1930's dress for dolly Kit

I just finished up this sweet little dress and it is just adorable!  I have admired this pattern for a couple of years and am so happy to finally make it.  Here's the skinny:

Vogue 7565

Dress A, Collar B

Hem lengthened by 1", and only hemmed up 1/2"

Notes to self:  

DO NOT set in the sleeves like the pattern tells you to!  I didn't even attempt it as I could see the nightmare in it.  That arm hole is so tiny!  However, I had already stitched/serged the side seams, so I still had a bear of a time picking out enough stitches to make room to put the sleeves in.  Ugh.

It took me 3 looong sewing sessions to finish this up.  I enjoyed it, but it was a time consuming pattern.....especially with all the stitch pickin'.  I probably have 12-15 hours into this dress.  Maybe next time it will go faster.

Remember to use thread the color of your piping--not the color of the collar.

Next time, lower the front Band by 1/2" or so to balance the added length.  Come to think of it....I might just lower this one now.

The buttons came from a bin I received from an old family friend who had moved to a nursing home.  I don't know if they are vintage or not, but so many of the buttons look very old.  This lady was a wonderful seamstress and you can see the decades in that bin!  There were lots of these silver/navy ones.

My mom bought Kit for me 6 or 7 years ago and I just think she's the sweetest looking doll!  I love the 1930's and want to make several more outfits for her.  I already have the feedsack prints waiting!

One more........close up.

Isn't she a doll?

Music Class Blouse & Skirt........a Pattern Review and an Upcycle, too!

The Music Class outfit from Oliver + S is my current favorite pattern, both for ease of construction and adorable design!  This outfit is just darling!

And...........in real life..............

I picked up the fabric for the blouse months ago, because I KNEW I would buy this pattern soon.  It is City Weekend Corner Florist Pink, I think?

I also knew I wanted to make the skirt in denim, so Ava could wear it with many shirts.  However, I am kind of a tightwad when it comes to fabric, so, even though I splurged on the blouse at $10/yd., I could not make myself pay that much for denim.

Why?

Well, I think it's because I couldn't find that City Weekend fabric anywhere on sale, but just HAD to have it.  Denim, on the other hand, is readily available at your local thrift store in the form of an outdated dress.

For $3.45.  :D

This is where the Upcycle began..........

 

This dress was in great condition, and had just enough fabric for this skirt.  It was a women's size XL.  I even used the existing hemline, but only because I needed to make the skirt a little longer.  It also had lovely pearl snaps on it, which I was hoping could be salvaged for another project.  I'm disappointed that I don't think that is going to be possible or a valuable use of my time.  However, if you've ever done it, please share how! The scraps are about to go into File 13........

I made the blouse first, and was a bit disappointed with the sizing.  Here, you can see how boxy it looks.  And short.  I made a size 12, even though I know very well that Ava is tall and slim.  My thought process was that I wanted her to be able to wear it a long time.  She could easily have worn an 8, lengthened, but I was concerned it would be too narrow in the shoulders.  I will have to do a little research the next time I make this and see which would be the best size to make and modify.

She is showing you how much excess fabric there is on the sides.

There was about 12" of ease.  Too much for this blouse.

I thought about adding a slight ruffle to the hem to lengthen it, but decided to take it in at the sides first.  I serged off about 3" from each side.  Funny, then it didn't look so short on her!  I think the extra width was making it hang funny.

I decided to hem it and just see how it looked paired with the skirt.

A close-up of the pintucks......

The skirt was so fun to make!  I was just giddy the whole time and kept saying, "Wow!  This looks so professional!"

She likes the pockets.  :)

The denim was a medium weight and was very easy to sew through.  I worried how the pleats would turn out with a heavier fabric, but they look great!

Those of you who have made this skirt before may notice an extra panel at the top of the side panel.  Uh.......yeah..........that was a flub on my part.  I lengthened the skirt a couple inches, but my sewing math really stinks.  I calculated how much length to add to both the front and side panels, but somehow the sides ended up too short.  Doh!

Not having enough fabric leftover for a new cut, I had to create new little panels to add to the top to make it long enough.  Goodness gracious.  Well, I really don't think anyone would ever notice if they weren't familiar with the pattern already, so I just added more topstitching to make it look "on purpose".

