Custom Dresses for Little Darlings

A while back I had a notion that I would absolutely never be able to sew all the Kaffe Fassett fabrics in my stash into quilts. Just humanly impossible! But, I do have granddaughters and I can make dresses and they are only little for such a short time - so it seemed to make a lot of sense to get busy making dresses for them.

 I delivered this little dress to Cate on Sunday. Hopefully I can get DD Erin to send a picture of her wearing it.

This little dress (below) was made for Reagan, and I do have a picture of her wearing it, although you don't see much of the dress! Reagan's dress has 2 pockets. Down at the bottom of this post I describe another dress in the same fabric with only one pocket - that one is for Annie.

I just finished this one below also for Reagan. I think this one might be my favorite. Those deep KF blue fabrics are the best! 

Little Annie got one just like Reagan's but with just one pocket. I had just enough of the two fabrics left to squeeze out a size 1 and only 1 pocket. She (hopefully) will be ready to wear it next summer.

 Emma's fiance Glen has a daughter (bonus granddaughter!), and she gets a dress, too! I had a sundress pattern that she liked, so I whipped this up for Harper. I hope to get it to her soon. And I will need her to try it on before I secure those straps.

I will resume quilting activities soon. Come on back and see what I've been stitching since finishing these dresses!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Hello July!! And A Pretty Summer Dress

How we can possibly find ourselves welcoming July already, is a total mystery to me! Good golly, time sure does fly by!

 

As we welcome a new month, I find that I am able to sit for longer sessions at the sewing machine. Knee replacement recovery has been going well - very grateful for that! And I've set aside some time from the TATW quilt project to make a dress for Granddaughter Reagan.

My sewing journey actually began with garment making at age 8 when I entered 4-H and became a member of The Sewing Wigwags. What a name. I wonder if that 4-H club still exists? Anyway, for the next 10 years, I made clothes for myself. I advanced through all the levels in 4-H and even took a home-ec class in high school in which I made my own winter coat.

After marriage and having children, I continued to make clothes for myself and the kids, but as my interest in quilt-making grew, my clothes-making waned. I probably did not make any clothing for 20 years or so, while I concentrated on quilts. 

Now that I'm a Grandma to three little girls, I find my interests shifting back to making clothes! I have plans to make lots of little dresses and outfits for them. One dress was realized this week.

I have the cutest and simplest pattern for this sweet summer dress. It contains toddler sizes 1, 2, and 3. I made two size 3s in May - one for Cate; one for Reagan. The pattern is rather vintage; I have no idea whether I bought it when my girls were little or if it was given to me.

I had the idea that little dresses in bright Kaffe Fassett (Rowan) fabrics would look darling, so I dug around to see what I could come up with. I found three pieces that appealed to me and then I went digging for suitable lining fabrics for each one. This first dress in done in a Phillip Jacobs print called Tea Rose.

This first dress is done except for the buttonholes and buttons. I have 4 more dresses in various sizes cut out. I might get one or two done yet today!

 One dress will be made with "Fans" using that mottled blue as lining. 

 Another dress will be made with "Lavinia" and the Benartex weave for the lining.

I did cut out a second dress from the first combination - had enough remaining for a size 1 - so it will go to baby Annie.

The more of this pattern I make, the faster I finish them. Repetition will do that, don't cha' know! I've had a super-engaging audio book going which also helps. I will try to do a post in a few days on some of the recent reading I've been doing.

I am still picking up the Trip Around the World quilt; three quadrants are done. One more then I will construct all the parts. I'm motivated!

Have a wonderful July! Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Little Girl Dresses

Getting back into the sewing groove around here has me ready to share three little dresses made for three special granddaughters. Garment sewing was how I began my sewing life over 60 years ago, but I have done so little of it in the last 30 years that I don't naturally gravitate to this type of sewing. Darling granddaughters make the task more appealing.

 The two A-line dresses are for Cate and Reagan. The little pinafore-style dress is for Annie. It also has bloomers to match; I didn't have those finished when I took this picture. Also, this picture was taken prior to making buttonholes and attaching buttons. Now all those finishing tasks are completed.

