Holiday Dress

Little Red

I finished Miss's Halloween costume.  Check it out here.

Fall Style Finalist!

I just found out that I am a finalist in Violette Field Threads Fall Style Contest!  There are five finalists and I'd love to get your vote if you get a chance.  Please go take a look and choose your favorite.  This is a link to my entry.  Thank you SO much for your time.  It means a lot to me.

fabric - Reminisce by Art Gallery

pattern - Jane by Violette Field Threads

shoes - Naartjie

Felt Fox for The Sewing Rabbit

Hey everyone!   Are you interested in learning how to make this cute little guy?  Head over to The Sewing Rabbit and check it out.

Sew Many Books : Stellaluna

Read more about my Stellaluna inspired jacket at the new blog

http://daisiesanddressesblog.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/sew-many-books-stellaluna-2/

The Blog is Moving!

I will be posting my new posts over on WordPress instead of blogger. I know it's a lot to ask, but if you could take the time to follow the new blog, I'd appreciate it.

New posts will be posted over there, but I will continue to link them here. For the first updates, Follow my blog with Bloglovin

You can find the tutorial at the new blog!

Knock it Off Jottum Dress

I am so excited to be part of Knock it Off hosted by Elegance & Elephants this year!  I follow along every time and LOVE seeing what everyone comes up with.  It's so much fun to see the participants on the blog and the flickr group create.  There are some great prizes for the sew along entries, so make sure you check it out and enter your knock off.

Part of the reason I started sewing was because I loved children's fashion, but I hated the price tag.  I've loved this jottum dress since the first time I saw it but there was no way I was going to spend over $300 on a child's dress.  I decided that Knock it Off was the perfect opportunity to make one of my own.

After all the color blocking, cutting, measuring and gathering for the underskirt, I can understand why the original is so expensive.  I've never spent so long making anything, but I can honestly say that I love it.  My version is a little bit different, but I couldn't help adding my own touches.

I made this out of about 2 yards of Kona cotton in white and indigo and 1/2 yard of stiff tulle.  Adding in the cost of the thread and the zipper, it didn't cost more than $15 to sew up.  The skirt is color blocked with strips of white.  Each strip is sewn together and then it's all box pleated at the waist.

Bows were sewn to the waist and the straps.  I could have made my bows fuller, but I ran out of white fabric.  It was a calculation error in my math, unfortunately.

An entire half yard of tulle is gathered and sewn to the skirt lining to hold up the 65 inches of hemline.  

Little Miss said she felt like a princess in the dress.

Thanks for looking!  I wish I could have done a tutorial for you, but it's all subjective to waist size.  I can tell you what I did, though.

To determine the size of your skirt, measure the waist(or chest, whichever is larger) and add ease and seam allowance(W).  Multiply that number by three to get the total width of your skirt piece(Wx3).  Now, decide how many bows you want(B)(I had 4).  Each bow has 2 tails.  So, the amount of white pieces you need is Bows x2. (Bx2).  Determine how wide you want your bow's tails to be(T) and multiply that number the number of bow's tails you have(T(Bx2)).  Divide up your remaining width to place in between your tails(Wx3)/(T).  Add seam allowance to all calculations and you should end up with the width of your color blocking pieces.  Determine the length by measuring from your child's waist to where you want the hemline and don't forget to add length for hemming.

Sew that all together and you "should" end up with the right width.  Box pleat everything so it looks right and it should be about the same width as your waist measurement.  Run a basting stitch along the top to hold it all together.

The next piece will be the width of your skirt.  This piece will be cut in half and then one half in half again.  You will need to add seam allowance to each piece.  If you don't want a sash, you can just do one piece with seam allowance for the back.  If you want a sash, figure out how long and wide you want it and sew it in the sides.  Cut out the same size pieces for your lining.

If you want an underskirt, you'll have to at least double the width of the waist(I tripled it)gather that and sew it into the lining.  Along the bottom, I measured 6 inches of stiff tulle and sewed about 8 strips together, gathered them and sewed them to the skirt lining.  If you don't want the tulle to itch, make sure there is cotton between it and your child's legs.

Okay, now sew in your lining but don't forget to calculate the length/width of your straps and sew those in to the top.  I added buttonholes on the back of the dress to hold the straps in and I put a zipper down the back of the dress.  I made simple bows and hand sewed them to the waist and straps.  Hem everything and pat yourself on the back.  You deserve it!

If you have questions, I'll do my best to answer them.  Best of luck!

Knock it Off

Guess what?  That's right!  mmmm hmmm.  You read it right.  I'm busy making something that is amazing, if I do say so myself.  I'll see you back here in a few days.  In the meantime, I'm calculating all sorts of math misery in order to get this vision to work out.

Be sure to watch Elegance & Elephants to see the great line up.

Flip This Pattern: Croquet Dress by Oliver + S

I was so surprised and amazed when I got invited to participate in this round for Flip This Pattern! This is one of my favorite series in blog land and I get to be a part of it. Thanks for letting me play along.

 Everyone knows how lovely Oliver + S patterns are and the lovely croquet dress is great on the inside and out. I love the way the insides of the garments are perfect. For my flip, I decided to make a romper with flutter sleeves.

