The Sewing Place
The Emporia => A bit of a 'do' => Topic started by: Francesca on July 19, 2018, 11:17:05 AM
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Realisation that I have so much sewing to do so I think it's time I get on with this as it's probably the most important thing I have coming up (SWAKOP and my own outfit can be held).
I am making a flowergirl dress for a 1 year old for a wedding on the 6th October.
Pattern(s): Elinor (https://www.etsy.com/transaction/1419097632) and Ruffle Diaper Cover (https://www.etsy.com/transaction/1455298047)
Fabrics: Burgundy cotton velvet for the dress, oyster-coloured raw silk/cotton for lining and knickers.
Edits to pattern: I am going to fully line the dress as the pattern is only lined on the bodice. I am going to add a little ruffle round the bottom of the skirt too as I think that will be nice to add some fullness. Baby will be 1 year old come the wedding day and will probably walk the aisle but will be carried/crawling a lot too I imagine so hence my suggestion for little knickers so if she's playing about she still looks formally dressed with no nappy on show <3
I'm also going to be making a toy Velveteen Rabbit as a keepsake for the day that she can enjoy when she is older (I still have the ragdoll made for me from my Auntie's wedding, I was 3 so I don't remember the day but I remember the doll!)
I've just printed out the patterns to take home today. Off away this weekend but they'll all me put in a project bag ready to go next week! Need to order fabric for the wearable toile...
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Lovely, wish I had a baby girl to sew for. Maybe one day soon.
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@Francesca
Ooh!! That outfit will be gorgeous!!
I too wish that I had a little girl to sew for. We had three sons and now our eldest is to become a father in September and I've got my fingers crossed for a grand-daughter. Maybe I can start looking at patterns for little girls; it can't hurt surely?
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Nearly finished the toile. A very quick throw together to test construction and fit.
Of course, stupid Etsy patterns with no proper instructions drive me mad. It states at one point to "overlap the back pieces and sew". No explanation of how much to overlap, and no markings on the pattern to show this. Ugh. I've had to email the designer to ask. It annoys me so much!
Otherwise it's an absolutely adorable dress and I think it's going to look fantastic properly completed.
I definitely want to draft neckline and armhole facings as the lining does peek over and I want it to look perfect. Of course for something this tiny size I do think it'd be better to just do an all-in-one which is effectively what the current lining pieces are now. And then I will extend the lining so it's a full skirt and attach a little ruffle round the bottom. It's going to be lovely!
Bride has also given me her old bridesmaid dress and I think I might be able to cut the collar with some embroidery but it won't be perfectly laid out on the collar... but it should be close enough.
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OK, now I'm incredibly frustrated after trying to figure this out... and at a loss for what to do.
The instructions simply to "overlap" with no indication of how to achieve that... by what measure or anything... pathetic. I've contacted the seller and honestly unless they come up with some amazing, perfect way of achieving this I will be asking for a refund. It's so poorly done!
Secondly, I still need to continue with this style but I need to find a better way to construct the back opening for the real thing so I think I will have to somehow redraft the back part of the dress (hence asking for a refund...) I simply refuse to have an off-centre back seam that seems absolutely ridiculous especially on a dress for a wedding. It's not happening.
What would you think would be the best way to do this? The dress is currently button-closed but I'm thinking swapping it out for an invisible zip would be best? The pattern wants you to overlap one back over one front and then hap-hazardly stitch it down off centre which I won't do. So I was thinking once I find out the overlap amount, I can remove that from the back "seam" of the pattern, then simply swap it for a zip.
Shame as I thought the button back opening was cute but it needs to be properly centred not just thrown willy-nilly one side over the other and stitch it down best you can... that's not why I make clothes.
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Blimey Fran how to make life hard for yourself lol
Off centre on the back of a 1-yr old's dress? Worn once? Breathe girl, breathe. The links don't work so I can't tell what it's supposed to look like though. I wouldn't bother with a zip, just leave it open [keyhole] and put one button at neckline so it's quick and easy to get on and off. Little kids have fat neck backs, a zip pull can dig in a lot
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I'm too much of a perfectionist! I just hate the way this is finished. No nice crisp centre back seam. It wants you to effectively overlap two pieces and just sew it down and hope for the best. There is a possibility that the raw edge could unfurl and be revealed and I'd hate to see a lovely little flowergirl walking down the aisle with a raw back seam exposed.
If I left it keyhole it'd have to be undone all the way from the lower back to the top though, almost half the dress. I think that will look even worse.
I guess I'm going to have to draft some sort of placket?
