off considerably today, which suited Smithers and me down to the ground. It was just a very pleasant, sunny day, with quite a breeze. Ideal drying weather in fact, which is just as well because I did three loads of washing today. (Not ideal photography weather though, because this Just Joey rose was waving about wildly while I was trying to photograph it.)

Apart from all the usual jobs today, I also found time to do a bit more dressmaking. I hit a snag yesterday because the lined bodice for the dress looked awful – it sagged a bit at the neckline. It was my mistake, because I thought the neck was too high, so I had tried to lower it a little to accommodate a necklace. 

So today I re-printed the bodice pattern without altering it this time, and cut a trial one out of an old sheet. (That’s called a toile, Smithers will tell you, because he hears about them all the time from me!)  I also decided to incorporate a zip instead of having a keyhole shape at the back with a covered button. (I find it much easier these days to get in and out of clothes if they have a long zip.) 

All this fiddling about making changes to the pattern is very time-consuming but, at the same time, very satisfying. Fortunately I have sufficient fabric over to make a second bodice so all is not lost. I may even end up with a wearable dress by the end of it, you never know!