[This is my first Works For Me Wednesday post. It's all the lessons I learned (the hard way) while attempting to sew my daughter's Christmas Concert Dress. It's everything I should have done, but didn't. Enjoy!]

1. Give yourself more than 2 weeks to complete the project.

2. Try not to have other handmade projects going at the same time.

3. Refrain from blogging. And other procrastinating activities. Like eating.

4. Sacrifice sleep.

5. Google things like "selvage" and "nap" if you've forgotten. 'Cause sometimes people at the SEWING STORE don't know, either. They just work there.

6. If you haven't sewn a dress for six years, take on a smaller project first. Don't be all gung-ho and attempt a special occasion dress your first time back.

7. Choose an easy pattern. This is tricky. They all say "easy." Here's what I learned: skip patterns with sleeves and zippers. What's wrong with wearing a pillow-case and calling it a dress?

8. Your husband is not interested in helping you cut out the pattern.

9. Oddly enough, stitch tension does matter. Especially on taffetta.

10. When the pattern says it's "not suited for diagonals"--believe it.

11. Modifying a pattern is not for beginners.

12. You are a beginner even if you sewed a dress one time. Six years ago.

13. When all else fails, pull out last year's dress, add a ribbon and call it handmade. That's what I'm doing! Now I have a WHOLE YEAR to sew my daughter's Christmas dress! Sweeeeeeeeeet.