Christmas/New Year's dress number two!

 The is the second of the two Christmas/New Year's dresses I made this year.  I did a little ranting about sewing with velveteen in the last post and I won't do that again in this one!  I think I've forgiven the fabric a little! This dress was made for my three year old from Vogue 9042.  The pattern came together pretty smoothly save for the zipper insertion at the bottom and the pleat included there.  I had some trouble understanding exactly how they wanted the zipper included in that pleat so I went my own way.  Also I used an invisible zipper and the pattern did not call for one- why I can't imagine. 

 As far as sizing goes, I made a size 3 with a size 4 length.  My daughters are a little tall, I am so glad for them!  The size feels just right, its not too roomy and the size 4 length worked perfectly for my three year old.

 Both the satin and the velveteen are from Hancock fabrics.  They are beautiful, I would say that this was the better behaved of the two velveteens I worked with but the sleeves undoubtedly gave me the hardest time with both dresses.  If you are looking for nice velveteen I can recommend Hancock's.  I completely lined the inside of the dress and the pattern included lining pieces- oh thank you, thank you, thank you Vogue for including those lining pieces so that I did not have to jimmy one myself. 

This dress is really darling and in a cotton would be easy to whip up.  I love sweet little dresses like this with yokes, peter pan collars, pleats and gathered sleeve heads.  By the way she loves the dress too.  At first she declared it "not pretty" when I was making it but when she put it on she loved it!  My oldest liked her dress too, she was a little challenging to photograph.  My three year old was very cooperative about these pictures (surprise!) and she really wanted to show off her new tricycle- doesn't everyone ride tricycles while wearing velveteen dresses! 

Ok well there you have it, its a sweet little dress if you are in the market for a pattern like this one and it sews up fine apart from the confusing bit at the bottom of the zipper!

Christmas Dress for my 6 Year Old

One of my sewing goals listed here was to sew Christmas dresses out of taffeta for my daughters.  I've never sewn with taffeta and have wanted to try it for some time.  I've also never sewn an overlay or a tulle underskirt so there were several unknown variables for me in this make.  One thing I love about sewing garments is that there is always something new to learn- be it a new fabric, a new technique etc and that keeps my mind whirring- in a good way.  

The Pattern:

This is the first of the two Christmas dresses and I used Simplicity 1507.  I made a size 6 and changed the length of the skirt.  I was going for tea length instead of the longer length featured on the pattern cover.  I used another pattern with the skirt length I wanted to help decide how much to remove from the length.  I think I removed about 4 1/2 inches.  I also wanted the overlay and skirt to be about the same length rather than the way the pattern had it with the overlay noticeably shorter.  Construction wise, I don't know if it was me or the instructions but in some places I had a bit of a tough time discerning the directions.  Granted some of these technique's are new to me so something new always sounds foreign at first.  The skirt has quite a few layers to contend with (overlay, skirt and lining with tulle attached.)  I was confused by the directions when referring to the lining because they call it both a lining and a slip.  This isn't a difficult dress to make just fiddly which is to be expected with the floofiness of it.  

My favorite features of this dress are the collar, the tie back sash and the sleeves. I.love.those.sleeves!  I wasn't sure how they would come out but they are beautiful.  They have this tulip like feel to the gathers at the top that are so sweet and the cut out shaping is gorgeous.  Now I want sleeves like this on a dress!  The collar is also adorable in my opinion- one thing to note the instructions don't tell you to interface the collar- so interface the collar.  It needs it.  Believe me, I didn't and had to tack the collar down in a few spots because it looked a bit floppy.  I should've trusted my intuition to interface it but oh well.  I love the sash but I always love sashes on girls dresses.  My only beef with this one is that the placement markings on the bodice pattern piece that are supposed to correspond with the front sash don't line up properly so you are left to guess at the correct placement.  I think I could've moved mine a smidge down toward the waist but I was worried it would then get caught in the waistband stitching.  

