Baby wearing!

Diy gauze wrap in action!

Sneak peek

So I know that I need to finish the sew along, but I'm also guessing that most of you ladies won't start your bodice until this weekend, maybe next considering that this weekend is Mother's Day.  I just finished my dress and wanted to share!

Overall, I love it!  Next time I will iron the center crease out because it screwed up one of my front pleats, luckily it's not really noticeable to anyone but me.

That little flash is not one of our resident ghosts, it's my little Alice rushing to get ready for a target trip.

I love that it makes my waist look small and that the skirt lays well.  I also love that I cut a size smaller than I usually am and it fits!  I've been running like a mad lady (for me - 4-5 days a week, normal for fit people) and my pants are too big so because of that and the fact that the last dress I made was too big on top (not waist) I decided to go for it.  Yea!!!

It's ever so slightly big on top, could have  taken in the darts a bit more but it's still wearable!  The only thing I don't like is that the cut on the arms gives me that side boob/armpit chub.  Oh well!  I still love it!

I'm pretty happy with my ornamentation to cover the hole I cut.  I think it works, it's still neutral and was free!  

Next time, and there will be a next time, I think I'll use linen or the linen look fabric at Joann's.  There's an aqua print I'm in love with.  If you haven't guessed I love aqua.  Aqua kitchen, sewing room wallpaper, dresses.

Ps I'm also ridiculously happy with how skinny this mirror makes me look!

I can't wait to see how all of your dresses are shaping up!!  I'll do better pictures later I hope :).

Sew Along Part 3 - Bodice

Lets get sewing.  Follow the pattern directions and start by staystiching the necklines of your pieces.  About a half inch from the edge (smaller than your seam allowance so you won't see it on your finished garment - it's just to help stabilize your fabric), stitch.  Every other seam should be sewn with a 5/8" seam allowance.  You can change it in certain areas to make it bigger or smaller as needed.

Do this for your regular fabric and your lining.  Now get working on your darts.  

****My suggestion is this.  Do the lining first, front and back and sew (baste - long stitches) it together at the shoulders and sides.  Try it on, see how it fits.  Make any necessary adjustments, take a dart in further, give yourself more room in your side seam.  Write it down somewhere so you don't forget so that you can sew the bodice fabric the same.

First, transfer your pins so they're on the back/wrong side of your fabric.  See how mine looks when I first start?  

After

You want to fold the right sides together so your bottom mark/pins (on the outside of the fold) are lined up.  You're making a triangle with the top mark/pin as the top point.  

Start at the bottom and sew through your point, sewing on a diagonal, getting closer to the edge as you go.  When you near your end point, do a few stitches right on the very edge of your fabric.  DO NOT BACKSTITCH!!!  Leave the thread long and tie it (now or when you've finished all your darts).  

Sew them all, 4 bodice front and 4 lining, one on each bodice and lining back piece.  This is what the front should look like.

If you've done your fitting with the lining, rip out the side seams, keep the shoulder seams.  Sew the front and back outside fabric together at the shoulder seams.

Now, with right sides together, stitch the bodice and lining together at the neck.  Now do the same with the open arms (if you're sewing the sleeveless view C).  If you're not, follow the pattern directions.  If you have a question, don't hesitate to ask!!

You can see my neck edge stitched already and my arm holes pinned.

IWhen you're done, trim the seam and clip the curves.  Clipping the curves just lets the garment lay flat and move better.

The next step is to fold over your lining.  Fold it under to hem it, towards the bodice.  Basically you want a nice clean lining edge inside your bodice.  

See?  Fold it to the inside where your darts are.

Now turn your garment right size out.

Now you want to sew your side seams together.  Match up your bodice side seams and open up your lining too and see them all together at once.

Done!!

Now if you've been careless like me, you can start panicking when you notice, after finishing the bodice, that at some point you cut the front center of it!!!!

So here were my trim options to cover.

I almost went with this next one until I pinned it and tried it on.  The line sits in the middle of my boob.  Not exactly flattering.  

I ended up picking the black.  I loved the ric rack and yellow buttons but I really wanted a staple dress that was neutral.  The black trim was leftover from a Victorian skirt that I never trimmed out.  To get it attached I had to rip a 3" section of the center neckline to slide them in so they'd be hidden.  Wouldn't want them folded over onto the inside lining.

So you're bodice is done and hopefully you don't have to try to trim out your dress to hide a hole!