That's how I roll.  Well, first I freak out a little bit and panic that I'll have to start all over with new fabric, but then I calm down and figure it out.  :)

This pattern was very easy to sew.  I think my end product looks just like the picture on the pattern--so professional!  I made both pieces in a size 12, took 3" off each side of the blouse and lengthened the skirt by 2".  I will definitely sew it again (I'm thinking a white eyelet blouse....) and highly recommend this pattern.  Even a beginner would have success with this pattern, though I might suggest starting with the skirt.

Oliver + S has the cutest patterns...........you really must check them out!  They also have digital downloads available for many of the patterns for those of you who like instant gratification.  But I wouldn't know anything about that.........

Every SuperMom needs a cape!

Back in December I was tickled to get to be a pattern tester for Liesl Gibson, pattern designer for Oliver + S, Lisette, and Liesl & Co.!

 

The pattern I sewed is for the Liesl & Co. line, and is now available as a digital download--how great is that?  It is called Woodland Stroll Cape and  was so easy to sew! 

 

I'll be honest when I say, I wasn't exactly in the market for a cape.  I tend to shop very "safe" and don't branch out very much.  Geez, I make it sound like this is a real psychadelic superhero cape!

 

What can I say?  I think my wardrobe is rather boring much of the time!  I NEED more stylish items like this cape!  And so do you, my friend! 

 

 

Truly, I spent less than 4 hours making this.  4 HOURS.  And I am probably quite slow!  I think I was rather horrified to realize I could have been making myself awesome pretties like this all these years and have not done so.  Let's just say a light bulb went off!

 

I really can't wait to make another in a more casual fabric.  Perhaps I'll make it a few inches longer, as well, as I am a bit tall.  Maybe a dark brown or charcoal plaid.  And then one for Ava.  Oh, didn't I mention it is available for kids, too?  So adorable.

 

I chose a faux suede from the Christopher Lowell decorator line at Joann's.  I couldn't find the label when I bought it, and one of the employees said it was a moleskin.  When I went back a couple weeks later, the label was there and read "Suedecloth".  So there you go.  I thought it felt a smidge heavier than moleskin.

Showing the tobacco colored lining.  Please ignore my lounge wear!!!

 

 

I wanted mother of pearl buttons, but these were the closest I could find that day.  The color is close enough and I am pleased with them.  I love the color.  The color of the suede, the color of the buttons, and the color of the lining!  It's just lovely and I'm so glad I was driven out of my little "box" and tried something new!

 

It feels very luxurious to wear! I've already worn it several times and received some very nice compliments!

 

 

It was such a fun opportunity to test this pattern for Liesl, and I hope for the privilege again in the future!

 

If you still haven't checked out her patterns for kids and women, please do yourself a favor and go do it now!

 

Be brave.

 

Branch out like I did and make yourself a psychadelic superhero cape!

Sew Lisette...........the Souvenir blouse

Ah, I finally made up something for myself!  I nabbed this black floral quilting cotton from Hobby Lobby for $2/yd! 

Initially, I set out to make the Portfolio dress first, but Joann's did not have that pattern when they were on sale!  Boo!  They also didn't have the Itinerary dress, or Market patterns.  It appears they are all 3 out of print with Simplicity, and possibly will not be available anymore.  But, wait!  Last week, you know--AFTER the Simplicity sale was over, I found them all at a Joann's across town!  Yay!  Now, to wait for them to go on sale again..........

So, I decided to start with a pattern I DID own, and chose the Souvenir blouse.  I ran into a huge problem with the sleeves not lining up AT ALL with the underarm/yoke.  It was such a huge difference I didn't know what to do.  I think I measured over an inch that the sleeves were too small and there was no way to stretch the fabric that much.  I tried.

 

 

See that gray bias tape?  That's the top of the sleeve-the shoulder.  The front of it comes down to meet the lined yoke--which is opened up in this photo.  The sleeve should meet the seam of the two yoke pieces.

