Child's Apron

Child's apron, made with green / white striped fabric and white webbing ties.

Pocket with stripes lined up.

Seams finished with overlocker.

Seams top-stitched.

Advent Calendar

Fabric Advent Calendar.  

Made from green/gold patterned cotton, cotton wadding, then quilted, with felt pockets.

 Approx. 42 x 70 cm. 

Prom dress - bodice lining pieces stitched together.

Bodice lining pieces stitched together- I've stitched the side front pieces to the bodice front, then the bodice back pieces to the sides.   Then made up the midriff lining by stitching the midriff backs to the midriff front. The midriff was then attached to the bodice.

Prom dress - checking the lining for fit

OK, as I mentioned earlier, I am not making a toile, but am using the bodice lining to check for fit.

I tried the bodice lining on my daughter, pinning it together at the back opening.  The fit was lovely across the back, and also the side front panels (the side seams sit at exactly the right places).  However the fit on the front panel was a little loose, so I unpicked the tacking stitches and took in the excess on the seams of the front panel (by approx. 0.5 cm).  I then checked the fit on my daughter again, and we agreed that this was fine now.
The panels had been cut out for her measurements, size 10 of the pattern.  The alterations on the front panel were approximately equivalent to taking that piece down from a size 10 down to a size 6, therefore I took this piece out of the "garment" and re-cut it using the paper pattern piece, but cutting it as a size 6 (side seam only, the top edge was fine at size 10).  I've also re-cut, i.e. reduced pattern piece 6 (front stay), by this amount.  
It's important to note down what I've done here, so that when I cut out the bodice from the actual dress fabric I do the same thing, i.e cut pattern piece 1 at size 6, the rest of the bodice pieces at size 10, and reduce piece 6 by a small amount corresponding to the difference in size for piece 1.

Prom dress - bodice lining construction

Bodice front attached to bodice side front with tacking stitches....

Bodice back sections attached to bodice side fronts with tacking stitches.......

Prom Dress

Tailor tacks done. 

Prom dress

Cutting out the lining......

Prom dress

I've now bought the fabric for the bodice lining, the interfacing, concealed zip, thread and spare needles.

The bodice lining is a white cotton lawn.  The interfacing will be used as re-enforcement for a band that sits between the bodice and skirt.  Normal interfacing would be too stiff and could crease on wearing the dress.  So I'm using a polyester lining (to be sewn in) that will be softer.

I've done a rough check of the fit by pinning the bodice paper pattern pieces together and holding them up against my daughter.  All looks good so far, so I'm going to go with the pattern size I've chosen.

Rather than making a complete toile, I'm going to make up the bodice first in the lining fabric to test the fit. It was fairly inexpensive and if I need to unpick it and re-stitch it won't show any marks.
Because of possible shrinkage I've pre-washed it and dried it outside.

Now going to iron the cotton and also the bodice paper pattern pieces before pinning and cutting out.

Let's get going!

Janet

Prom dress

Just beginning to get myself organised for starting my daughter's prom dress.

It's ages until she needs it - June - but I don't want to run out of time near the end.

I've already bought the pattern and the main fabrics - still need to get the lining, although I may have something suitable in my stash.

Have just cut out the paper pattern pieces today.

Janet