Let Me See Your Heart - McCall's 6745

" 'Cause with my family we know where home is. So instead of sendin' flowers, we the roses."

This isn't the easiest post I've ever written.

I dedicate this dress to my uncle, Richard Thompson, Sr., who we lost on May 7, 2014.

I lost my sewing mojo for a while after that day but once I started getting it back, I knew that this dress would be for him.

I, thankfully, haven't had to experience many deaths in my family so the grieving process for me is kind of foreign.

I told very little people about what happened and just about tried to block out everything I was feeling by living "business as usual". Trying to have as little free time as possible to not have to think about it.

Now that I have "come to terms", for lack of a better expression, I want to tell you about the great man that my uncle was.

My uncle was a very strong man. He was very proud and loved The Lord.

He felt it very important to provide for his family and he had a genuine heart for people.

My cousin, his daughter, was telling me about a time he found a man's wallet in the store so he called my aunt at work to google the man and find a way to contact him. He ended up calling the man and meeting up with him to return the wallet. Not only that, my uncle ended up going to lunch with the man and made a new friend who he kept in contact with from time to time. lol

In the words of my maternal grandmother, "He was just a GOOD guy".

I know that he loved me very much because he never neglected to let me know.

Him being gone has made me think more about the way I treat people.

My heart.

Jesus said 

"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

So regardless of person's circumstances, the way they look or dress, or act or decide to live, learn to love them.

I pledge to give the same grace to people that was given to me. :-)

For the sewers:

This dress is McCall's 6745 View C minus the twill tape.

This is my "simple dress" entry to the Stitch Once Rip Twice sewalong.

To keep it short, I love this dress aside from the bust darts being extremely too high

I cut a 14 in the dress but I should have cut a 12.

Also, the fabric I used for the bodice was stretchy so i think that kind of made me sew the darts a little off. I still haven't mastered them. Most of the resources I find all say something different is the "best way".

The bodice is lined & slipstitched and I serged the hem and folded it once and stitched down.

I got the fabric for the bodice from Hancock's.

The rose fabric as well as the lining/tie fabric I got while I was in Panama.

four double pleats on the front

I didn't have enough fabric to lay down the skirt pieces properly so I had to fit them any way I could AND I had to piece a part of the skirt together.

pleats on the back toward the inside

I am also entering this dress to the Project Sewn "Signature Style" sewalong.

In the SUMMER, i would wear a dress everyday if I could. 

I like to buy dresses that I can wear to church AND work because that's where I am the most and this dress fits the bill.

twirl action

The last thing I wanted to say is to not forget to give the people you love their flowers while they're still alive to smell them.
I wish I spent more time with my uncle. I always thought "the next get together" or "I'll call later" but "later" is NOT a guarantee.
And he was gone so suddenly that "later" is no longer my reality.
All I have is NOW.

This entire experience has really made me think about how much more time I should spend visiting and enjoying my family. Especially the ones that are a quick drive away.

Don't forget to SHOW the people you love that you love them.

Show them your heart.

xoxo, Tasha

I'm linked here & here, here & here, here & here

All of these photos were taken by my wonderful friend Nikita.
They are completely unedited (craziness)
If you live in VA and are looking for a photographer, email me and i will connect you :-)