I got all inspired to make Rowan some clothes the other day. Trouble is, Mum's out of town and she's my go-to sewing expert. Sooo... any tips for making these?
I've never made clothes before, and I'm pretty beginnery on my sewing machine. I was sensible enough to zigzag-stitch and wash my fabrics, which are currently hanging up to dry. Dress A will be a kind of pinstripy blue fabric, lined with calico, and Dress B is pink checks lined with some kind of light, floaty, dotty cream material I picked up years ago.
Dresses A and B are both loosely based on a combination of one of Rowan's pinafores and this pattern, which I realise is too small (Rowan's seven months old). I'll be more or less winging them, using the pinafore as a reference for cutting out. Dress B will have cream bias tape around the bottom; Dress A might have the same on top of the frill. (Around the bottom of the frill too? Too much?) I was thinking about using the tape around the neck/armhole/shoulder ties area of one of both dresses too, but would it look funny going around the shoulder tabs? You tell me! Design ain't my strong point.
Also, the abovementioned pattern says to join the gathered waist to the bodice 'by stitching 'just outside' the gathered stitching. I don't quite get what that means. Closer to the raw edge of the skirt fabric than the gathered stitching is, or further away? I can't quite picture it.
Anyway, any advice is appreciated! Design advice too--I'm not committed to the bow or fabric roses, if you have any better ideas. (Yes, those things on Dress B are roses). I was kinda thinking of making Suffolk puffs as using them as flowers on one dress, with bias binding stalks, on the skirt--you know? Very Etsy. But I'm not sure it'd work with these fabrics.
I've never made clothes before, and I'm pretty beginnery on my sewing machine. I was sensible enough to zigzag-stitch and wash my fabrics, which are currently hanging up to dry. Dress A will be a kind of pinstripy blue fabric, lined with calico, and Dress B is pink checks lined with some kind of light, floaty, dotty cream material I picked up years ago.
Dresses A and B are both loosely based on a combination of one of Rowan's pinafores and this pattern, which I realise is too small (Rowan's seven months old). I'll be more or less winging them, using the pinafore as a reference for cutting out. Dress B will have cream bias tape around the bottom; Dress A might have the same on top of the frill. (Around the bottom of the frill too? Too much?) I was thinking about using the tape around the neck/armhole/shoulder ties area of one of both dresses too, but would it look funny going around the shoulder tabs? You tell me! Design ain't my strong point.
Also, the abovementioned pattern says to join the gathered waist to the bodice 'by stitching 'just outside' the gathered stitching. I don't quite get what that means. Closer to the raw edge of the skirt fabric than the gathered stitching is, or further away? I can't quite picture it.
Anyway, any advice is appreciated! Design advice too--I'm not committed to the bow or fabric roses, if you have any better ideas. (Yes, those things on Dress B are roses). I was kinda thinking of making Suffolk puffs as using them as flowers on one dress, with bias binding stalks, on the skirt--you know? Very Etsy. But I'm not sure it'd work with these fabrics.