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This is what the back of the dress is supposed to look like. Looks quite nice. What they cleverly omit from the picture is that there is no proper seam sewn below that bartack. You fold the seam allowance (which is only a centimetre) over on one piece, do the overlap (still no idea how much overlap) and then you stitch, off centre, the 1cm seam allowance down the back until you get to that bartack bit. So there is no raw edge to raw edge seam. It's just a 1cm fold sewn off centre on top of another. My fear is if it isn't perfectly sewn (on that tiny seam allowance) then you might get the seam allowance unfolding a bit and showing raw edge. I don't understand why it's so poorly done. Dress seemed pretty nice up until now, though the instructions are pretty bad.
I want to be able to sew a proper back seam with the raw edges together, not just overlapped and stitched down. I don't want a "topstitchy" type look down the back. It'll look worse in the velvet where it'll be even more obvious.
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Why would you need to leave so much open?You only need enough so that it will go over her head...
Kids clothes are simple, and the construction is best kept simple too-it's amazing how quickly bulk will build up on a teeny garment. A little opening, bind all the neckline and make a ribbon loop. The amount of seam/overlap is undoubtedly not crucial...it's a pretty unfitted shape I think?
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The picture helped! I would just leave a couple of inches open at the top, sew a normal seam to that point, and just have one button at the neck. It looks rather bulky as it is anyway
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Because the top part of the dress is already 'finished' in that it is lined, and the lining is fully stitched in to the mid back, so it'd need to be opened from there.
It's impossible for me to simply put the raw edge to raw edge and sew a proper centre back seam at this stage. For starters, it would make too wide a garment (the garment is designed with the overlap built in, so I need the bloody designer to tell me what the overlap actually is so I can work out what to remove), but secondly because the seam allowance is already folded away and hidden in the lining for the top part of the dress, I eventually get to a point where I can't put the raw edges together any more when they meet the lining.
So I'm thinking essentially I'm going to have to redraft the whole centre back seam and only sew the lining down the back an inch or so (leave a keyhole opening as mentioned) and do a proper centre back seam. That's why I thought zip. But if I can't use a zip for a baby dress... then I guess some sort of zip guard on the inside so it doesn't rub would be easiest? Easier than trying to work out how to actually draft the back seam properly for a placket (like the designer couldn't be bothered to do, obviously).
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Another alternative, buttons all the way down the back? That seems laborious though. And I'd still need to correct it so when it overlaps, it overlaps with the seam centrally, not off.
I'm thinking placket to protect from zip is probably the easiest. I can't think how to do an overlapping placket where the seam is centralised. And I refuse to topstitch down a back opening to the hem. I've just pinned it out as per the instructions (with a total guesstimate of overlap distance) and it looks completely stupid, and that's before I've topstitched it.
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Make a proper buttonhole band instead of just a fold under. CB should be middle of the button band, although honestly, you'd be the only person who'd give a toss!
With frilly knicks underneath, it used to be the norm to have it button just past the waistline, so the knicks get flashed on purpose
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Looking at pictures it seems most have "inset" button bands rather than just folded over. I could just about handle the offset seam if it was actually a seam... but I just feel like folding over a seam allowance and topstitching it onto another piece of fabric isn't a proper "seam". I can handle one small mess, but not too small messes together (off centre AND not a proper seam).
So maybe drafting some sort of inset placket is the way to go?
CB being middle of the button band seems fine when it's inset. But when that also means the rest of the seam is off centre too it seems odd. And then on top of that, it not even being a nicely sewn seam with raw edges together, just seems so messy.
I tested it out on my gingham fabric and it looked terrible, let alone what it would look like on non-patterned velvet.
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This dress, for example, has an off-centre CB seam (ugh but fine) but the seam is properly sewn below the button band rather than top-stitched. How is that achieved I wonder?
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This dress, for example, has an off-centre CB seam (ugh but fine) but the seam is properly sewn below the button band rather than top-stitched. How is that achieved I wonder?
Looks to me like you lose the seam below the opening in some folds or a pleat [like on the little white one]
Here's a suggestion, and don't sweat the measurements, just do it by eye, it's a seam maybe half a dozen inches long FFS
Bind the raw edges of the backs, neck to hem. Sew a fairly narrow seam from hem to where you want you opening [2-3" below the neck should be ample]. Make you fold for your button band [now neatened] and just extend the pleat beyond the seam stitching. All should be neat, and not bulky. Actual seam hidden in the pleat, and it already looks pleated at the back
Just a suggestion
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Thanks, I will see if my brain can figure that out tomorrow! Right now it's too fuzzy.
