Sullivan School Dress

  A couple of months ago Abby from Sew Much Ado came out with a really cute new pattern. I tend to wait some time to buy new releases, but I liked this one enough to buy it immediately!

  I initially wanted to make this up in some soft pastels, but when I had a chance to sew it a few weeks ago I didn't have any light fabrics that I liked together for this pattern... so I took a totally different direction and used some pretty fall tones.

  Beckers usually fits in 18 month or 2T patterns as far as chest width, but on this size chart she was a 3T, and a 4T in height as usual. I sewed up the 3T and added 2" of length to the skirt hem- it fits her really well! (Or, it did when I sewed it. Since I took these photos she's grown a couple more inches and now it's a bit short.)

  I wasn't sure what to expect, since this was the first pattern from Sew Much Ado that I've sewn, but it was good! This one has illustrations to explain the steps, which is my preference, although I think her other patterns use photos.

  I was delighted to discover that the sleeve cap and armscyes are NOT symmetrical from front to back! There are still some wrinkles are the back armscye, but the front is just about perfect, and I love the sleeve detail:

  The scalloped layer of the bodice floats freely over the lining layer, and there's an elastic casing on the lining layer where the skirt attaches.

  Most of the edges are trued, with the exception of the lower bodice edge for the scalloped version (although the bodice layer is trued for the plain-edge version) and the scallop facing. The scallop facing is really the only thing I disliked about the pattern... it has a double-fold hem at the top edge, which seems unnecessary to me, possible even detrimental to helping the scalloped portion stay in place, and was also slightly difficult to sew with the dip at the side seams there. Next time I would true that edge, and do a serged edge or a single-fold hem there instead.

  The pattern suggests a flat-felled seam for the lining side seams, but I did a regular seam and serged the edges... with the waist seam and sleeve seams also being serged, it made more sense to me to also finish the lining that way.

  The back closure is a keyhole with a button and loop. I used an interesting button that I found at Hobby Lobby a few years ago.

  The red fabric is Moda Bella Solid Country Red, leftover from the girls' Christmas dresses, and I think the print is something I picked up at a yardsale a few years ago, but it could also have been gifted to me. The selvedge says 'The Whole Country Caboodle by Leanne Anderson.'

  I promise I pressed this dress! Those wrinkles just did NOT want to come out, even when I used starch. I suspect that my iron isn't getting quite as hot as it used to.

  Anyway, I will definitely be using the pattern again, I think it's adorable! And when asked if she liked her new dress, Beckers responded, "I DEW!" =)

Thanks for stopping by,

Yoked Daisy Swing Top

 Several months ago I was doodling and came up with a few knit shirt ideas I wanted to try out. This is the first of them!

  I'm considering turning this one into a multi-sized pattern, so I started by drafting a knit tee block in a standard size, then altering it into this design.

 I lengthened it a couple of inches at the hem for Booper, who is a bit taller than average for a six-year-old.

  I love yokes on little girls! I made flat piping from some mustard ponte I had leftover from other projects (also used here and here) and inserted it between the yoke and main body.

  The main body portion is very flared, for a fun swingy silhouette.

  The sleeves are gathered, and I used elastic thread an inch above the hem for a ruffled look:

  The hems are lettuce-edged, of course. =)

  I wanted to keep pattern pieces to a minimum for this, and I think I succeeded in that... there is a yoke piece, a sleeve piece, and a body piece. It's the same in the front and back, so it could be worn either direction.  Well, except for the label I sewed into the yoke! I bought mine from The Dutch Label Shop. Isn't that fun? I just wish I'd sewn it on straight....

  The fabrics are all from Girl Charlee... the floral is a rayon-blend jersey (no longer available, but this one appears to be a different colorway of the same print), the mustard is a ponte knit bought a couple of years ago, and the white is a basic cotton/spandex blend.

  I am really, really happy with how this one turned out! It's even cuter than I expected it to be, and I love the way it hangs and moves!

  And somehow I managed to make it, from drafting the knit block to weaving in the serger threads, in only about 6 hours! Quite a contrast to my current project, which I started months ago.

  It's also Booper's new favorite shirt! Why? Apparently it's very comfortable!

  I want to make a Foof-sized one of these next, but in dress length! Hopefully that ends up as cute as it is in my head!

  I've also got a few ideas for variations on the yoke and sleeves... If only I had time to sew them!

  My usual sewing time has been reduced to a mere nubbin lately, and I've been too tired to do much in the remainder. I need to figure out a system that works better for us! I suspect that the solution lies in a much earlier bedtime and morning for me, so I can sneak in some sewing before the girls wake up.

  That's also why I haven't been posting as often.... I can't write a full post in 15 minutes! And when I spread it out over several days I have a hard time making it cohesive.

  But I'm happy I had some time today! =)

Thanks for stopping by,