I am almost done with this sundress, just need to insert the side zipper and hem it. The pattern is Burda 8071. Should I add the flounce around the bottom hem, or just hem it? (And yes, I do plan to get different shoes)

After suffering two blows to my confidence in sewing for myself (the ill-fitting/ill-fated hand-dyed top and the matronly top), I finally had a long-harbored secret wish come true yesterday: a stranger in the elevator complimented something I was wearing, and I was able to say, “Thanks! I made it myself!”

Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures, but it was very simple skirt I made last summer out of some random fabric my husband had leftover from a food photoshoot. But it was very nice to get the compliment given that 1) the stranger who made it was a very smartly dressed woman and 2) I don’t think a stranger has ever complimented any of my store-bought clothes like that.

I also need some advice. In two weeks, we will be going to a big wedding in Washington, D.C. The groom is a fairly big-shot celebrity chef. The festivities include a barbecue lunch and poolside dinner at a nice hotel. The invitation says “summer casual,” but I have a feeling that what I would wear for a “summer casual” event here in New Hampshire would not quite fit the bill. Before we got the details, I had plans to make Simplicity 2724 (the version on the lower right, out of a very pretty faux silk charmeuse), and even made a muslin out of a sheet, but now I think that’s too dressy.

 But I’m at a loss. I do have a few yards of Anna Maria Horner’s Little Folks Voile in Garden Berry

and a Burda pattern for a sundress (I can’t find it online, but it has shoulder ties, a gathered bust and slightly A-line, short skirt). I think that MIGHT work for the BBQ, but I’m not sure. Anyone have other suggestions? (head to the mall?)

I’m really glad I decided to participate in the “present a week ’til Christmas” challenge at Work in Progress . For those who are checking out my projects there, I have two new gifts posted. Here’s a sneak peek at the latest:

If you missed my earlier post and want the address to the “hidden” blog where I’m posting the gifts so my friends and family won’t see them, leave me a comment and I’ll send you the link.

A friend and fellow-crafter and I have decided to join the “present a week ’til Christmas” challenge at Work in Progress in hopes of avoiding piles of unfinished (or more likely, not even started) projects in November. Hopefully the incentive _ a chance to win some great fabric _ will help motivate us. (I just found out I won the first week! Yay!)

I hesitated though because I don’t want the intended recipients of my gifts to see them before Christmas. So on the off chance that they read this blog, I decided to start a new one as a place to post my gifts somewhat anonymously. But I still want to share my projects with readers of this blog, so if you would like the address of the new one, please leave a comment below (make sure I have a way to contact you) or send me an e-mail at hollyrh @ gmail dot com and I will send you the address.

Here’s a little glimpse of my first project.

Not that my husband DESERVES any visitors to his own blog after insulting my latest sewing project, but if any of my readers would like to win a $25 Whole Foods gift certificate, he is running a contest. There’s only 1 lonely entry right now, so your odds are pretty good. Just leave him a comment  here  suggesting a recipe or idea using the candied cardamom pear slices he recently made. (they were quite delicious just on their own). The deadline is Friday, noon Eastern Time.

OK, I need some honest opinions here. Don’t be shy. I’ve already had my own husband hurt my feelings, so a few harsh words from strangers shouldn’t faze me. (Just an aside, it drives me crazy when I see people write “phase” when they mean “faze.”)

This is Simplicity 2599, View E (minus the bow at the neck) made with Swiss Dot fabric from Jo-Ann’s. As I was making it, I said to my husband, “I hope this doesn’t look like a clown shirt,” meaning, I was worried about the ruffle around the neck. He looked at the fabric (without even noticing the ruffle) and said, “Well, it is pretty bright.”

Fast forward to the finished top: I’m thinking it’s pretty cute, summery, cheerful. I show it off to my husband who says, with a rather pained expression on his face, “I appreciate all the work you put into it.” Of course, I can’t stop there and continue to push him for his opinion, even though he eventually snaps at me “Why are you asking me this?” Finally, he says it is “matronly.”

Is it matronly? I mean, I am 37 years old and not trying to dress like a teenager. Maybe I should’ve made a smaller size? I made a 6, and while it could be a little smaller, the fabric isn’t at all stretchy so I wouldn’t want to go too tight. Though I can take it off without undoing the button at the back of the neck, so maybe I could go down a size.

I think maybe I like it better tucked in. I wore it to work yesterday (tucked in, with a dark pink 3/4-sleeve cardigan over it)  thinking maybe one of my co-workers would comment on it without being asked to, but I ended up being the only one in the office except a technician fixing my computer. Unsurprisingly  he didn’t comment on it.

So, what do you think?

On Saturday night, we  watched “The Cat from Outer Space,” a 1978 Disney movie my husband remembers fondly  (I had only a vague memory of it). He’s been wanting to share it with our son, since Parker is the same age we were when the movie came out. It hadn’t been available through Amazon’s on-demand movie rentals the first few times we checked, but finally it showed up this weekend.

Parker, being a big fan of felines, loved it. By the time it was over, he already had decided we would “play” the movie, with each of us taking on different roles. He is now “Jake” (the cat), my husband is “Frank” (the scientiest who helps him) and I’m “the lady.” (None of us could remember her name. Google just reminded me that it was “Liz,” played by Sandy Duncan, who ends up dangling from a helicopter toward the end of the movie.) The next day, we went to the craft store and Home Depot and put together what ended up being a remarkably realistic kid-sized version of the cat’s collar.

We bought some 1/2-inch clear vinyl tubing at Home Depot and clear pony beads at Michael’s. (actually, I had to get a big tub of multi-colored beads and we picked out the clear beads. Anyone have suggestions for the pound of leftover beads?) We inserted a wooden skewer about halfway into the tube and then pushed the beads down into the tube. (The skewer makes it easy to slide the beads into the tube.) Then we repeated from the other end. We glued the brass connector (also from Home Depot) (the package says “barb splicer”) into one end of the tube, and put some glue in the other end to hold the beads in place. Voila!

(now if only it lit up like the movie version)

(Confetti rockets made using this tutorial at AlphaMom.com)

Just in time for the 4th of July (well, just in time for me… if you want to make one, this is probably too late), here’s a waterproof picnic blanket that folds into its own tote bag.

I was inspired by the “quillow” play mats I made last summer, so I decided to expand that idea into a larger blanket. For the back, I used a $2.99 shower curtain liner from IKEA, though I admit that was not the sturdiest choice. We’ll see how long it lasts.

I wanted to make a square blanket, since the shower curtain is square, but quilting fabric is too narrow so I knew I’d have to piece it together somehow. I remembered this giant pinwheel design I saw in “Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts” and used that basic idea to make the front since it sort of reminded me of fireworks.  The red fabric is also from IKEA (a twin flat sheet), and the patchwork-print fabric was $2.50 a yard at Jo-Ann’s. This isn’t a particularly comfy blanket since there’s no batting, but on the other hand, it’s very light and folds up flat so there’s plenty of room in the tote for other stuff.

You can read my article and tutorial I wrote for AP here.