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Designer got back to me 'there are markings for the overlap'. There aren't. 'OK just overlap so it's the same size as the front'. Great. Very professional.
I've sewn it up as instructed and have realised that it's going to add even more issue because I want to fully line the dress, not just line it on the top. On this version the lining is just on the top and is loose at the waist. The back is stitched up to 2cm below the ending edge of the lining so the lining isn't concerned. But that's obviously going to be an issue for me.
I think I need to buy a pattern which is similar but fully lined and with a placket in the back so I can work out how to do this properly, but retain the style. Unless I can find a tutorial for this. I'm still totally lost as to what is the best solution here.
I'm thinking, with all things considered, the easiest option is going to be to go for DF's suggestion of just sewing it up like normal at the back and then having a keyhole. Except because I need the keyhole to be longer, I'm thinking instead of just one loop and button at the top, several down to the waist. So like 5 or 6 little buttons with loops. I can do them fabric covered and use thin ribbon to save myself making the loops. Thoughts? Also I was thinking of doing some sort of facing on the inside so that skin doesn't show through where the two edges meet.
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Just tried to finish up putting in some poppers on the toile so that it could actually be worn. Of course forgetting how absolutely impossible poppers are. They drive me mad. So hard to install, by the time you've hammered enough they've gone all wonky and then they seem to magically fall apart anyway. God I hate this project and I've barely even begun.
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Seriously, small child + lots of teeny buttons- nope. A couple of big ones if you must and don not give one fig about skin. The poor child will not want to roast or be pinned down while mum fiddles with teensy buttons lol
Why line at all? Single layer, bound edges, less fuss. Underline/flatline if you really must. Honest, teeny clothes are not worth trying to make them couture UNLESS it's a christening gown which will be passed down. All else is for your benefit, no one else's
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Maybe this will be passed down... I don't think people get christened as much any more. But I do still have some lovely dresses my Mum made me and hopefully one day if I have a daughter she can wear them too!
I was thinking 5 or so buttons. Not too tiny, maybe 1cm.
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The results of the toile are in. It seems plenty roomy enough according to the mother and she thinks based on how she is growing that it should be fine. Bit gappy at the neck edge and around the sides so I think I am going to go for it. It's based on a 12-18 month size and she'll be 13 months so seems about right.
Still trying to figure out exactly how to get this back working. I am possibly going to have to do another quick dry run of the basic shape (no sleeves or collar) just to figure out how to get my lining and everything sewn together as I want. I'm used to lining things with an exact copy of the outer and stitching them in at the waist seam, but this is one piece all the way to the bottom. I'm struggling to get my head around how to make the keyhole back but also be fully lined (the thing needs to be turned in through the top of the shoulders in order to fully line the bodice with the cap sleeves sandwiched inside). But I can't figure out how it'll all go together because in my head I'll want to sew the centre back seam of the lining/outer and then turn them right sides out and I can't do that if the pieces have already been turned. Gah, my brain. So I will have to test.
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Are you going to embroider the hem ?
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Not of the velvet but I think I am going to use one of the flower stitches and do a run around the inner skirt, along with some text :)
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The baby is going to wear velvet ????????
Oh dear ... thats bad news!
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Yes I'm sure it'll be a bit messy by the end of the day, but oh well. I'm sure little Victorian children wore velvet :) As long as it stays nice enough for the majority of the photos it'll be fine!
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thats true Fran. just thinking of all your work combined with jelly and ice cream
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Started on the knickers last night. The fabric frays like absolutely CRAZY. I've overlocked all the innards but I'm still nervous. Aim is to just not handle them too much before the big day.
I also made a mistake and missed an entire panel. It's supposed to have three ruffles and the back is created from 4 panels. I've only put in three. Luckily I have fabric to spare so I'm able to build in that extra layer (no way I'm unpicking fraying overlocked seams).
Getting there though, even if my gathers aren't perfect (too hard to make perfect as the fraying starts to fray down into the first row of gathering stitches by the time I'm done gathering it).
I've spent all of last night gently snipping loose threads that present themselves in the seams or tugging them out if they come easily - just hope doing that hasn't affected the fabric too much underneath the O/L seams. Put my mind at rest? An overlocked seam should be strong?
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That does look a nightmare to sew. I do love frilly knickers on a baby, my daughter always wore them 0_0
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Just gone out and bought a big (not as big as I wanted) box from Paperchase along with tissue paper and card to match, plus nice paper to cover the box (thank god for my friend's large corporate discount). So I'll have something to present all this in. Not sewing related but still exciting! Just hoping all the bits fit.
