Ruffle collar Dresses

Book:  Everyday Girl Clothes

Size:  100 cm, 90 cm

Fabric:  Robert Kaufman solid cotton

Marie' picked this book up for me while she was in Japan and I think I want to make everything in it.  There was some question about what size to trace for the two girls but after doing a quick muslin I found this book runs bigger than some of the others.

These dresses were intended as play dresses for fall/winter but I'm afraid the quilting cotton I used may not be substantial enough.  I may have to make an under slip when the weather turns.  I do love the colors though.

The original design suggests using lace trim on the pockets but I had trouble finding a good match. Instead I got a wing needle and used a decorative stitch. I'm happy how that turned out and will try to use my wing needle on a few more projects since I spent $5 on it.  

Everyday Girl Clothes

30 patterns size 90 cm - 120 cm

Wool Jumper

Book:  Girly Style Wardrobe

Size:  100 cm

Fabric:  Wool from an old Ralph Lauren skirt, Swiss Nelona 

Another dress from '08.  The jumper you can see was a bit too wide that winter but fit her better this year.  The original design did not include the pocket, I just salvaged that from the skirt.  The under dress was drafted off the same bodice and sleeve as this dress. 

Basic long sleeve dress

Book:  Girly Style Wardrobe

Size:  100 cm

Fabric:  woven plaid

This is another dress that was made winter of '08.  I love the way this dress fits and have used the bodice and sleeve to draft many of my own designs.  The under slip is simply an Old Navy turtle neck that I cut high and attached the bottom of an old nightgown. 

Inverted Pleat Dress

Book:  Girly Style Wardrobe

Size:  100 cm

Fabric:  woven velveteen

This is a dress that I have seen all over Etsy.  I've seen long sleeve versions, wider collars and fun mixes of prints.  I used corduroy for the collar and tie and I think it is too long, my poor daughter was tripping over it every time it came untied.  I found it a bit tricky to keep the seams clean looking under the arm but that may have just been because of the heavy fabric I used.  This was made Jan. '08 and I'd make make it again now except that book is somewhere packed away in our storage unit.

High Yoke Dress

Book:  Girly Style Wardrobe

Size:  100 cm

Fabric:  patchwork cotton purchased at Ribes & Casals in Spain

I actually made this one March '08 but forgot to post it.  Size 100 cm did not fit my daughter properly until this summer.  Still it was a bit too wide and looked more like a nightgown so I over lapped the buttons in the back 1 1/2 " instead of taking apart the whole dress and taking it in.  Next time I would pinch out at least 1/2" at CF and CB.

Here's what Marie' made out of the same fabric.  

Facing finishing technique

I can only take so many serged edges. With this technique your finished garment will be just as neat and clean on the inside as the out, and it is really quite simple.

1. Sew the shoulder seams of the facing fabric and interfacing separately, right sides together. Don't press the interfacing seam open if you are using fusible.


2.  Right sides together sew the outside edge of the facing fabric to the interfacing.  I use a 1/8" seam allowance to eliminate the need for trimming and clipping.


3.  Turn right side out.


4.  Press down in place.
   

5.  Now ready to attach to the neckline.

Linen skirt for Mom

Book:  Natural Layered Style Clothes, pg 17 

Size:  There is only one adult size included in this book and I believe it is a M

Fabric:  Linen

Please note that if I look a bit top heavy in the first picture it is because I'm just about 18 weeks along with my 7th baby, this skirt was to fill a immediate need for something to fit.  That being said I was very shocked that I had to trim 6" total from the skirt.  If I was not expecting I'm sure I would have trimmed probably double that.  I do like the style and length though and will probably make another.  

The one thing I changed was the waist band.  I added a separate casing and used the widest elastic I could find 3" because I don't like the way tight narrow elastic feels on a growing belly.  In addition I also exposed the bottom seam and left the hem raw because you can do that when fabric is cut on the bias.

Oh yeah, I also love the little hang tags I picked up from The Fabric Fairy.

Pattern tracing supplies

Here's what I use for pattern tracing:

pencil case - keeps my special tools off limits for kids

Sharpie - labeling ziplock baggies 

.5 mm mechanical pencil - the smaller the lead the more accurate the tracing

lead refills

paper scissors

18" clear plastic ruler

clear plastic metric ruler 

long metal ruler

accordion file box - stores the ziplock baggies with patterns according to book

zip lock baggies - stores the pattern pieces 

small clear ruler - adding seam allowances

seam gauge - adding seam allowances

highlighters - to trace the pattern pieces before tracing (I don't have to do that anymore but that helped a lot when I first got started with Japanese patterns)

post-it tabs - marks the pages in the pattern book for quick reference

medical lab paper - pattern paper for tracing, it is only $5 a roll and very transparent.  For fancier patterns I sometimes use Swedish tracing paper but that is over $20 a roll.

Heart Shorts

Book:  Everyday bottoms, style F

Size:  100 cm

Fabric:  Cotton rip stop

These are super quick to sew up.  I spent the most time on the hearts and used a ruffle instead of fringe like the original design suggests because the rip stop did not allow for a pretty fringe.

Heart Skirt

Book:  Toddler Boys and Girls Clothes, style 24

Size:  95 cm

Fabric:  White cotton rip stop

This skirt is so simple I didn't even trace it, it is only one piece so I marked the shape right onto the fabric. The pocket is from the Everyday bottoms book and may not be the right scale for the skirt but this little girl loves it! I also added the bikers and just sandwiched them into the fold over waistband.

A line dress

Book:  Girl on the Beach, style F

Size:  100 cm

Fabric:  Textured cotton

The original design does not include pockets but were requested by the wearer.

This was intended for the younger sister but was too big.  I finally measured them both yesterday and 1 is 101 cm and the other is 88 cm.  I am torn between what sizes to draft for the girls because 100cm and 90 cm fit perfectly right now but I want them to fit for several months.  I am drafting a combo of 110/100 and 100/90.  I am also taking note of which books run larger.