Updates on Life and Commission Queue

I'm alive! I actually just finished the final commission I will ever create under my maiden name. In just 24 days I'll be marrying this handsome fellow...

... and become "Mrs. Elizabeth Hajek."

In the meantime most of my sewing is going to go towards making this apartment a bit more homey. Here's a peek at the evolving living room... there's a bedroom and a sewing room to decorate as well!!! (My own sewing room at last... SO excited!)

It's been a pretty crazy couple of weeks since I've been under the weather (more so than I've been in quite awhile, but we should have it sorted), and then of course Christmas shopping. Plus wedding planning gets ever more crazy as we discover even more details to manage. Ack. Very glad that the commissions are done for now.

SPEAKING OF WHICH.

Important commission queue info!!!

I will be OPENING THE COMMISSION QUEUE when I return from my honeymoon. I'm estimating this to be either the 27th or 28th of January, but will nail down a specific date and time as we get closer. Stay tuned!

I'm moving!

It kind of comes with the territory when getting married, but of course it's an added bunch of crazy when "home" is also "work." A lot of my stuff is sewing related and therefore can't be moved until I'm ready to move too - or at least have completed the final commissions. (And a few Christmas presents!)

I'm trying not to be stressed by the weight of everything. I want to enjoy this time of preparation and transition. Moving into the new apartment and getting everything all set up is pretty fun - but I get a little overwhelmed by just how much there is to do in the next 40 days.

Anyhow, my continued thanks for everyone's patience with the lack of updates on this blog (and e-mail responses!). I promise that once I get back from my honeymoon I'll be back to being properly prompt. I will try to answer the waiting e-mails over the next week, but I've learned I can't really predict what is going to demand my time next, alas! Stay tuned for updates!

My Downton Abbey Bridal Shower Costume

My mother-in-law (to be!) threw me a gorgeous bridal shower last Saturday - a Downton Abbey Tea Party! She even asked all the guests to come in costume! Ironically (for all my love of the show) I had not yet created an Edwardian or Victorian gown for myself, and knew I'd have to do some last minute sewing to get something done in time. 

Thankfully my awesome sister-in-law (to be) gave me this gown which I was able to use as a base. Not having to sew and hem the skirt make it all a ton easier! The bodice wasn't going to fit right, so I simply chopped it off, removed the waistband and took out the zipper.

Then I put it on my dress form and adjusted the waist darts slightly. (Please forgive the poor camera quality, I did the whole project in one evening and was just taking snapshots with my phone)

I didn't have time to mess around with a pattern, so I just took some fabric from my stash and started pinning it to the dress form, marking darts and cutting away excess fabric.

After getting the underlayer done, I took some chiffon, serged the edges, and pinned it down the front in the trademark Edwardian 'v'.

I stitched the chiffon down, then used a zigzag stitch to attach a piece of black brocade to the center inset.

I then used some thin velvet trim to cover the seams.

More pinning to bring the edges of the chiffon into the waistband and sew the sleeves.

I also had enough chiffon to make a quick and simple overskirt, which I quickly hemmed with black thread and a narrow stitch on my serger.

For all my hurrying, I wasn't able to get quite everything done on the machine on Tuesday night, and spent some time handsewing the zipper and waistband after we'd reached my in-laws (to be).

To finish the ensemble, I added a necklace from my sister-in-law (to be) and my dear friend Amanda curled and pinned my hair in a Downton Abbey style we found on Pinterest. I also added a camisole under the dress for further modesty. The waistline got a bit higher than I'd originally wished, but for such a hastily thrown-together dress, I think it turned out very well.

Opening shower gifts with Nathan :)

A better look at the whole dress.

A look at the dress from the side, in action! (Also you can see the red velvet gloves, another accessory on loan from my sister-in-law-to-be).

Update: In January, 2017, for our third wedding anniversary, we got to visit the Downton Abbey Costume Exhibit at the Mall of America. Check out my write-up on the experience here!

Stuff to Read

Two wedding showers, Thanksgiving, 9 hour drive each way to visit my fiance's family... it's no wonder that my body is shot and I'm spending today recuperating.

Want some fun browsing? Check out this post: http://diy.allwomenstalk.com/best-blogs-for-refashioning-your-clothes