Oh, let’s do a happy post! I look so morose in my last one – I had just gotten some bad news re. my heart (has been under watch since last fall), and it showed. I almost deleted the post! but writing on my blog is so good for me (you are wonderful friends). So I left it.
I reached out to my precious children, kept sewing, and today, my pics reflect how I feel now. I’m an optimist, and the only thing on my fridge is something my son told me just after I was diagnosed with scleroderma: Happiness is a decision you make.
Another ITY maxi dress using my modified version of McCalls 6559. This is so much fun, and I simply love how these ITY dresses feel.
This print is pretty funky. It goes across the horizontal of the fabric, from small flowers to larger ones! And the vertical repeat is something like 30″. I just went with the flow 🙂
I managed to avoid flowers on the girls, but admit that I kind of have them elsewhere…
Don’t care!
Just a note on the fabric. When I purchased it, I thought the print was vertical. Which I would love. But it’s not, and placing a pattern across the ‘grain’/stretch of ITY is a recipe for disaster. It would grow vertically and just keep on growing. Now that the dress is done, and I’ve worn it, I’m very happy with this interesting print. It’s perfect for an uncluttered design, something that accentuates it.
I did have to place the front and back down my entire 3 yard piece to keep things copasetic. Which left me half of the yardage in one long piece. So I made a top! using Butterick 6215, the pattern from which I drafted my extended shoulder on the dress.
This top is intended for woven fabrics (as here, three years ago), but I really like the way it works with a knit (I’ve done a couple now, same size as the woven version).
Happy sewer here…Bye for now, Coco
Coco's Loft 
Very creative and looks wonderful!
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I love the dress and the top. Win/win! I’m sorry you are having health challenges, but I know you are up to them. Sometimes I think why can’t I get a break, then I think, well I am still here, so I have gotten a break! I hope things stabilize and you are able to maintain your mood and attitude. Attitude is everything, even though I hate it when somebody says that to me. I would be very intrigued to know how becoming a vegan has improved your health. I enjoy your posts very much. Keep them coming!
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Thank you, Becky. Vegan diet – less fatigue, weight loss, higher energy, lower cholesterol, better mobility, less joint pain. It’s much like the DASH diet for high blood pressure, just taken to another level. I like your comment on getting a break – I agree 🙂
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You always look steadfast and optimistic to me Coco, regardless what you wear…..Interesting take on the print this time, running sideways – now, there’s an idea.
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Thank you so much, my friend. And I think the sideways print is pretty funky as well!
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Am so sorry to hear of the new health concern. You are one of those beautiful ladies whose new posts I look forward to seeing come through my IG feed and here. So admire the way you handle the difficulties of ‘life’. Now to the dress….. gorgeous!!!! Love the way you placed the print as the visual sort of reads the flowers swirling around your body in a delightful, flattering way. 🙂
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thank you, Lisa. Love the swirl analogy, I had to go back and look at the pics with new perspective!
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Your garments are gorgeous! Coco, you have such a talent to see and then construct elegant items from fabrics most of us would just pass by. Amazing, I’m a fan! I wish you well with your health challenges; take care of yourself. Also please research veganism. It has been proven to improve health and reverse disease because the human body is self healing if provided with the proper nutrition.
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thank you so much, Adrienne! Actually, I’ve been a vegan for a couple years, that and cutting out sugar, carbs, and fats, has made a huge difference in my health!
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I look so forward to your blog posts. You are such an inspiration. It can be difficult sometimes to put on a happy face, but you still manage it somehow and I very much so appreciate it. I also appreciate your incredible talent. So yea, thank you. Someone told me a while back “never give up, never give in” and it stuck with me and became my daily mantra. I think I will add “happiness is a decision” to that.
Now for the good stuff. Another winner(s). I really like the pattern running horizontally like that. The colors are wonderful and I love how a flower landed on each shoulder of the dress. And you gotta love it when you get a couple of items from one piece of fabric. Surprise!
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Thank you, Garnet – those mantras really help, don’t they? The fabric – such a surprise, I ended up just loving it.
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Beautiful! I love those colors! You have double pleasure from that fabric, ending up with a dress and a top.
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Thanks, Jeanette!
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I love your cheery dress. These sorts of colours are my favourites …and you managed to get a top out of it too! They are definitely ‘happy’ wear and show your positivity. You are an inspiration to me and I wish you the very best. Great fridge magnetic too, tell your son!
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Thank you, Trish, and I’ll tell David 🙂
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I love your spirit Coco! I think your fabric choices are so apt…happiness is a decision you make…this fabric is just so happy!
So sorry that you were given bad news re your heart. Your sense of optimism shines through in your blog posts…I know your posts help you, but they also lift us, your readers.
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Sue, such nice thoughts, thank you so much.
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Fran Giacobbe, what you said! And Coco, you amaze me with what you accomplish — every garment is just exquisite, and each looks perfect on you. My very best in all your adventures, health-related and otherwise. You touch us all.
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Thank you so very much 🙂
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I too, always enjoy seeing a new post of yours. I hope that you and your doctor can do whatever is necessary for your heart. You are a wonderful part of the sewing community. And this dress is just gorgeous. I love how the pattern plays horizontally. Jean
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Thank you, Jean. Well, I do like my doctors, high confidence level. They’re all at Cleveland Clinic, I just need to be patient with the process and stay positive 🙂
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Sorry to hear you have less than good news about your heart. Your dress and top are awesome!
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Thanks so much, Lynda.
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I admire you, Coco. In spite of unpleasant news, you carried on. I know you have been careful of your diet since last Fall and like sewing for the new” you” so I have no fear that you may dig into a ring ding upon hearing this news.You keep yourself very busy with a new garment almost every day and that’s with cutting out on the floor. (Yes, I continue to be impressed with that feat.) I hope your doctors can provide you with help for your condition. It is always so fun to see you have made yet another post!
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No ring ding, but I did indulge in a small pack of Godiva truffles… thank you, Fran.
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Both your dress and top look great! Love the length of the top–would you call it a tunic length? Sending positive thoughts your way as you deal with this new “heart” news. Your son is good to have encouraged you long ago with his “happiness” quote. Right on! Thank you for sharing all your wonderful sewing results with us. I ALWAYS look forward to your postings!!!!!
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thank you, Margene 🙂 The back is longer than the front, which is not quite tunic length. On the pattern, the ruffle adds 3″, making it tunic length. In some versions in the past, I lengthened the top by about 3″, rather than add the ruffle, and got full tunic coverage.
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