project with a deadline

Most of you know my husband is a Marine.  Every year we have to get to go to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball.  Actually, it's pretty fun - I mean we get to go out sans kids and I don't have to cook.  And the place we are going again this year happens to have a really good food (including the desserts - and oh, how I hope they make us crab cakes for the appetizers, but I digress...).

The biggest problem is the dress.  I hear Ball and I think, full-length prom-like dress.  For the last 5 years, I've either worn old bridesmaid dresses (one while I was 8 months pregnant!) or I've borrowed them from friends.

This year, I decided to be adventurous.  OR crazy, one of the two.  I decided to make my own dress.  But I decided to buy a simple pattern (no darts or princess seaming).

 

(please notice my messy table.  I'm just keeping it real.  Go read Amy's excellent posts here and here.  I love her writing - she always expresses in words so well what most of us are thinking and/or feeling.)

I was originally going to go with a Dupioni silk - mostly because wearing silk is amazing - but it's also wrinkly and stains easily and they didn't have a color I liked.  I did however find this cool embroidered taffeta, for lack of a better word. It drapes a little softer than the old stiff stuff.

And this event is next Saturday, in November.  And it's getting chilly here - so I'm going to do view C with a little more substantial sleeve.  I probably ought to find a shrug to wear or something.

Wish me luck - I haven't made myself a dress since college (that was too long ago to admit).  And I'm really nervous about getting the right fit.  Hopefully this looser fitting style will accomodate me.  :)

I'm pretty sure this won't be sew & tell for this week, but will have to be done by next week!