I've finally had enough of trying to work with people who's idea of working together seems to consist of them doing whatever the hell they want, while I do the best I can around that, and if I am somehow screwed over, inconvenienced, or left hanging, too bad. Or maybe I'm the only one who thinks that we're supposed to be working together? Or maybe I'm the only one who thinks that working together is a good thing?

I've started on a dress. I've had the pattern and fabric for over a year. I was going to make the dress for last graduation, and never quite made it. It's a Simplicity 2 hour pattern. The 2 hours is specifically sewing machine time. Nice cya, there. So far, I think I've used about 20 minutes. Clock-wise, I think it was more like 30, but I wasn't really in a hurry, and did a good bit of fiddling with pins and stuff, so I'll say 20. The dress is the kind that was popular in the mid-90's, and looked fabulous on me, and is, of course, no longer made. It's a long, princess seamed dress with ties and short sleeves. The dress can be made in long or short versions, with long or short sleeves, and with or without pockets. I could make work dresses forever with this pattern. (And for Neale, probably a couple of short ones for going out, too.) I'm starting to have second thoughts about the pattern, it's dark blue batik with this curlicue pattern on it, sort of like climbing vines with no foliage. I've got the front of the dress put together, and holding it up and looking in the mirror......it's more pattern than I'm used to, but I'm trying to reserve judgement until it's done.

When I got the material for the dress, I also got a couple of yards of tan batik to make a wrap skirt out of. That's a project I'd like to tackle before school starts, but first, after graduation dress, will be a lengha choli. I want to make a lengha choli as a dance outfit for live weapons. I bought some pretty, but synthetic (and expensive!) sari fabric for the skirt, a yard of so of kona cotton for the choli, and a couple of yards of chiffon with a brocade border as a veil. I just have to make the outfit and, oh yeah, maybe figure out a routine before the first weekend in June. I'm thinking of using something from my Sevara Nazerkhan cd. She's from Uzbekistan. Not part of the Mughal empire (Indian-themed event), but a neighbor. I wonder if I could borrow Mom's old sword......

The choli pattern I have is from a costume pattern, either Simplicity or McCall's, I'm not sure which. It's supposed to zip up the back. I adapted it to close in the front. Either there's way more ease in the pattern than I thought, and I made it a size or 2 too big, or I added way too much to allow for the overlap in the front, because they're way too big. I'm going to try using the big size for the top part, and actually making it a little longer, so it will fit over my breasts a little more closely, and then make the band a little longer, to cover my midriff, and size it to fit my rib measurement, even if I have to mismatch pattern pieces to do it. I also want to make the front and back in one piece, and lace the choli closed on the sides. I'll sew the sleeve closed, and then a few inches into the underarm seam, and I think the rest, from where the band of my bra would start, to the bottom, will probably need to be laced, to get it to fit. We'll see how it goes....