Two New Dresses for Sally

My mother asked found a "NewLook" pattern she liked and asked me to make her a couple dresses. We went and found enough fabric to make two A-line dresses; one black textured fabric and one brown shiny lined rayon fabric. (4 Yards of Fabric for each.) We measured her and I cut out the pattern. She wanted the waist line 2 inches longer as she is 5'10" and needs the added length in the waist, so I folded the fabric 2 inches wherever the pattern showed the waist. I cut out the 6 dress panels and 6 neck and arm lining sections. The pattern called for a 5/8 seam allowance. I cut the fusible interfacing and ironed the neck and arm pieces.

I started stitching the black dress first. After getting the 6 main panels together with the tie, I had my mother come and  try it on...WAY to Tight. So...The pattern runs small. Since I had already cut out the brown fabric, I stitched the 6 panels together using a very narrow serged edge seam. After trying this on...It fit perfectly.

Now....What to do with the black? I couldn't take out the seams as I had already trimmed the darts in the breast and back and the black fabric kind of hid the thread. So....I cut two 2.75 inch width panels to stitch into the side seams I cut away. I stitched them in the gap I had opened. I cut a a matching piece with interfacing to insert under each arm for the lining. I had my mother try it on again!!! Yay!!! It worked.

I did need to narrow the stitching for the darts in the brown dress to compensate for the narrower seams in order to attach the lining for the sleeves. My mother had me cut 8-9 inches off the bottom to make the dress fall just below the knee. I stitched a basting stitch around the bottom of the skirt and folding it up and hemmed the dress by hand to make it lay flat. Over all, I think my mother was pleased with her 2 nice new dresses.

Costs: about $20-25 per dress for fabric as the fabric was on sale. $3 for the thread. (I already had the interfacing.)

~Sarah
P.S....I think the jacket will be a project this spring.

Megan's Graduation Stole

Megan just graduated from St. Lawrence University. Wednesday night we got a phone call saying she didn't have her sorority's (Chi Omega's) stole for graduation on Sunday.

She could order one for $35, but they expected $42 for shipping and couldn't guarantee delivery. The local print shop could possibly print the logo on it if she could get them a stole. So, we went to the store.

I found the Cardinal Red satin material at Walmart for just over $8 a yard. I bought 1.25 yards as her stole needed to be about 38" long. Megan measured and said it needed to be 3.5" wide at the bottom widest point and 2" at the neck. (Come to find out, she was an inch off. It was supposed to be 4.5 inches wide. Couldn't tell the difference during graduation though.)

I had a roll of brown Kraft wrapping paper that I use for backing pictures. I used this to make a pattern. I folded a piece in half and measured 38" down and cut it off. I marked the pattern at 1.25" (2.5" when opened) at one end and 2" (4" when opened) on the other end (1/4" seam allowance). I connected the dots and cut. I then measured from the center point to the outside edge to get a 2" angled point. I opened the pattern and cut an slant across the neck area as it should have a triangular look where it goes around the neck.

The bottom point

The neck point

I lined up the pattern on the satin and cut 4 pieces along the finished edge of the fabric. I also cut 4 shortened pieces from the iron-on interfacing.

 I ironed the interfacing to the reverse side of the 4 satin pieces.

 I then pinned the neck together and stitched along the seams.

I opened them and pinned the 2 right sides together. I stitched along the entire outer edge and left a 2" gap near the inside of the neck.

2 inch gap for turning.

 

 Trim the corners so it lays flat when turned.

Turn the stole right side out.

Iron the stole.

Stitch the opening closed with a blind stitch.

Iron it again and you are ready to take it to the printers.

The points at the bottom.

The neck is angled to sit flat when it is worn.

~Sarah

New Dresses

I've had one of these fabrics I bought last summer to make Ashlin a dress. I found the black one a few weeks ago. Since it keeps hinting at springtime, I thought it might be the perfect time to finish these projects. Ashlin likes the dresses, but does NOT like having her photo taken.
~Sarah

You can tell how much she LOVES having her photo taken.