Tiny Update on the Velvet New Years Dress

Yesterday was a beautiful, cold, winter day. I went out to buy a present for my youngest brother, and I must say that, even though I was prepared for it, I was a tiny bit disgusted with the amount of money people spend on presents. The woman in front of me must have spent more money on the presents for (as far as I understood it) two children, than my parents will spend on all seven of us. Ridiculous. Anyway, the weather was lovely, with the trees all white with frost, so I came home satisfied with my outing.

When I came home, I all but finished the sleeves of my New Years dress. As with the bodice, I made the pattern for the sleeves myself (well, for the sleeves I just measured and cut, really), and they are made in three (four?) layers. First a tight fitting lining, then a satin and a tulle layer, sewn as one, gathered to the lining at the top, bottom and where the horizontal blue band goes. Then the bands, making up the lattice is sewn on. There will be five vertical, and one horizontal, bands on every sleeve, and then the band at the bottom of the sleeve. The ribbons are made of strips of fabric, folded and sewn by hand. The band running horizontally round the middle of the sleeve is sewn onto the sleeve all the way, but the vertical ones are just sewn to the top and bottom of the sleeve, and where they are crossed by the horizontal one.

Actually, so far the sleeves are entirely hand sewn. I won't sew them on the dress until I've sewn on the skirt. I might have to make a few changes on it, and if that's the case, I don't want to be restricted by sleeves. I have no mannequin, so I have to do all fittings myself, while wearing the dress. That is a real pain sometimes.

Not much of an update, but I'm really tired, so that's all I feel like doing. I'm happy Sunday is a day of rest :)