Congratulations to all the contestants and winners - such great works and inspirations - I must learn to think "off pattern" or "out of the box"! I must take exception to this comment by the site, tho: "This Safari-style suit by Sew1_knit2 looks like a professionally made designer garment--perfect pressing and tailored details."

LOOKS like??? I'd say it most certainly is a professional job - not LOOKS like it IS!!! Us home sewists are just as professional as the ones who work for the big names! Sometimes even more so... I have picked up pricey, high end and designer garments at the big dept stores and have been very disappointed in the quality of the construction and materials! Having someone ask, "Did you make that yourself?" should be a compliment, not an insult!

That being said - I again congratulate all the contestants for their bravery to put themselves on a public forum and look forward to the next contest!

Happy Sewing, Laura

When people tell you how fabulous your outfit is be sure to tell them you MADE IT YOURSELF!!! It is great and you should be very proud of your hard work and detail - the double topstitching is perfect! This took a lot of patience and it shows! Your write-up is great, too! Everyone should write such a note on everything we do - it would help if we ever want to make that garment again! PS-'fitted' refers to the amount of design ease and overall shape, as opposed to 'straight' or 'boxy'. Always better to add unneeded extra than to come up short! It's heartbreaking to spend a lot of time on a garment that doesn't fit.
Keep sewing - your work is just gorgeous!

BEAUTIFUL - I thought hand embroidery was a lost art - I'm jealous as I never had the patience to learn from my Mom! Congratulations to you and your teacher!