The dresses are all made from the same soft peach/pink and gray calico. I bought the end of a bolt at Mae Lynne Makers in Nelsonville while we were at the quilting retreat. I have become quite fond of calico prints lately, so you'll likely be seeing more from the sewing room with tiny florals and calicos.

The A-line dresses required lining fabric, and both came from the existing stash. The buttons all came from my button jar. The elastic for the bloomers also came from what I had on hand. I didn't need to shop for any of it after buying the end of the bolt. 

It is likely that I will make several more items for the girls. I have a nice little array of patterns that I can choose from and all manner of kids' clothing is available. 

While I am sharing kids' clothing, I will share a couple of dress-up skirts I made for toddlers who like to pretend. We saw a variety of Disney-themed clothing when we were there at Disney this winter. I know the girls will love playing with Minnie Mouse ears and skirts, so I stitched these up for playing when at Gramma's house.

 Kids' clothes are fast and easy; I don't want to miss the opportunity to make them some fun stuff!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne 

Summer Dresses

Now that we've been in Florida for two months, my hankering for those two granddaughters is growing more intense by the day. They were on my mind when I was shopping at the AQS Daytona quilt show, so much so that when I saw these fabrics, I thought of how cute they'd be made into summer dresses or tops for the girls.

Both fabrics are from Windham designers. The top one is called Celestial, and I plan to make a pinafore-type dress for Reagan with it. I've made it for Cate, so I know it well enough and should be able to whip it out pretty fast. I will have to do it back in Ohio, though, since I didn't bring the pattern with me. I made two from this pattern.

 

The surfing print will become a dress for Cate. The very first movie she ever became enthralled with is the Disney movie Moana. I will probably wait until I return home to make it also. I've got a box full of old patterns to choose from.

 

Now, I did bring two patterns with me; they contain multiple sizes. So I could move forward, depending mostly on my mood. 

With just a yard of each fabric to work with, I'm thinking I could definitely do the sleeveless dress. So we shall see. I need to find my sewing mojo, for sure.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Cate's Overalls

A second grandchild post is called for today, and believe it or not, it connects to sewing. 

Back at Christmas time, I made Cate a pair of overalls out of some fabric that her mother had purchased. The overalls turned out just as cute as can be, complete with a row of snaps sewn into the legs for easy diaper changes. Click here for a post about it.

Finally, I have a picture of Cate wearing her overalls! I was unaware that they have been too long all these months. While we were at the cabin in Hocking Hills, Erin dressed Cate in these overalls and they looked just as darling as expected.

They are still a bit long for her, but it was great that Erin made the effort to show off Cate in her fancy, Grandma-made duds. The weather was perfect for a cozy pair of overalls, and she should be able to wear them through these next few months. Cate is always in constant motion, so getting a clear picture of her was challenging. These two are the best of the bunch.

In that post from last December, I referenced the little pastel stripe fabric that was still to be made. I did, in fact, make a sundress for Cate, and I have a picture from their June vacation to Hawaii where she wore it.

Cate looks jet-lag weary, but adorable nonetheless. Seeing these little outfits makes me want to get back into the swing of sewing and making more of these. I have all the necessary materials - mainly patterns and fabric - I just have to do it.

So coming up while I continue sorting through boxes and making donation piles, I have come across some interesting finds in the depths of these long untouched boxes. I honestly didn't know what I had, in a few cases. I think they are worth sharing, so stay tuned for all that in upcoming posts.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Cutie Pie With a Cute Dress

In several posts over the last year and a half, I’ve mentioned that DD Erin had a stack of fabrics that she wanted to have made into clothes for Cate. Since she wasn’t likely to do this sewing herself, I was a capable and very willing alternative option. 

These were the three fabrics, and I recently finished up the last outfit from the pastel stripe in the middle.

This tired little cutie pie is wearing her new wrap dress while vacationing in Hawaii! Look at how tall she is! Those long legs and knobby knees! It appears that a 6-hour time difference and touring Hawaii might just wear a toddler completely out.

