3.26.2012

27


happy birthday to me
i live in a tree
my na-ame is sallie
happy birthday to me!

yeah ok. my birthday was actually yesterday. i was too busy doing birthday stuff to blog. sometimes its gotta take a back seat, ya know? and here is my birthday dress!! don't you just wanna eat that floral print from tessuti?? i do. uh oh. sallie. don't eat the dress...



and look at that!! a smile! it must be a birthday miracle...

i wore this dress to a lovely wedding this past weekend for some truly lovely people. i don't know when it happened - but give me a pretty dress, a pretty wedding, pretty people, and a pretty good helping of champagne and i turn into one big old sentimental fool!

the wedding was really wonderful. it was out near kyle, tx. if that means anything to you then you're golden. i'm pretty geographically challenged even in the best scenarios so i kept stopping in the middle of admiring the beautiful landscape and saying "wait! just where the hell are we??!?" it didn't help that i couldn't get a straight answer out of anyone either. at first i was told i was somewhere in between houston and austin. then austin and san antonio. then i was basically outside of austin.

so that place - somewhere near-ish austin. in the region of texas... it was damn beautiful! we spent the weekend camping and then spruced ourselves up for the wedding and danced the night away! sunday was my birthday which was spent driving back to galveston and taking a looong loooonnngggg nap!



i had wanted to take these pictures out where we were camping (wherever that was...) because it was just so freaking idyllic what with the wildflowers and the bluebells and herds of caribbean goats... no really. i actually had a rather unnerving incident with a ram where he stared me down pretty intensely - on my birthday!!! (did i mention my birthday was yesterday??) this is important because i'm an aries - the ram!!! do you think he recognized me as one of his own??!?

oh yeah, but i didn't because, you know, i got caught up with celebrating. so you just get regular old galveston pictures.



oh yeah - so this dress! rachel comey for vogue patterns (v1209) made up in a tessuti silk.

well! i'm very glad a made a muslin. i did all the things i said i was going to do in my muslin post: i cut a bigger size, i let the bias hang, i added 2 inches of length and la-dee-da-dee-dee... all was going fine and dandy. until i got to the lining. lordy.

i mean really anytime i try and sew on a deadline i'm basically asking for some 2am drama rama. and thats what i got. i don't know what the deal was with this pattern. its cute as a button - don't get me wrong - but its a funky funky pattern. i'm usually one to own up to my own mistakes, but i really don't think this was my fault! i cut the lining the same size i cut my dress, and the dress without the lining fit great. so after installing the lining i go to try it on and... so tight!! like. child size tight. like it would not budge below my armpits.

i'm still not sure what the deal was - i didn't do anything wrong!! anyway i had a sad little breakdown in the wee hours of the morning where i weighed what seemed like my only two choices. either cut the lining out of the dress entirely (my fashion fabric is totally opaque - so it didn't really need a lining) or unpick the seams and see what that does. i decided to go for the latter. so i unpicked all my pretty french seams and re-sewed them at 1/4 inch. the lining fits - and comfortably - but the silk fabric is now a bit delicate. i think at some point the lining will need to be replaced - but i'm going to wait till i bust a seam to do that...

oh! and perhaps you're wondering how that zipper inserted into the bias seams worked out?



what zipper?!?!? muahahahhahahaha!!! that invisible zipper is invisible ya'll!!! okay well maybe not entirely invisible - but its very neat and there's no funny buckling of fabric. sunni's tutorial did me right. oh so right.

i wore my dress with my leather jacket when the night got a little bit chilly. they look good together. almost like they were made for each other (wink!)

and because i can... here's a lovey-dovey photobooth set for you from the wedding. whoever started doing photobooths at weddings was a genius.


well i'm off to stretch out the birthday goodness for a few more hours/days/weeks!!

xx

61 comments:

  1. Amazing of coarse.  I am so glad that it all worked out in the end.  And the fabric is just great.  I love the idea of making a piece of clothing for your birthday.  I may need to do that too.  Mine is in a couple of weeks - fellow aries.  I may need to whip something up.

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  2. Happy Birthday and look at you! I cant get over your sewing. So inpiring. You have such a knack for matching patterns and fabric and your outfits looks so so on trend, in a good way. Quite a talent!

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  3. Happy Birthday!!!

    Seriously? You are killing me, Sallie! I'm just so blown over by your sewing, your style, just everything about you. This dress is beautiful on you and paired with your leather jacket - no words. 

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  4. Oh the sis!  it's simply stunning!  i love it so very much... I didn't catch all of that back detailing on the muslin shots.  and you were right to snap those pics in front of the sunflowers -gorgeous.  ps. your photo booth of you and nick is the cutest.  summer seems like a long way away to see you agin!  hugs and congrats on another beautiful creation!

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  5. Happy birthday! The ram/aries encounter is too funny. LOVE the dress, the fabric, the dress with the jacket - you're so damn talented. 