The Fabric

The taffeta is from Hancock Fabrics and I prewashed it in a cool wash and tumbled dry low. I read about taffeta in my Vogue sewing book and it was somewhat helpful.  I was really careful to take my time when making the dress and to serge any of the taffeta's raw edges because taffeta likes to fray.  It frays into this webby type stuff that sticks like mad to dry winter fingers. ugh.  I used the smallest needle I could find to sew and in a few spots if you held the fabric toward the light you could see minuscule thread catches.  It was so minor I didn't worry about it but it made me wonder what professionals use since the size 8 needle was the smallest Hancock had in stock.  I wouldn't have thought to go down that small but one of the ladies who works at Hancock's suggested that I do.  One other note about taffeta is that if you baste and remove your basting stitches you might have some small evidence in the fabric.  So baste inside of the seam lines and you can avoid those holes.    

The overlay and tulle I hand washed before using as well.  The overlay is a delicate mesh, I think nylon but it said on the bolt to hand wash it.  So if this dress gets dirty I will have to hand wash it- but that's to be expected and I don't mind hand washing, its dry cleaning that I loathe. The overlay is also from Hancock Fabrics.  To hem this overlay I stitched 1/4 inch from the edge then folded on that line and then once again and stitched down the roll.  So in essence a rolled hem.  I lined the dress with some poly lining from Joann Fabrics and the tulle is from Hancock too.  What can I say Hancock's is down the street from my house!  

  

Will she wear it? 

Lately when I blog I've been using the headings "The Pattern, The Fabric, Styling" but I think now for kids clothes I won't worry with styling but instead talk about weather or not I think my child will wear it.  I ALWAYS wonder that about the things people sew for their children because, quite honestly my daughter would NOT wear some of the adorable artsy stuff I see people sew for their kids (I've tried it to no avail).  So for me figuring out if my child will actually wear the garment is part of the puzzle.  You won't see a lot of artsy, edgy stuff from me here, it never leaves the dresser drawers in our house.  

So all that to say, yes, she will wear it to church, she begged to play in it after we took pictures and I made her put her hand over her heart and swear not to roll around on the floor in it and to try to the best of her ability to take care of it.  She laughed but there was no rolling around.  She played in it for a while and tested out the twirlability and loves it.  She said she feels like a princess.  And that is just what I was hoping for, its the whole reason I picked out that glittery overlay because I knew she would love it.  She stood in the sunshine and said "I sparkle!"  It makes it sooooo worth it when she loves a dress and feels special in it.  She is a great muse for me since I probably wouldn't have picked that sparkly overlay out without her preferences in mind and it really jazzy's up the dress.          

 A few more shots of the skirts.  Below is the skirt under the overlay.

The lining with two rows of tulle attached for floofiness.

So one taffeta dress down and now one to go!!!  Fingers crossed this next one won't be quite as fussy but hopefully just as adorable!

A Spooky Stash Bust.

I love Halloween and I have loved listening to the NPR show Snap Judgment Spooked V this week.  If you need some spooky ghost stories to get you into the Halloween spirit, you should listen to this program, or if your a big scaredy cat at night like me, then, maybe not!  Anyway today I wasn't sure what was scarier in my real life, a two year old that won't nap or working with a super nice wool fabric I've been hoarding for years?  

My first make here is the Oliver and S Family Reunion Dress made in a size two.  The size two is quite roomy on my 28  month old and the neckline borderlines way too big.  The pattern is a bit fussy but came together just fine.  I am always a little puzzled by the hemline technique of Oliver and S patterns but they always look great if you hand stitch them.  Even though you can't see it I added the five rows of stitching at the hemline because I thought the stiffness might make the dress stand out a bit.  I did this as the pattern suggested and the plus is that I didn't have to hand stitch the hem!  

I used quilting cotton from my stash that I bought two fall's back at Hancock Fabrics.  I also used pearly shell buttons from my stash for the back of the dress and cotton lace around the neck facing.  

It was quite difficult to get clear pictures with all the two year old movement and me just plain not understanding my camera so this is the clearest shot of the back of the dress.  The lace blends in but I still think its pretty sweet. 

The second make is the Oliver and S Forest Path Cape.  I made a size two in this pattern as well.  There are techniques in the pattern to help coax the lining into submission and not peak out from under the top layer and even though I used all suggested techniques the lining still peaks out, so word to the wise, choose a lining that you don't mind seeing peak out of the cape.  The pattern came together easily and I used a tailors ham to iron the shoulder seams and a damp cloth to steam my wool into place while trying not to melt the metallic fibers in this fabric.  

