Sis Boom Jamie

Let me just say, my very first zipper application was a pleasant experience thanks largely to the Sis Boom Jamie pattern.

You can do it!

I apologize for my pictures being sub par. I took them with my camera phone. I've worn this dress twice (or three times) since I finished two months ago. Yet I'm never close enough to a camera to take a decent photo.

Zippers (regular not invisible---haven't learned that technique yet) and buttonholes were once causes of great sewing anxiety for me. They both seemed terribly complicated and I didn't want to devote the time and energy to learn how to do it. Also, most of the online tutorials that I read weren't exactly clear. I was frustrated and annoyed, so I avoided both of these.

But then I saw the Jamie dress, courtesy of the sew a long (flickr group) hosted by Sew Sweetness a few months back. I was quite enamored with the pattern. The dress was beyond cute and looked fairly simple---except for the zipper. That kept me at bay for a while.

As my luck would have it, I came across some out-of-print Alexander Henry fabric that would be perfect for the Jamie dress.

Alexander Henry Brooke Poppies in Pink

You may recognize it as the same fabric I used for my Colette Sorbetto but in the pink colorway. I love this fabric.

With this fabric in hand, I sucked up my fear of the zipper and downloaded the pattern.

I love the Sis Boom Jamie pattern. It has photos--color photos--of all the steps. It's clear. It's simple to follow. I didn't tear my hair out or cry. I was beyond impressed.

According to the instructions, I had to install the zipper using a glue stick. That was ingenious. Sure, some sewing purists would scoff at that notion, but I didn't want my first zipper experience to be a time-consuming pain in the balls. I do appreciate a good shortcut. Now, of course if I were making a dress out of silk or something delicate and/or expensive, then I wouldn't dare use a glue stick. But on cotton poplin or quilting cotton---hell yeah.

The dress turned out beautifully (psst, the glue washes out with just a spritz of Resolve). I love it. I just want to prance and twirl around in it for all time.

Ignore my bathroom.

It's a little short on me due to the fact that I mis-measured the size of my rectangle for the skirt. I can't really bend too far over but I do have to watch for the occasional breeze. I did buy a cute coral-colored cardigan to wear to make it work-appropriate.

This is one my favorite dresses. I've already made another one in Lecien lawn, but I have yet to hem it.

Next, I want to make the Sis Boom Rebecca shift dress. I already have the fabric in my stash.