Sew along part 2

So hopefully you've all purchased your pattern and fabric, zippers, etc.

Determine which view you're making.  I'm making C with B's skirt.  With the size of my rear, I can't do a short skirt.  Sad because my legs have gotten pretty toned.  Can't get rid of my big butt heritage unfortunately lol.

Look over the piece list and mark (or not, your choice.  I don't want to seem like a dictator or anything).  Cut your pieces out following your size lines.  

Cutting your fabric

If you're experienced cutting, you can ignore this.  If you're not, I highly recommend that you follow the suggested layout for cutting.  It lists it by size and fabric width.  I found it really helpful when I first started.  I no longer follow it basically because I'm cheap.  There can be quite a bit if fabric waste.  Now I underestimate the yardage and am usually able to get them all in doing my own layout.

If you're going to wing it (or are having trouble following the diagram - I've been there!). I recommend starting with the pieces that need to be on the fold.  The skirt front and bodice front.  Then do the rest of the skirt pieces.  When I got to the back piece, it was too wide to fit with my fabric folded the way it came on the bolt. I had to unfold it completely and re-fold.

You can see the center crease, that was where it was folded.  

If you're familiar with the triangles, ignore me.  If not.  Cut them like this:

They're to help you line up your pieces.  

Cut all of your pieces.  Only one set for the skirt.  With the pleats, there's too much bulk to do a lining (I intended to line my skirt until I saw how much fabric was used for the skirt.)

Marking your pieces

After you've cut everything you need to transfer your markings.  You can transfer them with chalk or a disappearing ink pen.  I've had bad luck with them that probably has more to do with me not reading the packaging than the pen itself.  I prefer the quick marking system (the lazy way.  That's a theme with me.). I mark with pins.

I just flip up the pattern at the half way mark of the circle in the top darts.  Then I fold the top layer of fabric up and mark under it for the second piece/layer.  You will have to transfer the pins on the bottom piece to the opposite side.  Just an FYI.  This is the quickest method I've found.  

Same goes for the pleats.

Done.  Ready to sew?  I start tonight!  I'll have the bodice post up in the next day or two hopefully.  

Thank goodness for having to sit in the dentist chair waiting for my mouth to far numb for a filling.  Gave me just enough time to do this post.

Simplicity Cynthia Rowley Sew Along - Prep

Welcome!  This is my first sew along so hang in there and point it out if I skip something or it's confusing.  I highly recommend reading over my directions and pictures before you actually start sewing each week's section just to be sure I didn't mess up or confuse you :).

So here's what you'll need:

Simplicity 1873 by Cynthia Rowley in the correct size.  It comes in 6-12 and 14-22.

Fabric of your choice.  The amount is on the back of the envelope based on your size.

Pick your dress view and size.  You'll notice under the dress there's a 45" and 60" option.  This is the width of the fabric.  It'll be printed on the end of the bolt where the price is.  If you can't find it, ask the person cutting your fabric :).

Let's measure.  Measure the fullest part of your bust, the smallest part of your waist (above your belly button - where you see the center of the hourglass) and over your hip bones.  Hip measurement really isn't important in this pattern though.  

Make sure the tape is comfortable around you.  Don't pull it super tight, that's not an accurate measurement.  Give yourself room to slide a couple of fingers between the tape and your body. The general rule is if you have bulging on either side of the tape, it's too tight!

That's it.  Find your fabric, buy your pattern.  Then come back here and post pictures of your fabric and what dress you're going to make.  Fun!

I've picked a basic aqua Kona cotton.  If this is your first dress, I would suggest picking a plain fabric or one with an all over print that doesn't need to be matched.  Stripes, plaids, etc., will be more difficult.

Happy shopping!!

Anna Coronation Dress Tutorial

So here's the dress to recreate.

I'm using my standard pattern that I always use.  Simplicity 2817.

The biggest problem when adapting a pattern is figuring out how much fabric you'll need; especially with a pattern that always overestimates yardage.  Here's what I bought.

Hunter lining (for underskirt, bodice lining and sleeves

-2.25 (I had about half left)

Black velveteen (bodice and straps)

-.50 (almost half left, enough for another bodice)

Home decor Soraia Mist (over skirt)

- 25"/.70 (id number if you want it - 400060961929) (using all)

1 package double fold gold metallic bias tape

1 package single fold gold metallic bias tape

So first things first.  Cut your pattern. Measure your child first as pattern sizes I find run large.  My girls are on the small side.  Here is my altered version of the bodice front piece.