Below is a repeat pic from this post that shows the lining fabric I bought to go with the stripe. It was purchased in Dade City, FL, at Quilted Twins. That earlier post also shows a front view and back view of this wrap dress. There's also a link to the Etsy shop where I purchased the pattern.

 

After the dress was made, I needed to make bloomers, and had enough of each fabric to make two pairs. I made the pair from the lining fabric first to see if I had the fit right. Then I made the striped pair but went with little shorts instead of bloomers. (That's what you do when you run out of elastic!)

I am so thrilled with how well the wrap dress fits Cate that I am tempted to whip up a couple more for her as we approach summertime. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

New Dress For Cate!

Maybe as much as a year ago, DDErin handed off three pieces of fabric from her small stash. She thought I would be more likely to have time for making clothes for Cate than she would. I've just finished the third and last piece - the middle stripe, below. The top one became a little dress; the navy on the bottom became a pair of bib overalls.

The pastel stripe became this darling wrap-dress, below. While in Florida, I shopped specifically for a suitable lining to pair with the stripe, and it turned out better than I'd ever have imagined. They look great together. But this wasn't the pattern I'd originally intended to make.

Yes, I changed my mind. That's perfectly acceptable, right? Originally, I thought I would make an option on this vintage pattern, but in the midst of planning that one, I I saw an adorable wrap-dress on the world-wide web, I just knew I wanted to try one. It turned out as cute as can be. Click to see the pattern I bought on Etsy.

Here’s a clearer pic of the lining fabric with the fabric Erin chose.  I'm quite pleased with the combination. And - the best part - I have enough of both pieces left over with which to make some bloomers. Now to find a pattern for those...

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Garment Sewing

Before I ever thought I'd be making quilts, I had a good many years of experience making clothes - my own clothes. I would venture to say that by the 9th grade, I was making most of what I wore to school and church. Mom still sewed for us girls, but I was capable by that age to tackle most of the patterns that appealed to me. 

And while I've not really dealt with garment patterns very much in the last 30 years, I still have a couple boxes of old ones tucked in the back of the closet. When Cate was born, I took out all the little girl patterns I had and sorted them by age/size. I brought one pattern with me to Florida to make a little summer dress for our girl.

If you recall, daughter Erin gave me three pieces of fabric and asked if I would make Cate outfits from them. I have two of the three done, and this stripe is all that remains. I am using the pattern shown to make the white version in the bottom left corner. It is lined, so I will need to go shopping (darn!), but this little dress will be on my agenda while here in Florida.

I don't know this pattern's history or how I came to own it. I do not recall ever making it for my girls. It may have been given to me - back in the day sewing friends often handed off patterns when their children had outgrown that size. Who knows?? I sure don't. Anyway, the sizing has me rather mystified. When the patterns were by months, I had a good idea of the size to select, but do these numbers indicate years? 

Whatever. The instructions from Erin were to make the biggest size I could with the amount of fabric available. Good plan. If it's too big, then Cate will grown into it.

When Erin and I were collaborating on this project, the pattern had been tossed over on the coffee table - look who was interested in it!! Our Cate! Wouldn't it be great if one day she had an interest in sewing and/or quilting?

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Secret Santa Sewing

Only one truly secret bit of sewing for me this year and that was for one very special granddaughter! What fun to sew for her!

Way back in the spring or summer, daughter Erin handed off a little stack of fabrics that she suggested would be suitable for little outfits for baby Cate. This stack intimidated me a bit as they were much more loosely woven fabrics that the normal quilting cottons I am accustomed to sewing.

The light fabric on top has already been made up into a little sleeveless dress, but I think I waited too late to make it as it was no longer sleeveless weather and she was nearly too big for the size I made. 

The dark blue on the bottom of the stack is what I made for Christmas. When Erin gave me these fabrics, she specifically said she thought the blue would be perfect as a little pair of overalls. Yes! And I think I absolutely delivered on that request!

The loose weave of the fabric gave me some problems, but nearly every single seam was given some sort of finish to prevent raveling. I zigzagged some, folded others, and pinked even others. In the few months that this will fit Cate, it oughtn't give out from frayed seams.