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  6. Wow!  You look amazing, your dress looks amazing, your jacket looks amazing!  Happy birthday!

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  7. Ok, I'm going to have to come back to this again and again because dress+jacket+shoes=wow. That fabric was really made for that dress, and hallelujah on the zipper! So, so very pretty and spring-freshy fresh. Now see, I can tell how hot it must be down there because of the height of the sunflowers. Ours are just peeping out. Speaking of which... you were so close! Kyle is the hill country and isn't it wild and ragged and gorgeous? So mystical, really. I bet the bluebonnets are just covering and peeping out of the rocks. When D and I first moved to Austin, we'd just take off on Sundays and drive through the farm roads in the hill country and get lost.

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  8.  Oh my and I forgot to add happy birthday! may the roads rise to meet you ;)

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  9. oh my good sweet goodness. HAPPY BIRTHDAY... that ram action is bananas!

    i have to be honest... i was confused by the muslin.  couldn't see how it would turn out.  absofreakinglutely. stunning. jawdropping!

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  10. Of course I love it!  Great fabric and pattern pairing, and it really does look cool with the jacket.  I can't believe how short that dress would have been.

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  11. Happy Birthday! Wow! Wow! Wow! So glad to see you persevered with the pattern after the muslin, just goes to prove that making a toile is so important! You look absolutely gorgeous and the dress is perfect in the silk. Just love your work!

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  12. I love the dress and jacket together - perfect! :) Happy birthday!

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  13. Oh happy birthday Sallie! I'm an Aries too :) I LOVE your dress - it's so flirty and feminine but still got your edgy style y'know what I mean? That invisible zipper...wait... what invisible zipper...? Awesome!

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  14. Happy birthday!

    Yowsers! The whole look...yowsers. That fabric looks so delicious. The drape...ugh...perfect.

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  15. happy bday sallie!!! your dress turned out beautifully! and i just looove how it looks with your fab jacket.. and girl, you should smile in every picture :)

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  16. Gorgeous, Honey! Pretty dress, pretty pictures, pretty you! The entire project seemed very ambitious on your timeline but you did it!! Sorry about the lining fighting back but you did a great job solving the problem. You look and sound like you had a happy birthday - wish I coulda been there to share it with you. Love you

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  17. Happy birthday! The dress turned out great, such a pretty silk! :-)

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  18. eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! SO GREAT! It really turned out so rad Sallie. LOVES the print. I'm really happy you didn't get eaten by a goat. Happy Birthday love!

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  19. Just so loverly. It's a gorgeous dress, perfect outfit. And happy birthday! That ram was totally connecting with you! I was trying to take a photo of a ram this weekend, but he wanted to eat my phone. Silly billy.

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  20.  PS- you made it to the rockstar year. A milestone :)

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  21. Happy Birthday!
    I love how this turned out, what a gorgeous dress! When I saw the muslin I wasn't too sold on the design but it looks fantastic. The fabric is just perfect with this, I think I prefer the strong design features slightly muted by the print. And as for teaming it with your new jacket...wow. You have great design vision!

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  22. Happy birthday, gorgeous! I'm so glad your birthday dress turned out just as perfect for celebrating... especially with that leather jacket! Ughhh perfection! ♥

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  23. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

    I wasn't really sure how I felt about this pattern. I'm still on the edge between liking it and really not liking it, but I think your version turned out GORGEOUSLY! The fabric is amazing! Really! And your jacket... it's dreamy! 

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  24. Happy Birthday! I was planning on making this dress for my cruise but never got around to it. Booo to me. lol. You are rocking your version. Gorgeous Tessuti fabric.

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  25. This dress is amazing. I love the fabric. And the style with your super leather jacket. Happy birthday by the way!

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  26. Happy Birthday!  Your dress is stunning.  And Kyle is between Austin and San Antonio ;).  Would love to know where you camped.  

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  27. The dress is gorgeous! You look stunning. Happy birthday!

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  28. Happy birthday!!!!  You look so beautiful in your birthday dress-- yay!!

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  29. Happy birthday!  Your dress is simply stunning!

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  30. You dress turned out amazing. It's so springy and light and floaty and it makes me want to sew springy things too. And happy birthday to you as well! :) 

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  31. Happy belated birthday! :) The dress looks great, I love the fabric and those pictures look very romantic and sweet!

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  32. Yes the idea of a garment for your birthday is a good one. It makes the day feel a little special - it makes the dress feel a little special too :)
    Yay for fellow aries!!

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  33. Thank you!! Thats a such a nice compliment! I do sit and think long and hard about my pattern/fabric choices - so I'm happy it pays off!

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  34. Oh I'm blushing!! Thank you Lizz - the feeling is definitely mutual!

