Two Dresses in Two Days! : Chatty Sewing Vlog
I'm on a ROLL with chatty sewing vlogs this week. In this installment I make two 1940s themed cotton dresses and talk about almost going to Italy.
I think this week I'll tackle a romper made out of octopus fabric...at least once I finish making a barbie inspired homecoming gown, which is next on the list!
Here are photos of the finished dresses:
Comments (31)
On the topic of Visas, I can really recommend visiting, or at least contacting, the embassy of Italy in the US. I did the same fora Visa application from NL to Japan. And since those people know what they're doing they're usually able to provide a lot more information on rules and regulations than what you can get online (not to mention the processes can change quite a bit). So I'd suggest mailing the embassy with any questions!
I really sympathize with your visa experience. I studied abroad for a year in Italy with 80 other students and we all had to get visas. It was a struggle, and obviously, the visa wasn't a guarantee but we all had to pay our first semester of tuition and book our flights before getting the visa at all. At least we had the security that we were all accepted into our program and it wouldn't get cancelled though. I can't remember exactly what visa we had to apply for, but it sounds as though there's no difference between the ones we applied for and the process you described. It's too bad this class isn't offering more support for international applicants, especially if they're reaching our and encouraging you to apply. I agree with the person who commented above though, it might be worth applying anyway, even if the program does fall through. If you're in a city, Italy is very easy to navigate even if you don't know any Italian. People are very friendly, and it's very safe. It might be worth it!
The batty one is my favorite <3
I loooove the bat dress!
Italy: Can you just fly back to the U.S. for a day and then go back so as not to have to apply for a Visa?
They're both so cute!! I wish JoAnn's would ship to Australia aaaaa. I hope Spotlight gets that star fabric in as well ♥
Do you do anything differently when measuring buttonholes for irregular shaped buttons like those star buttons?
I didn't, but I should have. I didn't realize how big the star buttons were - it takes some fiddling to get them done up!
On your industrial machine, you can wind bobbins while you sew! (That’s what the second spool tray is for!) That’s what they do in factories so there’s no downtime.
I do this a lot when I can, and it makes a big difference! But usually I only have one spool of thread so I can't sew and wind at the same time.
Very nice result, that bat dress is definitely the favorite. It’s a pity that Italy couldn’t go through, but I think you made the rights choice, a bit too much money at stake for the risks. Thumbs up for the fact that you actually were planning to go for it!
I love the batty dress the best because of the contrast with the red, but I also love the other one because of the gradients and of course the star buttons. You did a great job.
Angela, if you went and got all the Visa business done and the class fell through then you would save all that money on the class that you'd be in Italy still for 3 months or longer and you could explore other options that are available to you there you could be the young woman who is in Italy and have all kinds of adventures whether you getting in the class or not. You've learned all this stuff about getting a Visa there and you know people have done it before and so long as you've applied for that class and then accepted, whether it falls through or not is not your problem. I think you should go and have an adventure. Something similar happened to me right after the revolution in Egypt. I had a course schedule to take right in the middle of summer and I had made arrangements and I was in Cairo when they told me that they had mistakenly put me in this class but I wasn't in it and they had no room for me. Well I ended up spending months in Egypt and having a wonderful time and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Am I sad that I didn't get to take that class? Yep. I am also ecstatic, because I would have had an entirely different experience than I did and I love the experience that I had. I know you're going to do what's right for you no matter what but I hope that the fact that there are unknowns in life doesn't stop you from going forward and things that interest and fascinate you.
Beautiful dresses! My favourite is the batty one, the red buttons and the sleeves make it awesome. Have you considered sticking with the student/travel visa and trying to renew it when you get there?
This was a great video!! I totally thought you were recovering your little iron, haha, I have the same one and have been putting off doing so. I can't decide between the dresses, I love them both! When the time and place is right you will go on a big world traveling trip! Keep it up, you're awesome
Do you have to get a national visa? Maybe a student visa would work? Maybe the class would be more flexible on the type of visa you need in order to get in! This seems like too good an opportunity to pass up!
It's run by a museum - so even though it acts like a college course, I wouldn't qualify as a student! :(
Very cute! Bummer, Italy!!!
I looooooovvveeeee chatty sewing vlogs
Oh nooo Italy would have been awesome! I live on a student visa here in the United States, so I understand the pain and anxiety going through the process. I was lucky enough to have a university guiding me through the steps the first time I applied. It's too bad that the course doesn't give you more support for the legal aspects of joining! I love both dresses, but I think I prefer the long sleeve variation, it is such a nice silhouette, with great whimsical detail!
Fun. We are the same height AND stopped growing at the same age.... I'm plus sized though, so I actually usually find I don't need to add length, but it can be very confusing in sewing.
I was playing your video while cooking dinner, just as I was straining the spaghetti I hear my name, and I dropped the whole pot. Whoops. So happy the unicorn arrived safely! Fits your space well! Thanks for the shoutout, meant a lot! I loved the cut of these dresses on you! The shoulders and sleeve cut is great on you! Confetti stars was my favorite but pocket bats are just such a hard thing to beat!
Thank you so much for the present! It was a happy surprise in my mail box, and it really does fit in my sewing room perfectly! :)
AHHH YESS SPOOPY SZN!!!!!!
I love the bat dress.
I bought that star fabric yesterday because of you and I'm going to do a dress wuth it someday...
Always happy to enable fabric purchases haha! I'm sure it'll be great!
LOVE the gradient of the star dress but the bat one is by far my favourite! I’m such a sucker for some nice sleeves
My heart is broken for you, Angela. ITALY! All the uncertainty around the class itself would have made me turn it down as well, even if I felt like a small piece of me died. :-( I don't think the acidity in coffee agrees with your stomach. Wasn't that the reason you gave it up a while ago? Where are those adorable blue pattern weights you found at an estate sale? I haven't seen you using them much anymore. I like the silhouette/shape of the Bat Dress the best!
It was a sad realization for sure! I've started drinking cold brew which is gentler on my stomach...at least when it doesn't have oil in it, lol! I still have the weights, they are just stored in a tin and harder to get to than the (less cute) wonder weights!
Your chatting is what I most enjoy in your videos. The star dress is my favorite of the two.