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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.
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They are gorgeous. :D
I've never had any knickers that were half as nice as those!
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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.
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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.
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Blimey woman this is an immense amount of labour for a toddler's dress! Rather you than me :S
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Can’t wait to see the result. I don’t do much clothes sewing anymore, but love seeing what you all do.
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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).
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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!
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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!
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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.
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what colour are you needing?
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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 :'(
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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.... :) ;)
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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.
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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.
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First sleeve on... the sleeves on this are put in and then the lining is folded over and the back is pulled through the tops of the arm.
Oh my god, I thought it was over. I really thought I wasn't going to manage it. I was pulling and pulling as gently as I could but forcefully enough to get the whole chunky velvet back to pass through the top of the arm, which also has the little gathered sleeve tucked in there. I was SURE it wasn't going to go. Just at the point that all of the back was stuffed into the arm cervix I was staring at it thinking HOW is this going to work. And then, it birthed. That moment of relief was so great. Of course then I immediately remembered I had one more to do. Cuppa break methinks...
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It's done. DONE. Wahoo. And all boxed and wrapped (ready for the other bits).
I'm pleased with how the back turned out in the end, I think it looks better than if I'd done the overlapping poppers.
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That is gorgeous - well done. :)
I agree with you about the buttons.
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That's lovely Fran and a gorgeous colour.
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Lovely.
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Really Gorgeous! @Francesca
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Mr Velveteen Rabbit is nearly done too!
Unfortunately his ears are a bit skew-wiff but not a lot I can do now they are in. One of them is embroidered with the wedding date and the fabric for the belly and ears is taken from a dress the bride wore at her aunt and uncle's wedding.
I've put in the weight bag so he stays sitting up. He needs some paw weight bags too and then to be hand stitched in round the base but that is proving too fiddly for now so I will wait until tomorrow when I'm less tired. His nose will be stitched in some rose gold floss I found and his eyes will be pale gold. For those of you who don't know of The Velveteen Rabbit (https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/williams/rabbit/rabbit.html) you can read it here (get your tissues ready), it's one of the nicest children's books I've ever known and I'll be gifting the book to the bride's niece along with the dress (that part is secret even from the bride!)
I think he looks quite the part in comparison!
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Aw that is perfect and his ears are meant to be on the wonk... you only have to look at the pic on the book!
I bet the lil girl will think you wrote the book about the rabbit which you made for her and also hope with all the hope inside me, that the dress and the rabbit becomes a much loved heirloom ...
I suppose I better get on with those lobsters now!
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Fran...that's lovely. <3
Beautiful work and a beautiful gift.
Sandra.
xxx
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One the one hand I'm gunning after the heirloom but on the other (if you read through story I linked) I'd rather him become The One so he can be Real :*
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Wonky ears are one of those things that make a
teddy bunny!!! real. He's lovely. :)
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So. Nearly. Done. Save for the fact that I cannot get his second eye to match up with the first one. He either looks bug-eyed or downright evil. So giving it a rest tonight and will tackle the second eye and FINALLY he will be complete.
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Lovely dress and the rabbit is gorgeous! The eyes will be fine - bit of character.
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DONE. IT'S ALL DONE. DONEDONEDONE. Folded, neatly placed, wrapped, card written, tied up with a pretty ribbon! Seeing the bride next Monday now so it's tucked neatly in the dining room ready to be taken out.
I will be sure to update you with some pictures once the big day comes. Now to get on with my own outfit!!
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The dress turned out great. I love the color. I think the recipient (or more likely her mother) will be quite pleased. The bunny is cute.
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I love his little bunny butt and wonky ears :*
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That is one very cute bottom. :loveit:
I love the way you've fussy cut his tail! And his ears are clearly the way they are intended to be - there's a lot of character in them. :loveit:
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That would make an excellent Secret Santa gift!!! .... What ??? Just saying! ;)
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Hes beautiful @Francesca, such a lovely bunny and a beautiful keepsake, and the dress is gorgeous....well done you.
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Now that the official pics are in, I thought I'd share a few here :)
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This one is my favourite, I was mentioned in the speech and she was presented to the guests for oohs and aahs:
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Lovely dress, I think ....
but Im somewhat distracted by the Chucky mask splatted over what is probably a very pretty lil girls face! I completely understand WHY you've done that Fran, just saying!
Did Mum appreciate her 'wedding present' ???
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That's a lovely dress Fran, glad it was appreciated.