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  35. Thanks Sis!! Yeah, aren't those sunflowers just the greatest?! It was in a weird public spot with lots of people watching me which made me feel REALLY awkward - but I think the pictures turned out anyway :)

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  36. Thank you Amy! Yeah - that ram was totally my spirit animal for the day!! haha!! 

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  37. Thank you Amy!! I actually totally was thinking of some of you Austin bloggers while I was nearby! Creepy?? But yes - it was soo beautiful out there - and much cooler. Galveston is getting into the intense humidity and heat - but thankfully we always have a strong breeze from the Gulf.  I also kept calling the bluebonnets "bluebells" all week - even wrote it in the post - doh! They're such a pretty flower - and I love how the wildflowers just turn vast stretches of fields the most vibrant blue and orange... sigh. 

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  38. Hahaha!! Yes.. it was a bit of a leap of faith on this one - but I'm happy it turned out pretty. I wasn't sure either, to be honest ;)

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  39. Oh you are not kidding!! This is with the 2 inches of additional length and its still borderline...

    I actually cut the lining the regular pattern length and - let me tell you - IT IS SHORT!! And I'm not an exceptionally tall girl (5'6")

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  40. I am a big muslin/toile convert!! I wasn't always - but I definitely think its a super important step. Thank you Thank you Thank you for carrying this beautiful fabric!!! I just love it so much - it makes me unspeakable happy to look at it. I've actually saved all my little scraps because I just want to hang on to it for a bit longer :)

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  41. Thank you Laura!!

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  42. Thank you Joanne! And yay fellow Aries!! I kept calling this my "princess dress" - but you're right - its still a bit edgy - I like that, it feels like "me" :)

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  43. Thank you!! It was a lovely lovely fabric - may it rest in peace... as my dress :)

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  44. Thank you! I wasn't sure - but I had a hunch that the jacket and dress would work together - I'm happy they do - because I didn't have anything else to wear with this dress!! Hahaha! 

    I'm trying to make it a point to smile more in my pictures - I'm very smiley in "real life" but I always feel like my "picture smile" looks slightly desperate and maniacal!! So I'm working on getting some natural smiles in there so I don't come across as such a grump!

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  45. It is a beautiful beautiful fabric :) I'm glad I got to snatch some up! 

    Thank you!

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  46. Lord I am too!! 

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  47. Those rams... always trying to destroy stuff ;)

    Thank you Lavender - and I'm definitely pretty proud of making it to the rockstar year - now I just have to avoid ODing this year.... So glad I learned to just say no back in the day (hehehehe) 

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  48. Thank you! I totally know what you mean about the design of this dress. While I liked the design I really couldn't quite figure out how it would look on me. Also, I seem to have taken the opposite approach on these Rachel Comey patterns than the pictures on the pattern envelope. Where they used a print - I thought a solid would be best - where they did a solid - I was thinking print... I was nervous about using a strong print for this pattern because I was worried it would be too much  - but I think it works like you said, the strong lines get softened by the print  :)

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  49. Thank you Lauren!! I'm glad I had an occasion to take the dress out for a twirl - making pretty dresses and then having them languish in my closet makes me sad :(

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  50. Thank you Michelle! Its a funny little pattern. I've noticed that people either love these Rachel Comey patterns or hate them. They have a lot of strong design features  and a weird hard edge that can be slightly off putting. I think I was surprised by how feminine and flattering this dress ended up being on me. I don't think I'd like the dress as much without the fabric. It really made it for me and I think it works as a pairing :)

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  51. Thank you Susan!! I hope you get around to making your dress eventually. I love seeing other people's versions of patterns :)  I think I'm a Tessuti addict... ruh roh...

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  52. Thank you Mariló! I wasn't sure if the jacket and dress would look good together or not - but they really compliment each other (drape in the front + peplum in the back)

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  53. Thank you Ashley! Now I just need to figure out where San Antonio is ;) Gotta get me a map... hehe

    We camped at this place called the Plant at Kyle. Its where the wedding was. I don't think its an official campground, but there was a lot of land around there and it was very beautiful.

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  54. Thank you Inder!!

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  55. Thanks Ginger!! It made me feel like a pretty princess - for a day :)

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  56. Thank you Carolyn!

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  57. Thanks Emma - its a very springy - flirty dress! 

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  58. Thank you Alessa! I'm glad those sunflowers were there - I wasn't sure where to take pictures this time... running out of spots!

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  59. I want to make this dress for my daughter.  You look beautiful in it.  The jacket is lovely too.  I am glad you had a great birthday.  

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  60. I love this dress so, so much. It's beautiful. I think a leather jacket over a dress is one of my favorite looks. You make incredible pieces.

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  61. Happy birthday to you lovely lady! I'm glad the dress turned out so well, despite the serious obstacles while sewing. I'm glad you had such a lovely time at the wedding and I'm so jealous of how warm it seems in the photos :)

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