Sewing with a friend

I have creative friends for whom I am very thankful.  They see things I don't see and create in ways that are inspiring and exciting.  I am encouraged by their vision for beauty and their dedication to developing their art and craft.

It is particularly fruitful when I am able to spend time with them creating.  I don't get to do it often enough. For two summers in a row, some of us worked together on quilts for the Sari Bari auctions.  But there was no auction this year, so no communal quilt making.  I'm missing that gathering together to make.

Fortunately, I did have a chance a couple of weeks ago to do some sewing with my friend, Carla.  Truly, this dear friend is one of my creative muses.  I learn so much from her.

We worked from the book, Happy Homemade: Sew Chic: 20 Simple Everyday Designs.  It's a lovely little book and the designs are, indeed, quite simple.  I had sewn one dress from the book and Carla and I worked on a tunic top.  We're trying it with some leftover sari fabric first to see how the pattern fits.  I think it's going to be lovely.

I'm also altering a lovely white linen dress and a pair of linen pants for her.  The pants will be shortened and then embellished with some of the crocheted doilies pictured above.  It is a challenge to me to figure out how to alter and make a beautiful, but unworn, dress fit well.  Hoping I can get it right with C's linen dress because it will be quite lovely on her.