Lessons in Dressmaking

So, I here is what I have learned from my most recent fashion sewing project:

1. DO NOT CUT THE PATTERN TO THE SIZE YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE!
2. EXPERIMENT ON SCRAP FABRIC WHEN MAKING BUTTON HOLES!
3. DO NOT CUT THE PATTERN TO THE SIZE YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE!
4. SEW THE GARMENT USING CHEAP FABRIC; IF IT TURNS OUT, USE YOUR FASHION FABRIC!
5. DO NOT CUT THE PATTERN TO THE SIZE YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE!

Did I mention NOT TO CUT THE PATTERN?  I made this mistake when I began cutting out the pattern pieces for See and Sew B5634.  I decided cutting the pattern to the size I thought would fit my oldest daughter would be easier than trying to fold the pieces along the appropriate lines.  Well, it was easier, but in the end, the dress did not fit her!  Too small!  Fortunately, it fit my friend and she modeled it for the photos.

 

You can see in the photo where I violated lesson #2.  The second button is clearly misaligned.  Oops.  What's also obvious is that I paid no heed to lesson #4.  I should have made the dress using cheap fabric first! 

   

I actually learned a lot from this project that helped me make the next dress.  I had never made a collar before!  It was much easier than I expected!  Setting in the sleeves was a bit tricky, but I managed, and I carried this experience into the next dress project.

My daughter's favorite kinds of dresses are shirt dresses and wrap dresses.  I messed up the shirt dress, but I scored with this blue wrap dress.  Actually, I did not intend to use this blue fabric for the actual dress.  This is cheap fabric I used to "practice" the pattern.  My daughter saw the dress, tried it on, and decided she liked the fabric!  Hit!  She wore the dress to work!  If you are interested, this wrap dress pattern is from Sew Simple.  I picked it up at Walmart.  Easy!

So, with all these lessons learned, I'm now ready to attempt the shirt dress again.  This time, I'm going to use McCall's M4769.  I think the fuller skirt will fit my daughter better than the See and Sew pattern.    

I'm using this retro looking fabric for this dress.  I bought this at Quilts and Quilts, my favorite quilt shop  in  Branson, MO.

  

I also bought some "self-ruffling" yarn called, Flounce.  I had never knitted with this sort of yarn before so it was a little weird to get used to, but I managed to follow the directions and make this adorable little scarf!

I'm thinking these little scarves would make great teacher gifts this year!  They are very fast and the stitches are very forgiving!  If anyone is interested in a quick knitting lesson, let me know!  I'll post an easy tutorial!

I also bought a few Jelly Rolls at the quilt shop!  I've already begun work on a quilt using one of them!  I can't wait to show you!  Stay tuned!

Tootles!

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A Look Ahead

It seems summer may actually be over.  There is a definite chill in the air this morning and football season officially kicks off this afternoon!  That means making a pot of chili, curling up together on the couch and watching the Chiefs lose play.  I love summer, but, if I'm honest, this summer has been brutally hot and dry.  Sleeping with the windows open and getting to snuggle up under the bed covers is a real relief.  It's also a great relief on our air conditioner...and the a/c bill!

Don't get me wrong, this summer has been great.  My family and I have taken a few great trips and gotten to spend quality time together. We've biked, golfed, gone fishing and done a lot of swimming!

Summer being over also means "back to normal."  Back to school, homework, 8:30 bedtime, and routine.  Another definite need in my family.  Personally, I'm feeling more normal, too.  It has been nearly one year since my total knee replacement surgery.  Time flies, huh?  They said it would take a year (or so) to feel like the surgery was worth it.  They were right.  My knee is feeling great!  I've got a lot of the flexibility back and the joint is feeling less mechanical and more like a normal knee!

I'm looking forward to cooler weather now and getting back in my sewing room.  I've completed a few projects in between summer activities, including sewing two dresses for my oldest daughter and a skirt for my youngest.  The lessons I learned from this dressmaking will be the subject of my next post!  Here is a sneak peak at a few of my latest projects.

      

I am super excited about my quilting projects I am planning.  I have the fabrics for two of them and am in the planning stages for what I want to do with them.   I can't wait to show you!

Have a fabulous fallish Sunday!  I've got to start on the chili!   Tootles for now!

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