Vintage in Chicago: And "sew" it begins

As I told you in my previous blog "Project Runway Here I come", I have re-decided to take up sewing.
I began with a "simple" wrap dress. Using some very cute stretchy fabric I thought it would be easy and forgiving of mistakes....lessons learned #1 Stretchy fabric is not easy to cut.
However, I did get everything cut out and I began to make some progress. I got the top pleated correctly, got my sleeves sewed together and sewed the two halves of the back of the dress together...
Then I went to sew the sleeves onto my back....For some reason, they weren't tying out correctly. I couldn't get the seams to line up correctly. I sat and pondered for a while. And then looked at the directions (crazy, I know). turns out I sewed the wrong sides of the back together (I sewed the sides together as opposed to the center seam...
Lesson #2- Buy a seam ripper prior to begining a sewing project...oh and reading the directions might not hurt either.

Here is the thing. I AM reading the directions...they are just kind of written in a foreign language and I do NOT find the pictures understandable. So much for these "simplicity" patterns .

So, while I am waiting to go purchase my seam ripper...I decided to start on my yellow/gold skirt.
This one seems much easier. Cutting the fabric was a breeze!

I got some pleats sewed in, got the back sewed together (correctly this time) and got the back sewed to the front. all I have to do is buy something called "interfacing", and get my beltedish waist completed. I hope to finish this skirt during this long weekend!!!!

I did skip a step on the back that would make the skirt have a cute little flip because I do not understand what "Press Seam open above clip. Press Vent extension toward LEFT back. Baste upper end of vent extension in pace along stitching" means...I figured it was just for decoration.

Hopefully I will have a finished product up here by the end of the weekend...if you are lucky, maybe two!