After checking and re-checking the pattern pieces to make sure I 1) cut out the same size for both the sleeves and the bodice; and 2) made sure I didn't put the wrong sleeves on the wrong armholes; 3) stitched my seam allowances correctly; I finally gave up and decided to just take in the extra amount under the arm and see how it went!  So, the picking began..........

It went fine!  The seams do not line up like they should, but it's black, it's under the arms, and no one will ever notice.  And if anyone is ever examining me that close............under my arms............well, let's just say they deserve to be disappointed!

The top still goes on over my head just fine, and I think it probably fits better with the extra 2" taken in.  This blouse in this fabric seemed like such a good idea when I started, but after I put it on, all I could think of was, "Muumuu."  I KNEW Matt would take one look at it and think the same thing.

It had to have a belt.  I wore it with jeans and that belt around my waist and a tan crocheted open sweater to church.  It was quite comfy!  But, as soon as I got home, I shed those jeans and put on my black stretchy pants as I knew we would not be getting out again that day.  That is why the photos are cropped.  Because NO ONE sees me in my stretchy pants.  NO ONE.  Except the kids.  But, they don't care.

I should also mention that I ended up making the dress version, just without the ruffle.  I'm 5'8" and needed the extra length.  RTW shirts are always so short on me.

Would I make this top again?  Absolutely!  Even though I still have no earthly idea what I did wrong, it was easily fixed and it wouldn't bother me to have to do the same thing again.  Next time maybe a smaller floral, though?  Or denim...........

Fun Fridays: New Oliver + S Patterns!

Yay, for Fridays!

I always want to bust out of the house and just go do SOMETHING on Fridays. 

Today I took the kids with me to run a few short errands.  The weather is just BEAUTIFUL!  Nearly 70 degrees!  After all the cold, yucky rain we've had over the last few days, it was welcome.  

So, after our errands were complete, we stopped at a park and the kids just ran and ran and climbed and played.  :)

And look what came in the mail for me!

I have been wanting the book Little Things to Sew and several Oliver + S patterns for a time now.  The patterns you see are Sleepover Pajamas, Ice Cream Dress, and School Photo Dress.

So happy they came!

I have a little problem with the book, though.  It is supposed to come with a dust jacket with paper doll clothes on it that you can use with the paper dolls in the book.  Mine is missing the dust jacket.  Boooo!

Ava likes paper dolls and was wanting to play with them.  

I've sent an inquiry in to the company I bought it from, Fabric Depot, and am waiting to hear what will come of it.  But, I hesitate opening up the pattern sheets inside until I know whether or not they will want me to send it back.  Blast!

So, I wait!  In the meantime, I've already began cutting out fabric for the patterns, along with some other O + S patterns I've had.  Here's what I'm cutting:

1 Jump Rope dress, size 12

2 Field Trip Raglan tshirts, sizes 8 & 10

2 Field Trip Cargo pants, sizes 8 & 10

1 Scool Photo dress, size 12

3 pair of Sleepover Pajama bottoms, sizes 8, 10, & 12

1 Ice Cream dress in a Valentine color block, size 12

That ought to keep me busy for awhile!  At least, until the Lisette patterns go on sale this weekend!

I linked to the Lisette site, but the sale I'm talking about is at Joann Fabrics.  They will have all their Simplicity patterns 5 for $5!  I plan to snatch up every one of the Lisette and Little Lisette patterns, probably in both size options.  I can't wait to sew some new things for myself!

First up on my list for me:  The Portfolio Dress

You can see dresses that have been made up by others at the Sew Lisette Flickr pool.

What are you doing for fun today?

oliver + s field trip raglan shirt

Happy 2013 to you!  I feel like I hardly know what day it is, we've been so sick over Christmas and New Year's.  It started with the boys getting the flu, then Ava, then Levi and Ava both developed bronchitis.  Then I did.  Nasty stuff that caused us to not be able to keep our Christmas Day plans with family, but hey, life happens.  Other than that, we had a very nice Christmas!

So, I am branching out in my sewing abilities this year.  I have been quilting for over 10 years and now have been bitten by the clothing bug.  Last year about this time I made a dress for Ava using the oliver + s jump rope dress pattern. 

