best book ever

This is the best book ever, by Judith Turner.  The book can be found here.  I ordered it, because Judith is in Austria, I turned around and ordered the e-book version.  I read it in five hours.  I have been a sloppy alterer. I just normally pinch in the sides and sew up, straight through the waist band and the hem, which leaves a bump.

I did this faux suede skirt two weeks ago. see my messy job.  But this is for me, so.  Now I can go back and clean up my mess and make it look like it is supposed to, like it wasn't even altered.

The daughter is going to the Renaissance Fair south of Minneapolis with some friends so they are going to dress up.  She had borrowed a wenches dress, but it was a cheap costume for Halloween and the more I touched it the more I hated it.  I was just going to replace the ribbon lacing with a real leather shoestring, but I popped three rivets out.  yes I can replace them. The sleeves were mesh but had been slit and the mesh was pulling away from the shoulders.  The daughter and I decided that she would borrow a shirt from me, a crinkle cotton that skims her body, then her own long blue skirt, I took in (she has lost 50 lbs) and I modified a vest from the thrift store.

I didn't take any before pictures, so I staged one.  Before:

 After, I used Judith's techniques of pinning and sketching the look. Then I took my vest/bodice and drafted the right curve to the new neckline. Then I chalked the nest neckline and then cut it 5/8 inches in.  I serged the new neckline, then flipped it under and top stitched it down.

The new vest is really nice.  We debated over cutting off the button placket and putting in grommets, but the daughter decided that leaving the button is better, because then she can wear this vest with a nice top and skirt or pants.

I'll post about the skirt later, because I need to start dinner.