I've finished the wedding gown alterations! Well - almost, but the hard part is done. It was very scary to actually CUT into a 40-ish year old wedding gown, but I took a deep breath and did it. The rest was easier, the neckline is finished and it looks quite nice, if I must say so myself. Here's hoping the bride-to-be is happy with it. I still need to make the bustle, but that's nothing more than covering a button with a scrap of the satin removed during the alterations, sewing it onto the waistline on the dress, and then making a thread "loop" at the right place on the back of the dress (and yes, I have the place marked). So I'll do that tonight while watching the first Steeler game of the year.

I'm heading to the southern Virginia mountains tomorrow to spend the weekend with some sewing buddies - and this should be fun. I think there will be 6 of us, and the requirement is to bring something I've made, plus directions to share with the rest of the group. We're going to bring laptops and swap embroidery designs too. I need to decide what I want to work on, and then pack up all that stuff tonight. Laundry is in the dryer right now, so I can pack clothes in a little while and have that ready. I'll have time tomorrow to come home after work, because I'm going to a wedding at 7 PM, and will leave for the mountains right from there. Should be fun - and there's the joy for the weekend.