All that Sparkles is Not Gold

As I explained in a previous post, my granddaughter spied this fabric as we worked together on jamies for her little bunny.

http://nanabs-sewing-fun.blogspot.com/2011/07/nana-camp.html

I could not tell you what this fabric was intended for.  I personally bought it to make a "swing jacket" for a Christmas party, but never got around to it.  It will be much more loved as a fabulous dress for a pretty princess (although I think it looks a bit more like a queen's dress).

With nearly a full circle skirt in not-so-lightweight fabric, I did not want to hang anything else from the top, so instead of a full slip with crinoline, I sewed a lining and crinoline strip 8-inches wide at 10 inches from the bottom of the hem of the skirt.  I wasn't sure how this would work out.  It worked pretty well, but tended to create a bit of puckering at that point much of the way around.  I had intended to put a row of the braid over it anyway, so that worked out well.

Unlike her princess dress for her birthday (http://nanabs-sewing-fun.blogspot.com/2011/02/every-so-often-complete-fit-of-insanity.html), I did not have too much crinoline in this one.  In fact, it would be better if it fluffed out a tad more, so I added a strip of really strong stiffener to the bottom of the hem of the lining behind the crinoline.

You can see where I attached the lining and the crinoline (which I had gathered onto the lining).  You can also see the stiffener.  The stiffener does help hold the skirt out a bit more, but it insists on rolling or curling up a lot and I think it must have been intended to be inserted into a "sleeve" of fabric partway up a garment, NOT at the hem where it can roll and curl up.  (another lesson learned)

back view

And the front

I have the wrist band gold sequin elastic stuff, but am still trying to find the sheer mesh for the little wrist scarves princesses LOVE.

Princess Dress for a 4-1/2-yr Old Great-Niece

Her mommie lusted after my granddaughter's turquoise sparkly princess dress (see http://nanabs-sewing-fun.blogspot.com/2011/02/every-so-often-complete-fit-of-insanity.html )

I found a small piece of flowered, striped fabric (perhaps nylon?) for the skirt, then matched the bodice and the decoration to that.  (I can't seem to make a "real" Princess dress--they keep looking more like little bridesmaid's dresses, but they're really nice.)

For this skirt, I used a layer of white tulle under the flowered fabric, and underneath is a white lining/slip made of the same type fabric as the bodice and it's lining.

Close-up of the flowers in the skirt fabric and the "floppy collar" and waist treatment.

Zipper lessons -- the lined bodice was so light weight and soft that it got caught in the zipper just as I completed the entire dress.  It took my husband 1/2 hour to un-stick it.  The next morning, I got up and moved it over enough that the basically-clear zipper teeth showed a bit.  I hope it will be sufficient to keep it from getting stuck when little kids are zipping it up and down!

The zipper involved layers-upon-layers of basting stitches, and perfectly covered those teeth until I re-did it!  It still looks fine, but it was disappointing.  If I ever do this again, I HOPE I remember to put some stiffener in that part that sticks over the zipper tape to the center to prevent a repeat!

The pattern called for a proper sash, tied in the back and nothing at the neck.  It just looked like a really nice Sunday-go-to-Meeting or flower-girl's dress, so I did not do that.  I copied the "floppy collar" from one of my granddaughter's actual "Disney princess dresses".  Then I nailed it down here and there so it wouldn't drive her mommie crazy (I hope).  

Then I created the waist band, gathered it up, and nailed it down to the dress in the center front, the sides, and on each side of the zipper.  It was a total fluke that I had cut it exactly the right length that when it was gathered it was a perfect fit.  I wonder if I could repeat that fluke!  It seemed to take up somewhere in the vicinity of four inches due to the gathering, but I'm not sure!  Happy accident!

Finished back view (after all the zipper re-doing....)

Finished front view

I did not get to see it on her.  It was Easter Sunday and there was lunch to prepare and eat, and eggs to hunt, cousins to roar around with, etc., but she seemed to like it, and her mommie loved it!

=======June 5, 2011

On her way to a "Fancy Nancy" party

A Two-Year old was coming to Easter Lunch as well,

and just in case the "big girls" put on their long dresses, she is getting old enough to notice and maybe want one herself.  She's too young for knowing about princesses as yet, and I didn't want to start all that stuff early.  We held off as long as we could with our granddaughter, but right before she turned three all of a sudden it was like osmosis--suddenly life was all about princess dresses, and it shows no sign of abating as yet.  