I never blogged about the finished product, though, because I'm bad about blogging.  I'm trying more to view it as "scrapbooking" instead of blogging since I don't scrapbook anymore.  Maybe that'll help.  :)

Anyway, the dress turned out lovely and I will post about it sometime when I take pictures.  That successful project encouraged me to research and learn more about sewing apparel.

I bought the video Apparel Sewing Basics with Liesl Gibson last week and watched that. 

I wasn't sure I would learn much from it as I have been sewing a number of years, but was hoping to pick up a few tips for clothing.  And I did!  It was a worthwhile purchase and I promptly went to JoAnn's to pick up a list of notions for my apparel sewing arsenal.  Along with some flannel and knit fabrics to make up some jammies for the kids.

I was SO excited to learn to sew with knits!  It was rather ridiculous, really.  Ava kept laughing at me until I explained how much I like to learn something new.  I think she got it.

I started with the field trip raglan shirt by oliver + s. 

I carefully cut out my fabric and started sewing in the middle of making dinner because I was just SO EXCITED!  I finished everything but the sleeve and shirt hems and needed Evan to try it on for me.

Something I figured out during my sewing was that the fabric was not very stretchy width-wise.  I hemmed and hawed over this a few minutes but decided to proceed as the fabric was already cut and there was really nothing I could do about it.  But, in the back of my mind I was worried it would be too tight in the arms.

It's fine in the arms, but too tight across the shoulders.  Hmm.  I was disappointed.  Not too terribly, but still.

Now that I've posted the picture of it, I see you really can't tell.  It looks great!  But, it is too tight.

So, I hemmed and hawed again over what I had done wrong and contemplated what to do.  I only spent $6 on the fabric, so I could go get more and start all over without too much regret.  I did learn something, after all, and that alone is worth $6.  Do you know what I did wrong?  I bet some of you do!

I bought too little fabric--1/2 a yard of each fabric instead of 3/4 of a yard.  What can I say, I didn't have the pattern with me, I had 3 kids in the store with me who were all about to DIE from boredom, and I was running off my memory--not a wise decision.

So, after washing my 1/2 yard cuts and seeing how much they shrank, I had to fold the fabric the opposite direction from the way it comes on the bolt to be able to fit the pattern pieces.  You know, cut edges together instead of selvedges together?

Problem?  Yes.  This knit only stretches in the width.  Not the length.  Those shoulders would have been fine if they were cut on the grain.  As it is, the shirt will not stretch at all in width, but you can stretch the daylights out of the sleeve length and shirt length. 

*Sigh*

I don't give up that easily!  I plan to pick out the sleeves and neckband and replace them with a new cut of fabric.  Back to JoAnn's!  I think the body will be fine without the stretch, because it is roomy on Evan.  I have already come up with a solution for Levi's shirt, as well, without needing to buy more fabric.  It will just not be quite as long, and I will make short sleeves.  This really makes sense anyway, as those boys get hot at night and don't need long sleeves.  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they shed their flannel bottoms by morning.

So, there you go.  I've already learned something new this year!

A little off-topic, but my sewing goals for this year are:

Sew 2 articles of clothing each month
Make 2 quilts (one for Evan, another just for fun--hopefully a Bargello in there somewhere!)
Sew doll clothes from the list Ava has made :)
..............and blog more.  Not that that has much to do with sewing.

Pretty simple, but I find I need to aim a little lower than my ambitions want me to if I expect to fulfill any of them.  You know.  Because life happens.

I'll post an update and let you know how the shirts turn out!

Fun Fridays: American Girl thrift store makeover

I REALLY wish I had a before picture of this doll!  Her hair was a mess!  I found her at a thrift store (last year, actually) for $2.92!!!!  I REPEAT, $2.92!!!!!  Score!!!

She is a pre-Mattel Kirsten.  That means (for all you "normal" people who don't understand AG lingo) that she was made when American Girl was still owned by Pleasant Company and not Mattel.

Anway, that's not really significant unless you care about such things.  What IS important is that we gave her a little makeover for a friend of Ava's.

We washed that ratty hair and even her cloth body, although it was not real dirty.  Her limbs needed a good scrubbing with baking soda and a rag.