The other problem I encountered was the need to sew snap strips on the legs to simplify diaper changes; always avoid the fuss of undoing the whole outfit if possible, right? The snaps were easy enough to acquire through Amazon; they were delivered in short order.

The picture here sorta' shows the stiffness of the snaps, but on the baby it should look perfectly normal. I am waiting on a picture of sweet Cate wearing her new overalls. I expect one to be forthcoming any day now.

So just one fabric remains to be stitched for our girl - the pastel stripe. To me the fabric says 'jumper' so I will probably go that route. I need to get cracking on it! Our Cate is growing, and there is only a yard of fabric - no time to waste!

I might not have a pic of Cate wearing her new duds, but I do have Cate pics - by the hundreds! Let's just go ahead a share one here. *smile*

 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Garment Stitching

It takes a really special someone to give up quilt-making time in order to do garment sewing. Of course, granddaughters are the most special things in the world, so also of course, I have been happily been making a little outfit for Cate.

In the deep and (somewhat) thorough quilting room clean-out of last month, I came across a piece of fabric I couldn't rightly account for. Who gave it to me? I know I did not buy it. I am guessing it was in some of the stuff from my friend Kay's sewing room. Months before her memory got too sketchy, she gave me a box of remnants and I added to it as we cleaned out her sewing room several months later. This little piece of striped cotton had an old-fashioned tag attached to it - 1 yard for $1. Wow. 

It seemed perfect for a flouncy little dress.

I've made this pattern once before, if you recall, and dragged my feet for months putting button holes on. To prevent that on this dress, I tackled them straight away. They went in just fine. Now, I did two practice button holes before trying them on the real dress. And I'm glad I did. Practice is always a good move, in my opinion. 

This little dress had lots of hand stitching - AKA slow stitching - as finishing detail. All around the yoke facing, armhole facings, and hem. It didn't take long and was the perfect accompaniment to watching the Tour de France. Now I must make the matching bloomers.

I've been away for a few days as DH and I took a little overnight getaway to Akron. We combined two destinations - The Stan Hywet Hall in Akron and Sue Spargo's quilt shop in nearby Uniontown. In a later post, I will write more about both of these visits, but for now let me draw your attention to the adorable little outfit above. This top and pants outfit made with - of all things - Liberty fabrics! - and was a shop sample at Sue Spargo's store. Absolutely precious! I came home with the patterns, and have several years of garment sewing ahead of me, as they both contain several sizes. Consider me a happy gramma!

So, yes, I have been slow stitching and traveling. Stan Hywet Hall is the home of Akron industrialist F. A. Seiberling, one of the brothers who created Goodyear Tire and Rubber. It's a grand home with gorgeous gardens. We've intended to visit this Akron landmark for years, and had just never gotten around to it. When we learned that Sue Spargo's shop was nearby, we decided to make it happen.

I will share more details of our day in Akron later this week. Now I will join the the gang over at Kathy's weekly slow stitching party. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Small Things

 Small things add up to big things, though,,, right? I found a pretty green stripe remnant while cleaning over the past few weeks and I thought it would make a perfect little dress for granddaughter Cate. I was right! Our little angel will look so sweet in this!

All that's left to be done now is handwork and buttonholes, so by the weekend we should have a finish. Well, a pair of bloomers needs to be stitched up, but those are easy-peasy, so no worries.

The other project I've spent some time on is the hand quilting on Fall Foliage. If you recall, I put it away around the holidays and have done nothing on it since. Now, we are spending a lot of time watching the Tour de France, so I decided that working on this while we watch would be a good use of my time. 

I remember that I was getting really close to having it done. The center portion has just the outer most edges remaining and then of course I have the borders to do. In order to more easily access borders for quilting, I use a technique I learned from Grandma - straps pinned taught around the bars. Works like a charm. For straps, I've used ends from bindings that I'd saved.

As I quilted yesterday, I realize that I am not exact straight in my markings and quilting. Oh well, I am going with the philosophy that finished is better than perfect. If any quilt police say anything about it, I will congratulate them on their fine eye. *wink*

Hope you are having a wonderful week! It's strange having a holiday on a Tuesday - I'm all jumbled up!

Happy Quilting, Friends!