Growing Project Pile

I didn't feel like working on the apron too much yesterday evening, so, instead, I gathered together all the bits and pieces of various projects I have and put them in neat little bundles with tags pinned to them. I didn't do any of the things I'd planned while I was on maternity leave, so all the sudden I'm realizing that my project pile is bigger than I thought.

Here's a breakdown of my current list:

1. finish the smocked apron
2. open hood - I found a big piece of the blue wool I made Owen's Viking cap out of, it should be just enough for an open hood. I wanted a red one, but the blue is also period and is fine for a first attempt.
3. Flemish head wrap - I stumbled across this quite randomly and I love it! It's so easy and can go with just about every dress style. Easy to make, too.
4. pouch with trim - I purchased a pretty blue and white bird trim at Border Raids this summer and had no idea what I could use it for. Since the black pouch I made a few months ago has gone missing (I need to clean the house), I thought I'd try to use some scraps of the blue wool I'll make the hood out of to make a new pouch. The trim goes perfectly with it.
5. Pink Durer dress - see the previous post and below
6. wide dark brown woven belt - I have no materials for this yet, but I'd like to make a wide belt to wear with future Burgundian gowns. It will be one color, but the weave will make it look like two shades of the color in a checker pattern. I'm thinking of buying this buckle for it.
7. leather belt - I bought a thin, red-brown unfinished leather belt at Border Raids. I want to do something like this, but I'm having trouble finding ends that are the right width.
   

I got the pink dress out this evening and started that project. I had my hubby take some photos of the dress pre-modification, and wow is it unflattering! I have to remind myself that it was made not knowing how large I would get when pregnant, but man, am I glad I decided to try and turn it into a different dress.

I took the panel out of the front center and removed the pleats that had flanked it. I think this will work, but I'm going to need help. Since mom will be busy with the teal wool dress, I might try to rope my hubby into pinning me up....

Here's the breakdown of what needs to be addressed with this dress:

• fit the dress, taking out the bulk around the bust and trunk
• modify the sleeves, fitting them a bit more. They are not set in sleeves, which may cause a problem.
• shorten the dress, it's about 2 inches too long
• rework the removed front panel into pleats
• fit the back more using pleats that match the front
• add gores to the front and back to make the skirt more full

One note: I'm about the fit not one, but two dresses, and I have to tell myself not to be disappointed when I look in the mirror and I don't look like many of the images I've found online of other costumer's fitted dresses. Not that I feel I am unattractive, it's just that I'm larger than I mentally feel like I am.