The fabric is a wool blend I've saved literally for years and funny enough had totally forgotten about until I reorganized my fabric recently.  It was a one yard remnant from a nice shop in Kansas City and although I loved it I was scared of using it with the crazy plaid and the loving it so much.  But I saw the Fear Fabric Challenge  over at 110 Creations and decided it was time to cut into that beloved wool.  With just one yard I knew that the best thing would be to use it on the tidbit since she only needs a tidbit of fabric.    

The lining is some poly lining that funny enough I was about to donate when I realized it matched this fabric exactly.  Another stash bust!  The buttons are leather covered and from Hancock Fabrics- I dug them out of their clearance buttons and that paid off since they were originally 3.00 for two and on clearance were .60 for two! 

When I told little bit that I made her a cape (without her seeing it) she said "me not like it."  And that about sums up why it is spooky to sew nice things for a toddler!  But she wore it for these pics and had no complaints so I think it will fly after all.  

I wasn't able to line up the plaid on the shoulder seams but got it lined up in the front where it matters most. This cranberry color is one of my very favorite for fall and I'm really pleased that I got the sewed up finally.  I have to thank Stitch 56 for this pattern.  It was one of two patterns I bought with my winnings from their Alder Shirtdress competition.  Helene provides excellent customer service and is so very nice.  I have nothing but wonderful things to say about her and her online shop.  If I lived in Australia I'd be all over this print.  

Well Happy Halloween tomorrow and may your plastic pumpkin overfloweth with treats!

Retro Reproduction Dress FREE Pattern and Tutorial

We are so excited to finally get our free pattern up and going.  We have loved experimenting with this pattern and think you will too.  It is a really simple shape that has only four pattern pieces- meaning that it won't take forever to make- but lends itself perfectly to alterations and additions.  It is drafted in sizes 2T-4T.  We plan on sharing with you all our alterations and additions in the next few weeks!  I have already made four for my daughter this summer and can see this dress transitioning into fall with some tights and a long sleeve shirt underneath.  You can find previous versions of the dress here, here, and here. 

So are you ready to get started?  Great!  Here we go!

Here's the link for download: I Sew, You Sew: Retro Reproduction Dress

1.)  Print out your dress pattern and tape together the pieces.  The pieces that are to be taped together have corresponding numbers (meaning all the pieces labeled 1 go together, all the pieces labeled 2 go together and so forth).  When you're finished you should have one Front dress pattern piece, one Back dress pattern piece, one Front facing, one Back facing.  All seam allowances are 1/2 inch unless otherwise indicated. For now disregard the slash lines that run diagonally across the dress- they are for this version of the dress that we will soon make a tutorial for...so stay tuned!

2.)  You are now ready to cut out your fabric. Each of your pattern pieces should be cut on the fold of the fabric. After you cut out your fabric you should have four pieces- one Front piece, one Back piece, one Front facing and one Back facing.  They are each folded in half in this picture.

3.)  Finish the bottom edges of the Front and Back facings so that they will not unravel. You can use a zigzag stitch, three step zigzag, or serge the edges.  I used a serger to finish the edges in the picture.

4.)  Sew the Front facing to the Front dress piece right sides together- using 1/2 inch seam allowance.  You will stitch from the bottom of one armhole curve to the other enclosing the armhole, top of dress and neck.  Be careful not to stitch the sides together.  You can follow the path of the pins in the picture below.  After you have stitched the Front facing to the Front dress piece repeat with the Back facing and Back dress pieces.

5.)  Trim seams to 1/4 inch, clip the curves, and trim the points off the top edge of dress.

6.)  Turn the right sides of the facings out and iron flat.  Do this for the front dress/facing pieces and back dress/facing pieces.

7.)  Now we want to attach the Front of the dress to the Back of the dress and the dress Front and Back facings in one continuous stitch.  This may seem confusing if you've never done it before- hang in there it will give everything a nice clean look.
With right sides together place the Front dress and Back dress pieces together, lining up the side seams, with the facings right sides together as well- to do this the facings will be opened out.  This will make one continuous stitch on the side seam and will give the underside of the facings a clean finish.

8.)  After you complete the side seam connecting the facings and Front and Back pattern pieces press down the facings and press open the side seams.  You may want to finish the side seams with a serger or zigzag stitch.

9.)  Next you will tack down the facings under the arm attaching the facing to the dress.  To tack the facings down use a needle and thread to apply a few stitches that connect the facings to the dress.  This will keep the facings from flipping around and being a nuisance when the garment is laundered and worn.

