Sewing Vloggers

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Miss Kaitlyn's Dress

My dear friend Charlotte, back in NH, has just been blessed with the birth of her first grandchild and baby girl, Kaitlyn. She came early and was tiny but is doing just fine now. Of course I have to do something special for Miss Kaitlyn and a smocked dress it will be. I am using a basic yoke pattern from AS&E.


I will not be doing the whole "Teddy Bear Picnic" design but just using this pattern to jump off from. The fabric is one I have had in the stash for a while. I fell in love with it instantly but never found the right opportunity to use it. Kaitlyn's birth is a perfect opportunity. As I always do with baby gifts, I make it for a one year old. So many mamas get just more newborn things than they can even use sometimes. By one year its time to shop. So generally I make all my baby gifts for one year olds. The fabric is a Daisy Kingdom design, from the time when Joanns sold Daisy Kingdom. It's a sweet little toile of children playing. Try and find Daiasy Kingdom fabric now, if it is even in existance. I have a cordinate stripe as well, not shown, that will be used for the piping. It is 100% cotton and there is a solid for the peter pan collar, speaking of which......
Talk about the sewing gremlins. Some of you know I do unit sewing. When I got bored with the smocking I started on my units. First came the piping, then the peter pan collar, then the sleeves. Can you see what is wrong with the collar? This is a test ;)

I learned very hard and very often that whenever one does a collar it is imperative to make sure both sides match perfectly in size. This didn't. I got it all piped, trimmed, pressed, and truly perfect. Talk about arrogance. Something seemed off. I looked and I looked again. One collar was a good 3/8 inch longer and bigger than the other. How the heck did that happen? I did everything right, didn't I?

So I proceeded to cut out another whole set of collars and piping. When I got to the point where I put my piping in the Darr piping ruler I knew what had happened. I cut one down to a perfect 3./8 inch seam with the ruler. When I went to do the other, I  proceeded without cutting the piping down to 3/8s of an inch SA, thinking I had already done it. You can see the difference above. One seam allowance is defintely bigger than the other and I didn't pick up on it when I did the photo. I only noticed when it was completely done.  So, it was start from scratch and pay attention this time! It is now done just fine. I will not tempt fate and ever say it is perfect, never....

On this dress I will be using this plate from Sew Beautiful. However, I will put some bullions in each of the triangles. It is all smocked at this point. I have the collars complete, the sleeves all piped and complete. Now it is bullion time and then finish the dress and get it in the mail. I hope Miss Kaitlyn's momma likes it. It has a really sweet look.
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Thank you all for the wonderful comments on both the Badgley Mishka jacket as well as the Sew Beautiful blog tour. I think cyberspace is just grand........Bunny

7 comments:

  1. Your friend is fortunate to have such a sweet dress on its way! I agree with the one year old size for baby gifts. I'm sorry to hear that you had to do the collar over. I get so angry with myself when I make a mistake and should know better. Apparently, it happens to the more experienced and talented of us. Bunny, you just helped to encourage me! I look forward to seeing the dress.

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  2. You have such an eye for this detailed, Heirloom work. Yours is usually different from the solid color voiles or cottons. I'll be interested in seeing this progress.

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  3. I agree with you about making a one year old size. I like to make a dress for a child who is walking so that fits with your idea. The dress you're making looks adorable. I can't wait to see the finished product. Gita

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  4. That dress is going to be gorgeous! I love to stop by your blog and see the beautiful smocking you do. So pretty!

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  5. Bunny, My good friend Polly gave me some old Threads from the 80s, and I found an extensive article on smocking. I thought of you while reading it. The article made it sound so easy! Ha...
    Kaitlyn's dress will be so pretty.

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  6. what a darling dress that will be!! I love the idea of making a larger size too. They outgrow the baby sizes so quick!!

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  7. What darling fabric for such a classic little dress, Bunny!

    I've always tried to give baby gifts at the 1 yr. size. I remember well the one & only gift I got of that size when DD was born & how grateful I was to have it after that first year flew by!!

    I didn't know you trimmed down your piping after it was made. You may have just solved my issues with that dreaded trim. I must find something to practice upon quickly. I'm itching to smock something!!!

    fondly,
    Rett

    p.s. Congrats on "Morse"....Hummer would be a good name, too. LOL

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