She, her mommie, and I watched The Royal Wedding together yesterday--and it was all about getting to the Princess as quickly as possible, but then horses almost de-throned the Princess!

I rummaged through my "stash" and came up with the idea that this cute cotton fabric (which does have sparkles on it) would make an ok long dress for a 2 and a bit year old, and maybe her Mommie wouldn't mind a simple peasant pattern too much.

Up-close front view

Back view

Full front view

I haven't seen this on either, so I don't know how it works out.  I left all the elastic loosely stitched with long tails so it's very adjustable, used the next-size-up (sz 3) pattern, and purely guessed at the hem, then turned it up a couple of inches after it was completed so she can lower it and cover any fade-lines with rick rack or something like that one day.  If it's still too long, she can turn it up again, then I think it will be fine.  

Hopefully she will be able to wear it for a couple of years with adjust the hem and the elastics.

Every so often a complete fit of insanity attacks just anybody! (Hint--it's turquoise)

I think my only reason is "because she will love it"--need I have any other?

Our 5-year old has a new passion for bright turquoise--after being PINK for so long that Nana bought almost only pink for her and now has a HUGE stash of it.  When I give her something now, her usual response is, "You know, Nana, my new favorite color is turquoise.  But I still like pink, too."

Soooo, I decided to make her a turquoise princess/fairy dress.  She has no wedding, no special occasion really--she just LOVES to play dress up and the sparklier the better!   (Comes from the "Dolly Parton" part of her personality!)

Fortunately the store had something in just her color, but the pattern had the MOST ATROCIOUS directions--it was virtually impossible to determine how much of each fabric was required. After half-an-hour's reading in the store, I tried to buy what they said.  As it turned out, I got too much of EVERYTHING, so now there are some small stacks that one day I will have to decide how to use.  

I am REALLY glad Jo-Ann's puts patterns on sale for $1-2 regularly!  I would never have all these patterns if I didn't stock up, and there is NO WAY I'd pay the price they ask for them even at 40% off!

Here goes...

Bodice under construction (shiny stuff--not sparkly--lined with medium weight lining fabric.  It is actually heavy enough to line a suit with.)

Then turn it inside out.  (I used the length of an size 8, instead of a size 6, PLUS I added a full inch at the waist because she is so much longer waisted than the patterns and I keep getting caught out.  I can't wait to see how it fits--it may be a little long in the waist, but if she can wear it, that's fine--it will look better for longer that way.)

This is also the first time I've made her the 3-piece front for a bodice--curious to see how it looks on a flat-chested little girl--but that's the way they designed it...

Stitch the sides together

So it looks like this.  It is now ready to attach all those slip/linings, skirt, and overskirt.  (I elected NOT to use the net layer as well- it was SO not needed!)

After the slip/lining seams are sewn, attach the crinoline ruffles.  They showed you where to attach them, and said 6-inch strips--six of them!  

I didn't want to gather up all those miles and miles of crinoline strips, so I used the "gathering" stitch on my serger.  I went around it twice (to gather it up more), THEN I sewed a big stitch through all that thread and pulled a thread to gather it the remaining amount.

It called for two rows of these ruffles, which was WAY too much!  I ended up completely removing the top layer (all three rows of stitches...)  Then I whacked at least a third of the fullness out of the bottom layer...  (I was excited.)

I also think they should have tapered the skirts at the waist--the lining should have been tapered WAY down, the skirt pretty far down, and even the overskirt would look better if it was slightly tapered.  (Before I removed so much of the crinoline, it looked like a stiff bubble--kind of like those early Queens of England wore which probably had metal cages under them.)

After gathering and attaching the overskirt (sparkly stuff) to the bodice, then gathering the slip/lining and the skirt together, I attached them to the bodice.

Then I began the most extensive basting I have ever done--even when I hand-tailored a suit for my mother-in-law many years ago I didn't do this much.  (I keep doing different things just "to see if I can"...) 