10.)  Time for buttons!  Hopefully your sewing machine has an automatic buttonhole feature.  Follow the buttonhole markings on the pattern for the buttons and for the buttonholes.  We recommend using buttons that are 3/4 to 7/8 inch in width but technically you can use whatever buttons you have on hand but you may need to play with the buttonhole placement a bit to get everything centered nicely.

11.)  To hem your dress first finish the raw edge of the hem with either a zigzag stitch or serger.  Then fold up the hem by 1 and 1/2 inches, easing the hem into place (the circumference of the bottom of the hem is slightly bigger, hence the easing it in place).  I find ironing it to help ease it in makes it cooperate better.

11.)  Now you can hand stitch the hem to the dress so that the stitching is barely visible from the outside.

Alternately you can fold the raw edge up 1/4 inch, press and then fold it up 1 and 1/4 inch more and machine stitch it down.  If you prefer you can try the dress on your child to see what hem length you prefer, remember that this dress is designed to be a bit short.    

Now you are DONE!  Yeah!  Now go crazy and pull out all those retro fabrics and get to work making two, three, four or five!  If you have any questions regarding construction feel free to let us know.  There are many ways to construct a dress of this sort and everyone has their own preferences so be brave- if you don't like the way we did it chart your own waters with the construction.  We'd love to see your finished projects so PLEASE link it back to our comments so we can check it out.  We also have an I Sew, You Sew Flickr group.  Happy Sewing!!

Since this a free pattern we ask you to please be respectful of our creative property.  Feel free to use this pattern to make dresses for sale in your home but please no mass production and resale of our pattern as your own work.  

Capturing Childhood

I've been sewing for my oldest child for five years and the questions I ask myself when I make garments for her now are different from the questions I once asked when I began this journey.  When I began I felt more restricted by cost and my limited sewing experience.

Now, although I still consider cost, I think more about what kind of picture of childhood I am trying to help my children capture.  I guess a hope of mine is that one day they will see a baby dress I made them and with fondness put that same dress on their child.  Another hope is that I will make the garments to fit their style and their particular frame.  I don't want them looking back on pictures and seeing what frightening get up their mom forced on them. 

All this to say that I try to draw ideas for my children's garments from both their ideals and my ideals.  I have found that a good place to start is by looking at children's books.  I wanted to share three artists that are my favorite.  I often page through these books for inspiration.  Let me show you why:

Eloise Wilkin

This is artist, Eloise Wilkin.  Her children's books have always captivated me, especially her eye for details concerning the construction of children's clothing.  This dress is probably my favorite design for a girls dress.  The yoke, the peter pan collar, the little puff sleeves, the gathered fluffyness of the dress.  These are all elements I adore.  

Here she really captures the wonder of childhood that is deeply tied to the wonder of nature.  Discovering nature and the world around you is all part of the mystery of growing as a person and Eloise Wilkin really seems to portray this in her drawings.  The children's clothes in this picture seem to embrace the reality that children like to feel comfy in their clothing.  

Gyo Fujikawa

What I love most about Gyo Fujikawa's drawings are the rich colors.  The colors are sometimes paired in ways that aren't so matchy-matchy and more organic which I think perfectly reflects childhood.  My children definitely don't pair their items the same way that I might (come to think of it their Dad NEVER pairs their clothes the way I would-ha ha!)!

The drawings also have that soft, water color look that I love as well and the pets are always in on the action.

I know whenever my children are playing in the yard our dog Buster is always right there with them.  Licking them, running beside the wagon, pulling on their clothes (and yes also destroying toys and eating whatever is in their hands).  

Marylin Hafner

I am less familiar with this artist however her drawing are very 70's in the book that I own but since I was born in the 70's in makes sense that I'd feel a tie to her!

This is from a Halloween book she illustrated but the way that the children appear to have made their own costumes is just perfect.  Dad's coat and tie, Mom's lipstick and that kid that made the weird, huge rabbit head (on a side note we had a kid come to our house this year with a huge papermache head, my daughter said "I won't trick or treat him because that's weird") that is what being a kid is about.  Making do, creating, exploring, growing as a person.  

I hope that in some way these images will inspire you as you dream of the garments you will make for your children and I know that every time I look at them I am inspired anew.  Do you have any children's books that you use for inspiration?