After she was dry, I snipped off about an inch of hair just so I could get a comb through it.  Then, tediously, I sectioned small pieces of hair and used a large curling iron to straighten and smooth it.  It took a little while and I had to trim more to make it even, but the results were amazing!

We added some color back to her lips and cheeks just using a peachy pink water soluble marker.  Color some onto the cheek area and immediately use your finger to rub it in.  Very nice!

We made her a Popover Dress free from Oliver + S.  So fast and easy!  I added the rick rack and pocket just to add a little something extra.  The crocs were bought from a sewing booth at the homeschool fair we attend every year.  They can be found at her online store The Sewing Basket.

A lovely doll for $3 buckaroos!  *Like*

Fun Fridays: Clothing refashion for American Girl dolls...........

So, last week I got a sewing bug and just had this great need to start and finish something quickly.  I don't usually need instant gratification, so when it comes, I tend to give in.

I hope to do a tutorial soon, but for now I have an after picture of what I made. 

Addy is modeling a sweater refashioned from an outgrown sweater of Ava's.  I used the bottom of one sleeve and part of the waistband for the doll's neckline.  Ava added some brown twill tape through some of the holes in the sweater as an accent.  Super easy!

The skirt is just the bottom ruffled tier of a skirt of Ava's.  Just one seam to make a circle, and an elastic casing for a waistband. 

The leggings are cut from one pant leg of an old pair of leggings Ava outgrew.  Again, super fast and easy!  I got the idea from this tutorial on making tights for your dolls.

The headband is just twill tape we already had in the perfect shade of purple to match the outfit!

The shoes are AG from some outfit and matched perfectly.  The ice skates are just because Ava said Addy was planning to go skating later.  :)

An entire new outfit for FREE that would cost a disgusting $32 from AG.  *Like*

Fun Fridays: Paper dolls for American Girl dolls...............

Happy Black Friday!  I love Thanksgiving and enjoyed yesterday with our family!  All the food, mmmmmmmmm..............., and just hanging out and watching the kids play.  Love it.

One time, about 8 years ago, I ventured out in the wee hours of the morning on Black Friday.  I was after a My First Leapad for our oldest, who was almost 2.  I think Walmart had it for $20?  I really can't remember that well.  I was tired.  It was COLD.  And the store was CROW.DED!  Never again.  I think I saved $10.  Totally not worth it.  Ever since, I sleep in and spend the day doing fun stuff at home.  Sometimes sewing, sometimes crafting, maybe a movie, putting up Christmas decorations.

Today I showered early (Yay!) and thought of something fun to do for my now 10 year old girly girl.  A few weeks ago I found these Thanksgiving printables at Daydream Doll Boutique and thought those were really fun.  Then, I remembered I had these adorable paper dolls I bought from Sarah Jane Studios last year!  How fun to make paper dolls for the dolls!

I already had these on my computer, but Sarah Jane has some freebies on her site you can use RIGHT NOW!  Also, take a look at her store because she has a lot of really great stuff on there!  Including more paper dolls you can purchase and a Nutcracker Theater, a Peter and the Wolf Theater, and a Nativity Theater.  SO CUTE!

Anyway, after you download some paper dolls, stick some card stock in your printer.  When you get ready to print, set your page scaling to either 50% or "Multiple pages per sheet".  I did the latter.  If it only prints on one half of the page (which is what you are aiming for), you can turn it around and print another page on the other half.  This is what I did because my paper doll files were one page per file.

Hand them to your daughter and tell her to have fun!

Since they are small, I recommended to her not to cut out between the legs and to leave white space around things with tiny detail.  I also used an exacto knife to cut out face holes in hoods and jackets for her.  You can also use tiny pieces of double sided tape or folded tape to stick the paper dolls to your dollie's hands.

The dolls are having a great time!

Ava really wants to make a small Nativity Theater for her dolls, so I'll try to post when we get to that.  We are actually going on a small road trip tomorrow to a Homestead Fair, so this might make a good activity for her to work on in the van.

Whatever you are doing this Black Friday, I hope you are having fun!

Meet Oliver + S........

