Tit For Tat-too

So I knew this girl in college who had some pretty rockin drawing skills. She was from Alaska, and the craziest imagery transposed from her brain onto paper. People always told her she should become a tattoo artist. She left the college where I met her and for 3 years she traveled between Alaska, Washington and Oregon. I kept running into her in random places: first at a Halloween party at the Co-Ops in Eugene, then on a Portland bus, then on the street on National Secretary's Day... Finally, a few months ago, she posted on Facebook that she was in tattoo school and looking for guinea pigs to do her first works of art upon. I was more than willing, knowing that she had a great eye and would be able to draw the Hand-Heart tattoo I'd been wanting since I was 18.

We met up to discuss the design of the tattoo and she mentioned wanting some more adult appropriate clothing, like well fitted suits and dresses to look wear at the studio. She asked about clothing alterations on some thrift store finds and I offered my limited assistance, but said I'd be better at making a dress from scratch. It was then decided that I would make her a dress in exchange for payment of the tattoo!

She really like my Go Ducks! Dress and I just so happened to have a ton of that polyester left over. I created a wearable muslin of the Colette Patterns Peony dress, sans sleeves, and took it with me to Fabric Depot where we were to pick out her main dress fabric. If you've never done a dress fitting inside the handicap stall at a fabric store, I don't suggest it you try it. But the muslin fit darn close to perfectly! The only alteration I had to make was for gapping at the neck (why does this happen on every single dress??)

My friend was very overwhelmed with the number of fabric options. Her creative mind was going nuts with possibility, especially after I mentioned being able to make the bodice and skirt in different fabrics. Eventually she discovered this yellow cotton with small brown flowers in the vintage 1800's reprint section. There was only 1 yard left, so we grabbed a few yards of a matching brown, and I was allowed free reign on piecing the final vision together. 

I think both dresses look fantastic! I was so happy to be able to fit someone else's body with almost no fitting adjustments. I think it was one of my proudest sewing moments. And check out the rad tattoo I have in exchange! It was a win-win situation, really.  Happy sewing!