Part one French jacket sew along....HERE.....

Before I start on my adventures of the week, don't forget that the sew along starts today, Inna is working on the muslin prep and I will let you know as soon as it posts. Next week will be my turn...I get to show you how to cut and thread trace.....my favorite! for this you will need silk thread.....and make sure you are researching walking feet...it is unfortunately essential to good quilting.

As always it was such a great week, and Its more than cool when you get to meet bloggers who you follow online, and to have three of them in the same class was fabulous!

I could honestly show you Goodbye Valentino's post and call it a day...really...a perfect summery. . Sarah gets my award for the quickest French jacket sew I have ever seen. She was on a mission and almost finished it in five days, I'm hanging my head in shame!!

and Melanie of poppykettle, we share a love of Marfy and it was just so great to spend a week getting to know her. We have exchanged occasional emails for months and to then sit next to her, talking her ear off, while she finished up her divine jacket and made a Marfy dress, so cool.....she never once told me to shut up, thats just how nice she really is!! it was a true pleasure and I will be watching her blog closely now I know her wedding date!

and Norma of Orange Lingerie ....while I was making a corset....in the same class. Crazy right?! Where can I start with my admiration? Her advice was so invaluable to my garment, I went and downloaded her book immediately. I don't honestly think that you can truly make a fitted dress without understanding how to fit the bust and she shared her considerable knowledge so happily.. just so lovely. I'll be finding exucses to head to Boston mark my words!

and my friend and pattern review reigning queen Cissie just makes every class I take so much better. She was making a Marfy and is letting me write about it in detail once its completed.....can't wait to share, there were highs and lows!

As always every single woman in the class was kind, knowledgeable and interesting., somebody commented on how surprising it was that there were no sewing sharks! and I agree wholeheartedly, there never are.

I wish you could see in detail each project made but as most of the women do not have blogs or public sites I won't ...although Carla gave me the go ahead to show you her extraordinary lace dress progress. All hand pieced and hand sewn, this is day six...one bust cup left to complete! It is a true work of art.

and I got in trouble at home for watching Project Runway without the family..but we had so much fun, sitting around the hotel lobby sewing and chatting away.

So as I imagined my dress is not finished....its close though.

There were lots of fittings to get the bodice right...

and Susan pleated and marked one side of the skirt while I was wearing the top so I just have to transfer the same to the other and its ready to be joined. You can just see the gentle swoop of the hem line, its gorgeous!

and I have to show off my first corset which was a process in itself. The boning in the cups is appalling but I will master it eventually with plenty of practice... this will be joined to the bodice underneath but have its own closure. There are so many seams you have to consider before you chanel..and have them all in the right places... I did not quite achieve the desired effect, and had to unpick a couple of times to get them through...

I had a final fitting right before class ended and have lots of small adjustments as you can see...the shoulders needed an angled tweek again and the corset and waist are now marked for joining but it should all come together reasonably quickly..

Next Monday I will do a detailed post on the entire dress process and materials, as well as corset construction and issues...and show the progress on the black cashmere corset and Dior skirt...

Its been a long but wonderful week, and now its back to reality...as Cissie has said re-enty is hard!!

Wishing everyone a wonderful week, back Monday!

Leisa