The Sewing Place

Flower Girl dress

Francesca

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #30 on: August 29, 2018, 11:33:28 AM »
Nearly done, just need to do the bias trim for the legholes and put all the elastics in.

I also managed to overpress the top frill, so I will soak it in water and re-floof all the frills so they look their best. They aren't the most even gathers - I would've had a better result in non-fraying fabric I think. I should have overlocked all the pattern edges before I sewed.

Acorn

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #31 on: August 29, 2018, 11:42:30 AM »
They are gorgeous.   :D

I've never had any knickers that were half as nice as those!
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Francesca

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #32 on: August 29, 2018, 23:19:14 PM »
Finished the knickers. I will save the picture until the end now. I submerged them and then refluffed the frills and they're now drying flat on the ironing board with the frilly side up. They're OK. The frills are quite uneven but I think that was partly due to the fraying fabric being so hard to handle. I would definitely make these again. In a nice printed cotton they would look lovely as just a little summer outfit for a baby. Maybe knickers and a matching sunhat. Might consider that as a gift for the next baby that comes along.

Francesca

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #33 on: September 03, 2018, 12:34:23 PM »
Moving into the dress this evening... Tonight I will make my minor adjustments to the pattern. Shortening it a bit is easy enough. I need to work out how much overlap there is, remove the overlapping back, add seam allowance, then do the same for the collar so it all meets up nicely. Eeek! I also need to draft up an all-in-one-facing for velvet to cover down the armholes, that will then be attached to the lining so it gets a full dressy innard. Oh and the bottom hem frill to give it floof. Shoulda done this all at toile stage really. Then I will cut. I expect that's as far as I'll get tonight.

I'm going to try and work up a sampler of stitching on velvet as per the tips offered in my velvet thread. So I can compare how different stitch lengths and layers respond, how the lining goes when sewn with the velvet et cetera.

DementedFairy

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #34 on: September 03, 2018, 16:30:02 PM »
Blimey woman this is an immense amount of labour for a toddler's dress!  Rather you than me :S
C'est moi!

Sheilago

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #35 on: September 03, 2018, 16:40:42 PM »
Can’t wait to see the result. I don’t do much clothes sewing anymore, but love seeing what you all do.

Francesca

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #36 on: September 03, 2018, 17:40:25 PM »
You've gotta remember it's not just a "toddler's dress" but also the only flower girl's dress but more importantly it's my gift to them for their wedding. I'm not doing them just a favour, it's literally in lieu of any gift. And I want it to be treasured for years to come (hence my elaborate plan with the rabbit toy too - a momento that will last longer than the dress alone).

Francesca

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #37 on: September 03, 2018, 22:45:25 PM »
Brain no workee tonight so rested it for now. I managed to trace off a shortened version of the front and back, with the overlap removed, plus the adjusted collar piece.

I couldn't figure out the seam allowances for adding the skirt portion to the all-in-one facing. I know how to do it but my brain won't do it.

I'm gonna be so happy when this is done!

Francesca

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #38 on: September 04, 2018, 22:33:45 PM »
Well all the velvet was cut out tonight. I tested ironing/steaming in different ways. I found that a hovering iron wasn't enough but just a very light touch steamy iron on top of a fluffy towel was absolutely fine. Got the creases out and the velvet still looked nice. I cut it with the nap going downwards when you stroke it, though I can definitely see what is meant by richer colour when it goes upwards, so I think in the future if I sew with velvet again I'll definitely do that - it makes a lot of sense.

I have decided to go for unlined sleeves and am hoping I can get a neat and narrow turn-up on the velvet. I thought two layers of velvet would be too thick, and I don't want to line it with the cream right under the sleeve because it's so visible.

I also managed to draft up my lining pieces with their nice shaped all-in-one facing tops which are in velvet. It'll be self-lined down to the waist and then lined with the silk from there, with a little ruffle all around the bottom of the skirt.

Also got to learn how to make self covered buttons... this is all very scary! And then I need to do the bunny!

Francesca

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #39 on: September 06, 2018, 18:02:00 PM »
I've just put together all of the cream lining bits and sat down to start sewing the first part of the dress only to realise I have no thread...

I'm so used to having the right thread (I have reels and reels of it all coordinated in little pots in the order of the rainbow) that it never crossed my mind I'd need to buy some.

I've had a look on Amazon Prime and can't see any that I could get by tomorrow, so I will have to drive into Guildford on Saturday morning to go to C&H as it's the only place around here I can buy thread and have a consistent choice of colours.

Argh, annoying. But at least I've made a start. The linings have the facings attached now, and the sleeves are hemmed.

I was also able to get nearly all the stains out of the front part of the bridesmaid dress I was given. I don't think I'll be able to incorporate it into the flower girl dress sadly, save for possibly the pearl bead trim (which I managed to unpick out of the dress mostly intact save for one small centimetre, which will either be discarded or repaired). I washed the 20 year old stains out of the embroidery nearly entirely except for one small spoldge barely noticeable to most. I've then cut the inner ear part of the bunny rabbit from the embroidered cloth so he will have lovely embroidered inner ears. I had wanted to make the belly part out of the embroidery too but there's not enough fabric, so I cut his little cottontail out of the embroidered fabric, and the belly will come from the main skirt portion and be plain.

Realising now how little time I have... as the bride would like to meet me next week to pick the dress up. This means working all weekend and possibly a few evenings next weekend too. Just wish I hadn't mucked up on the damn thread.

Iminei

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #40 on: September 07, 2018, 11:01:45 AM »
what colour are you needing?
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

Francesca

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #41 on: September 07, 2018, 11:05:10 AM »
Gutermann 910, dark burgundy colour.

I'm going to pop down to Soho on lunch break and get it, so it's not biggie. But annoying because it's fish and chip day at work and I was excited  :'(

Seweasy

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #42 on: September 07, 2018, 12:37:04 PM »
Keep going @Francesca , it's a labour of love when making things as a 'special gift'....and we tend to put more of ourselves into garment than is necessary.......There were many times when I was making the first bridesmaids dress, I thought I'd actually have to resort to telling my son and daughter in law...'I cant do it'..but perseverance, dedication and using your own knowledge (of which you have plenty) will see you to completion...and as DF says...it's going to be worn once on the day, and there will be so much going on, on the day..that only you will see any possible faults with the outfit..... ;) Everyone else will be aawwing and aarrging at your work.... :) ;)
I'm so much better at buying fabric, than  I am at using it up....

Francesca

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #43 on: September 07, 2018, 13:41:37 PM »
I hope so! I'm quite happy with how it looks so far, just the linings constructed. The velvet has yet to cause me issues.

Run down to Maculloch and Wallis and got my thread so I can get right on it this weekend! I'm supposed to be going to a housewarming party tomorrow but with the RMT strikes not sure if I will now... which means more sewing time at least. I want to set myself a target to get it complete by Sunday evening so that I have a few days to put together the rabbit toy. I can probably push back on giving it to the bride next week if I really need to (I can explain the thread issue) and I can easily drive to her sister in law's house one weekend before to deliver it personally.

The only fear I have now is getting that back seam to all fit together properly. Sod it, if I can't turn it or make it work for whatever reason (my brain isn't so good with the logic of what is possible to "turn" inside out and whatnot) I can hand stitch it together down the back.

Francesca

Re: Flower Girl dress
« Reply #44 on: September 08, 2018, 16:45:32 PM »
Elastic button loops are in. They were a NIGHTMARE but they're in and I'm finally happy haha. I put one in on the top then realised it doesn't need to be there - duh, it needs to be a popper. So I've managed to trim it out of the seam without having to unpick.