I was recently introduced to a neat pattern company. Oliver + S has some of the most charming clothing patterns for children I have ever seen! Liesl designs with an eye for vintage feel, quality construction, and comfort!

I downloaded the pattern Jump Rope Dress yesterday and have been happily working on this lovely little dress for my daughter.

This is the fabric I am using for View A (the pattern cover above)

View B (which I realize I can't find an illustration for):

So far, so good! The instructions seem very clear to me, with lots of little illustrations. There is also a forum on the Oliver + S website if you have questions. The ladies there are knowledgeable and very willing to help out based on their experience with these patterns.

I already know I will be sewing more with Oliver + S from here on out. My only regret is that I didn't find them when my daughter was younger! She's almost 10 and I know my days of dressing her in darling clothes are numbered. In another couple of years I'm sure she will become more opinionated about what she will want to wear and I'm almost positive it will not include much gingham :(

I'll update with the finished product in a couple of days!

The Dolls are dressed better than I am..................

A while back my sweet little girl became interested in American Girl books and dolls. She may or may not have been directly influenced by her mother. Ahem.

Anyhoo, I began sewing for her in order to build her a lovely dolly wardrobe that didn't cost $87,943.98. Also, I like to sew. It has satisfied both of us.

Now, I am usually a quilter. Quilting is my thing. I don't sew clothes. I mean, I have sewn clothes, just badly. It's just not my niche. I like to practice it once in a while, so hopefully, I'll improve.

Here are some of the things I've made for my daughter's dollies. (BTW, can I just say how glad I am to have a daughter so I can also play with dollies?!)

I used the Pleasant Company patterns found at American Girl Playthings. This is a great site with a forum for dolly lovers!

Here is Kirsten Larson in her "Meet" Dress:

And here she is with her bonnet and apron. I'm still looking for an amber heart charm to make a necklace with.

Here is Kirsten in her school dress:

Kirsten's Birthday dress and apron:

Her "Summer Striper":

It's hard to tell in the photo, but the fabric is white with baby blue stripes and a fine, brown pinstripe next to the blue stripe. I like this fabric much better than the AG version.


My version of Kirsten' "Work Dress". The original dress by AG has long sleeves, but, who wants to wear long sleeves while working???

Ok, so that does it for Kirsten. Thank you, Mia, for modelling along with Kirsten. She was having a fit trying to change quickly in between dress shots.



Here are som PJ's I made up. Nellie is wearing a pink camisol that originally came with a Nicki outfit (sorry for those of you who don't know all the doll's by name!). So, I just made the bottoms to match it.

I added tiny pink rick rack to the bottom hems.

And here is Samantha, showing off her purple PJ's. I made these from a camisol of Ava's that had gotten a hole in it. I couldn't bear to throw away the cute embroidery!

Okie dokie, now for something different. Ava just loves listening to Anne of Green Gables on audio (we have the dramatized version put out by Focus on the Family--it's great! You can find it at CBD ).

So, it was only fittin' to make outfits for Anne and Dianna! Ava chose all the fabrics herself :) All the patterns are Kirsten's School Dress except for the sage green dress. It is a Vogue pattern and was much too big. I cut off several inches from the hemline. It still doesn't fit close in the bodice, though. No matter, it's still pretty!

Found that cute little copper kettle at Cracker Barrel. It was a Christmas ornament! I also got a cute little copper bowl with double handles.


With an apron (borrowed from Kirsten).

Anne's kindred spirit, Dianna:

Of course one in pink........

And, a fabric I could not resist!

And, lastly, my attempt at "puffed sleeves".

Thanks to Nellie and Samantha for standing in for Anne and Dianna. Anne is usually played by Mia with pigtail braids. Samantha plays Dianna since she is the only doll we have with dark brown hair other than Kaya. They both enjoy acting.

We are in the process of making many skirts, camisas, and rebozo's from Josefina's patterns so the dollies can put on a play. I will post pics of those hopefully within the next century!

Most of the fabric for Kirsten was found at Fat Quarter Shop. If you would like to know the name of one those fabrics, I can try to look it up, however, I bought it all three years ago and they may not carry it anymore. But, if you ask, I will try. Anne and Dianna's fabrics were found at our local JoAnn's.