Altered back.  Start at the underarm seam and cut straight across so you have a large rectangle.

Now pin and cut your fabric.  Use the triangle marks on the top pieces, but don't bother with the skirt, they won't line up.  

Bodice:

1 bodice front in black on fold

2 bodice back pieces in black

1 bodice front in lining on fold

2 bodice back pieces in lining

I don't like having a front seam.  I cut the bodice front on a fold.  You need to compensate for the seam allowance that would normally be there so slide the pattern so it overhangs the fold 5/8".  If you don't, your bodice will be 5/8" larger than it's supposed to.

Do this for bodice and lining front.

For the skirt, cut one front piece on the fold and one side back and front (piece 10) instead of two.  Don't cut it on the fold.  

Now the over skirt.  I decided to cut it into strips like this.

I ended up with 7 large strips, with 7 or 8 skinny strips left that were in the middle.  Now I need to serge them.  I don't have a serger.  I experimented with a couple different stitches and stitch sizes on a scrap piece.

I liked 16 with a tighter and shorter stitch.

 

Start sewing up the sides.  Start with your needle in the down position, then slide your fabric over until it hits the needle.  That's the perfect position.

Right side done, left still unfinished.

Now that all your prep is done, it's time to start construction in the next post.

Frozen Dress Overload

So if you're daughter is anything like mine, she's obsessed with Frozen.  Both of my daughters love it, but the youngest is obsessed.  When the movie came out, I knew it was going to happen.  It's happened with Princess and the Frog, Tangled, and Brave.  What followed was mommy making a matching princess dress.  When I saw Frozen, my heart sank looking at the costumes.  Trying to do the embroidery, find the elaborate fabrics, it was going to be a nightmare.

In December I started asking Emmeline if she wanted an Elsa dress for our trip at the end of January.  She waffled.  Finally 2 weeks before I gave her the final deadline.  She looked at me and said very nonchalantly "nah, I'll just buy one there."  Yep, no big, $70 dress.  Alice didn't care either way as long as she got an Anna dress.  Luckily we had enough rewards on our Disney visa to cover them.  First order of business upon arrival in Magic Kingdom?  Buying dresses. We went straight to castle couture and were told by a very sweet lady, who I'm sure was asked thousands of times a day, that they had none and weren't anticipating another shipment for at least a month.  Checked at BBB.  For the first trip in about 3 years, we didn't make an appointment.  We were afraid that since Alice was so close to 3 and would know what was going on that it wasn't fair to her.  BBB lady tells us that they have some on some days but not others AND she couldn't sell me one without an appointment.  Sad girls.  Luckily (?) we were sick for most of the trip, so that took their minds off the disappointment.  

When we got home, I made Emmeline an Elsa dress for king/queen day at school in less than 24 hours because I forgot!  

Not my best work.  Seams are already splitting because I used an already cut size 3 and didn't notice until it was too late.  I just sewed with a small seam allowance.

I have since sewn another one with the same pattern, McCall's 5499 for my great niece (I swear I'm only 31!).  Basically I cut the pattern pieces in half at the waistline (make very sure they're even!) and used a sheer for the top with the sequin pieces over it and used a different fabric for the skirt.  I was super bummed that I couldn't find the snowflake fabric again for dress number 2, but other than that I think it was more successful than the first.

Here's my gorgeous great niece in her dress:

I've added Anna's traveling dress (pics soon) for my great niece.  My husbands nephew is the same age as us, our kids are the same age.  I made her a couple dresses around Halloween for their Disney trip.  When my niece (feels so odd to say that) asked me to make Anna and Elsa for her daughters birthday I hesitated because of the designs on the bodice, etc.  I finally volunteered after initially saying no if she would do the designs.  She's a genius btw.  Iron on.

Here she is in Anna's traveling dress (the gorgeous artwork was done by my niece and painted on.

A picture of my daughter modeling it without all the pretty painting.

So now Anna's coronation dress didn't seem so daunting.  I bought some light green striped fabric at Joann's and a decorative ribbon that I was going to see to every other stripe.  It was the most viable option I could find until I wandered into the home decor fabrics at the big Joann's 45 min away (we have a tiny one in town).  There it was, the perfect fabric.

Not perfectly perfect, the green and beige are reversed, but close enough.  I have 10 days until Alice's birthday.  Time to get sewing.

Tutorial will be in its own post so you have to read all this drivel to get to it :).