I stitched together the skirt and the lining/slip where it was open to allow for the zipper with proper small blind stitches.  I then basted the outside top seam together where the zipper would go.  I basted the zipper in place.  

Then I turned the lining to the inside and stitched it to the zipper and all around the waist.  I then basted each side of the zipper to make certain the lining did not slip at all when I stitched it all in place.  At this point I think there are about five layers of basting in the zipper area, which I pulled out after the final zipper stitching was in place.  

The stuff is SO slippery and as it turned out so well I am really glad I did all that basting.  NO WAY was I putting a hidden zipper in this stuff!)

When I was finished, the lower ruffle which I left in place (vastly reduced by simply whacking sections out of it) looked like this.

Then the skirt layer (sparkly overskirt lifted so you can see it)

Back full length view

And finally...  SHE'S GONNA LOVE IT!

So I made it as properly as a "real one" even though she will mostly play in it and wear it for parties, etc.  Now I'm ready when prom time comes!  (I'm a little early--like hopefully 10 years or so!)

I had done so many things for her birthday that I knew her sweet, sensitive brother might feel a bit slighted, so I decided to make him  a matching cumberbund and bow tie to go with the tuxedo vest and pants I made him at Christmas.

Sometimes he looks up at me with those georgeous eyes and says, "Nana, did you make ME anything?"--so sweet.  Also, he KNOWS that at Christmas I made the vest and pants, but that I did NOT make the shirt or the cumberbund and bow tie.  He knows this so well that he has mentioned it SEVERAL times to both his mommie and me.  We explain that Nana didn't have time to make those, and that was ok--still, he notices...

(Both of their sets of big beautiful eyes are just about the color of this fabric!)

I had the scraps of the stiff lightweight stuff I used for the brim of my packable beach hat (NOT the Amy Butler one), so I put a velcro opening in the back of the pleated area so it could be easily inserted (it is NOT good in seams--you could never get it turned to make a nice edge).

open, so you can see inside (It's actually fusible on both sides but it doesn't stick very well and I didn't want to fuse it here anyway.)

I think he'll be pleased!

Do I think I worked out the fit of insanity?  Probably not...

More Christmas prezzies

For a 3-year old's dolly

The Christmas dress was an especially big hit for the 4-year old's dolly.

And her mommie wanted a lot more reusable snack and sandwich bags

And the almost 5-year old loved hers, too.

And her big brother loved his tuxedo vest and pants (I bought the shirt, tie, and cumberbund on E-Bay).

   

And the jamies, dolly jamies, and tiny dolly with blanket went to a 3-year old in Sweden.

While her coming-soon little sibling got one of those nice double-sided flannel blankets like I had made for the shower gift previously.

We don't know if it's a boy or a girl, so I hope this can go either way.

Another person got the same bag as above, and I made reusable snack and sandwich bags of the matching material for her.

2009 Christmas Sewing (belated)

I was sick during the fall. Just before Thanksgiving I managed to make Mr. Precious and the Princess matching jamies, but I have no photos without people. All Christmas sewing was delayed, but in early January 2010 I began to play catch-up.

Our Princess has a "Christmas dress" I wanted to match. This is the result

I could not rapidly replicate the rhinestone buckle, so I used medium silver ric rac. The "ribbon" is braid tape.

White fleece forms the trim at the neck, sleeves, and hem.

Rear view, showing diaper/panties

I made the ruffle on the panties by gathering the same braid trim used on the dress.

I couldn't leave anyone out

Buttons are self-covered with white fleece to match the trim. You can see the velcro fastening under the decorative buttons.

Complete set

Then came dolly jamies to match the ones I made the kids in November

Someone was turning four, so I experimented on a top and short set with scraps from the Advent Calendar (2008) and fabric I'd had for 5 years.

The top is not long enough. I made a 2-inch self ruffle for it, and it was perfect. (no photo available)

The top is self-bound. It was too wide as shown in this photo, so later I inserted elastic--not something I recommend! (All future tops made from this pattern have elastic inserted through a casing formed by simply "hemming" around the top, and I cut the sleeves deeper so they would not bind under her arms.)

Of course her dolly needed a matching outfit

I actually made the dolly outfit first, and thus got the inspiration for the top and shorts for her.

Back view of top (it is shorter than a dress made from this pattern)