Adventures of a Stoned Kangaroo: Today I Started Loving You Again and the 'My Button's Got a Hole In It' Dress

My sewing machine and I have fallen back in love. We used to be the best of friends, staying up all night making quilts. I longed for it forEVER before I could afford the price. I found the reciept inside the instruction manual and I paid $1496.77us in April of 1997 for a Husqvarna model 500. I had researched for months on what I wanted and oh how I loved it. The used machine I had just wouldn't hold up under my hours of sewing. But alas we drifted apart and we really hadn't seen much of each other in the past 10 years. This button challenge piece really showed me what a doll I have. The time I've spent with my machine this past few weeks has rekindled my love for sewing.

You see I procrastinated for days about doing the buttons and buttonholes, knowing I needed to get the book out and figure out how the fancy looking buttonhole foot worked. Well, I was a little let down when 30 minutes after finding the book the buttonholes and buttons were done! My machine sews buttonholes in one step, and I used it to sew on the buttons too. I didn't even know it did that! I'm hoping when I get to zippers I have a simular revelation, but I feel I'm setting myself up for disappointment.

Anyways, it might not look like much to anyone else but I am extremely proud of my progress with this project. The pattern fit good, the instructions were direct, and I totally enjoyed my time with my sewing machine!

My buttons got a hole in it,

otherwise I couldn’t sew with it

My buttons got a hole in it,

can’t find no thread…

I’ve been singing this little diddy for a week, but I finally completed the second challenge, and got pictures, not good ones mind you, but a couple of pictures none the less. For the record getting the pictures and writing the blog post seems the hardest part to me!

After my first two weeks were taken up with struggling with the bombshell dress, I’m glad to report this dress went together perfectly. I used a scant seam allowance along the bust seams, but other than that I didn’t change anything. Its categorized as an easy pattern and I would agree with that. The facings are hand sewn down, but the buttons! I did on my machine. I had no idea I just put the button next to the chart, keyed in a number, put the presser foot down and viola! buttonholes! I also used the machine to attach the 11 buttons.

I’m very proud of this dress as I intended it to be my muslin for the real one but the thick sheet fabric made a nice texture, so I went with it!

Very cold and windy outside, my next challenge pictures may have to be inside ones!

The Facts

Fabric: Bedsheet purchased at thrift store $1.75
Pattern: McCalls 6279 $1 on sale at Hobby Lobby
Year: Contemporary
Notions: 11 Buttons $6.00
Time to complete: 12 Hours (!!!!??)
First Worn: January 25, 2012 for pictures
Wear Again: Yes definitely, I love it! In fact I wore it to work today.

Total price: $8.75

I'm also very pleased my thrifted jacket from a couple of years ago, that I've never gotten to wear matched the dress so well several people told me they thought they went together as in......I bought them that way. Ah, success :-)