1/2 way there....

After a bit of trial and error, I got the skirt for my dress done. Only after re-doing the pleats, however. Turns out I'm a moron. I was essentially making darts instead of pleats. Fortunately, I had called my mom about something else and casually mentioned this extra marking. She suggested the unthinkable--reading the directions! Sure enough, I'm a moron. So after a bit of trial and error, I finally got it right.

I also got my crinoline/petticoat in the mail yesterday, so I tried it on with the skirt. The crinoline isn't quite what I expected. It's a bit more tu-tu like than I thought it would be. There are two layers of ruffles, but they're basically on top of each other. I think it might be more effective if the two layers were further apart, but, for $24, I can't complain much.

I present the skirt and crinoline. I've managed to delude myself into thinking I look good, so please, don't burst my bubble and tell me how ludicrous I really look.




I've also got the darts on the top done and the shoulder seams sewn. My goal is to finish my dress this week, and then two weeks to work on Leah's. Unless the collar goes horribly on this (which is a distinct possiblity; I generally have problems making collars look nice), I should be able to easily finish it this week. Knock on wood.

PS-->
To a couple of my friend out there (you know who you are): please note the children's toys in the background :)