Golden

I came across this golden silk suiting fabric in the remnant section of my favorite local fabric store and instantly fell in love.  Some fabrics just speak to me.  The shimmer, color and texture were so romantic and sophisticated.   I knew the color would not be ideal for my girls' complexion but I could not resist the urge to make a dress out of it.

It's a little small for Scarlett so I will wait 6 months to put it on my other daughter, Autumn.  I think it would pair well with oqaque grey tights for fall.  I also can see it with no tights for summer. 

My orginal plan was to make a very deep V-Back but I had to take the bodice in more than I planned, which made the back higher than ideal.  I still love it but regret my poor planning with the back.  I'm still learning all the time with trial and error.

I love seeing full dresses from beneath.  The layers are always to pretty.  Here, I used some gray grosgrain ribbon to complete the hem.  

The Paris Dress

Why does this dress make me want to go to Paris?  I'm not sure.  But I always think of a Paris vacation when I see it.

I created this pattern myself and used a lightweight cotton.  It sat for months, just black and white and I could not decide what it needed to complete the look.   I am so glad I waited until I found the red twill tape rather than just finish it with the other ideas I was playing with.

Flannel Flounce

 (My Muse)

I created this pattern, after being inspired from some vintage illustrations I came across.  I love this little beauty.  It's truly of of my favorites.  

The fabric is a soft flannel that I found at JoAnn Fabrics. When I saw it, the colors spoke to me.  I knew they would look stunning on my blue-eyed redheads.   The dress cost about $10 to create. 

Now that I've taken the time to create the pattern, I'm definitely going to create more dresses in different fabrics (a light blue linen, a dotted swiss, etc).  However, I think I'll make the main body a tad slimmer this time.  

Rainbow Denim

I am so behind on this blog!!  I've been sewing but not posted photos for months!  Today, I finally took the time to photograph my recent creations and have several posts coming in the next week or two.   Stay tuned. 

 Here is a simple little gingham-lined denim skirt I made.  I chose multi-colored buttons so that it will match about everything.   Scarlett looks darling in it with her long giraffe legs. 

Tinker

I think Halloween is secretly every seamstress' favorite holiday, with so much freedom and imagination.  This year Scarlett was Tinkerbell.  I would rather her have been something more unique but she's stubborn and was not wavering so made her a Tinker. 

The skirt originally had many more bells but came off too easily so I finally left it alone. 

I'm tempted to make her Scarlett O 'Hara next year if she'll agree....

Emerald Wool + Sparkle

As soon as I saw this emerald wool suiting, I knew it was destined for my little blue-eyed redhead.


I just love this dress. It's made from wool suiting and I used real glass beads that I purchased in the fabric district in NYC for $1 a piece. They contain tiny little holes on each side of beads that you can loop thread through.



For the pattern, I altered the perfect dress to make it more fitted throughout the torso and flare at the knee. My only regret is that the lining puckered slightly during final alternations. Other than that, I love it!

Bustle Bum Skirt Tutorial

This is a fun and easy skirt that can be made for about any season. Find a lightweight/thin material. Anything thick would not bustle well and cause the back to sag considerably.

First, let’s cut the fabric. I have the formula below and also put an example in red to see what I used on my skinny three year-old daughter.

To get width, take the waist measurement and multiply it by 1.8

Example. Scarlett’s waist is 20 inches. 20 X 1.8 = 36 inches

For length, measure from the waist to whatever length you desire and then add about three inches for seams and waistband.

We now need to get measurements A and B below.

• To get A, take the waist measurements and subtract three inches. (20 -3 =17 inches).

• To get measurement B, take the length and subtract A and then divide in half.

Example:

36 (Length) – 17 (Waist minus three inches)= 19 inches

19 inches / 2 = 9.5 inches

At this point, just simply make small marks on the top of the rectangular to record where the division between A and B are. We will be coming back to that shortly.

Ok, how fold the fabric in half, with right sides together, like shown.

Sew the non-folded side closed.

This will create a tube. Now, take the upper edge (where the waistband will be) and fold the fabric down approximately ¼”. Press that down and then fold it about a inch down. This is the waistband and casing where the elastic will be inserted so just make it slightly wider than the elastic you are using (I recommend ¾” – 1” elastic). Pin the waistband down every few inches.

Once pinned, take the pin and have the center seam facing you (skirt should still be inside out). This is where you refer to where sections B start. Like the diagram below, sew the waistband down from B to B (it will take you across the seam).

Next, take the elastic, guided with a closed safety pin, and feed it through the part of the waistband you just stitched.

Secure it on the other side with the safety pin and pull to make it bustle. Pull it until there are about three inches of bustle at top. Secure the other side with a safety pin. This is a great time to have the child try it on to see if you would like the elastic tightened or loosened. Once you find the ideal size, sew a line through the elastic, vertically, at each end, to secure it. That was a mouthful.

See the photos for clarification. Hopefully this makes sense!

Now, sew the rest of the waistband closed (the rest will all be section A). And then chose the length desired for the skirt and create a hem by folding and sewing.

Turn right side out. It is starting to resemble a skirt! Hopefully my directions don’t have you flustered at this point.

For the bow, sew a rectangle and wrap fabric around the middle. Tack to skirt.

And you’re done!