Meet Luna Blue

I edged the front and the sleeves with lace.  The sleeve is lined with a contrasting(matching?) green fabric.

I was going to do a bubble short but I thought basic bottoms helped balance the width and structure of the top.  (I promise, I ironed these but then she played in them.)

There's a peek at that green in the sleeves.

I think the back view is my favorite.

Thanks for looking.  I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with for the sew along.  Make sure you head over to Frances Suzanne and vote for your favorite Croquet Dress creation!  Don't forget to add your link to the sew along too.

Flip This Pattern at Frances Suzanne

Hey everyone!  Guess what?  I'm over at Frances Suzanne today for Flip This Pattern.  Head over and check it out.  It'll be fun.  I promise.

Fabric Stash Buster

I've had this fabric for at least two years.  Originally, I bought it for an Easter dress but I never really got around to cutting it out.  So, it sat with my fabrics for a very long time.  Occasionally, I'd pull it out for a project, but it just never seemed to be right.  Then, inspiration struck!  It was perfect for a Market Dress!

I decided to put pockets the dress this time around, and I made the skirt fuller than the previous one too.  Pockets are always a winner in my book.  They also add +10 to any outfit in the eyes of my daughter.

She likes to carry stuffed animals in her pockets.  Also rocks.  Lots of rocks.

Look at that jaunty little bunny peeking out of her pocket!

I put brown buttons down the back.  Originally, I went with silver, but they were all wrong.  I clipped them all off and replaced them with brown.  Much better.

This will be darling with a long sleeved shirt under it too.  I'm thinking of making a long sleeved ruffle blouse for this coming fall and winter.

• pattern - Amelie & Henri Market Dress
• fabric- Bunny Hill by Moda

Fourth of July is Coming!

18 months old

This photo will remain one of my favorite photos of Little Miss until the end of time.  This was her second July 4th celebration.  Every year, we head to the lake with friends.  One of our traditions that I hope will never end.

One of my favorite times of year is almost here.  Since it falls right around my birthday, I always felt like the fireworks were for me ;)  But, we have some traveling plans up ahead so we're furiously trying to get everything squared away before we go over the mountains to visit family and friends we left behind when we moved away.

4 years old

The outfit I wanted to share with you was worn and has ketchup all over the front so I have to do some fancy stain removal before I can take photos.  Since I don't have photos the only photo I have is this bad instragram shot, I'll share photos from previous years.  Nothing was sewn by me, but I'm sharing anyway.  Look away from my store bought goods!

Two years old

Same boots as the previous year.  Same top too.  Little peanut hardly grew but it worked well for me since she got to recycle all of her clothes ;)

Two years old

She absolutely loves those boots.  July 5th, we went berry picking with the family and she insisted on wearing them.

3 years old

3 years old

A couple from last year.  I swear, she grew 2 feet over the winter.  The first photo cracks me up every time I see it.  It completely reminds me of Coco Chanel "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous."

Yeah, the boots.  Because she loved them so much, I did a crazy thing and bought them in the next size up.  I made her an outfit for last year, but it was an epic failure.  If you want to make fun, go check it out here.  It's okay to laugh.  I know I did!

and one last photo before I go.  Here she is on her very first 4th celebration looking thrilled with her lot in life.

9 months old and excited to be here

Market Dress

This pattern is too sweet!  I am seriously in love.  Amelie and Henri has blown me away once again.  Previously, I'd sewn up and fallen in love with the Esmee Dress.  I may love the Market Dress more.

I was surprised at how quickly this came together, even with the pin tucks on the straps and waistband.  I actually followed the pattern on this one except that I didn't include pockets.  The fabric pattern was already so busy, I thought the pockets were just too much.

Ok, that was a bit of a fib.  I did the pin tucks different than called for in the directions.  There were supposed to be two on each strap and three on the waist band.  I switched them because I don't know how to read a pattern...  As a result, my straps are quite a bit thinner, but I still love how it turned out.

I love how the underskirt is meant to show.  It gives such nice dimension to the dress.

The dress is relatively simple pinafore but the added pin tucks and the underskirt really make it look more complicated than it actually is.  I layered it over an eyelet ruffle tank I had hiding in the bottom of a drawer somewhere.  It would be cute over a short sleeved blouse too.

It buttons all the way down the back which I think is darling, but a zipper could easily be installed.  The buttons make the fit a bit more flexible.  The straps cross in the back and button in place.  There is plenty of room to move down the buttons and let out the skirt so she should be able to wear this for a couple of years.  I LOVE that in a pattern.

I did find that concealing the raw edges on the pettiskirt was a bit tricky and not really addressed on the directions.  I was able to figure it out but if a beginner were sewing up the pattern, they might run into some difficulties.

Little Miss says it's very comfy and wants to wear it this fall with boots and a long sleeved jacket.

• Green Fabric - P & B Textiles - Wildflowers in Yellow
• Pettiskirt Fabric - Floral Eyelet in Maize from fabric.com
• Pattern - Amelie and Henri Market Dress

WINNERS!!!

The giveaway is over but congrats to the winners, Andrea Scherer and Elisabetta!  Lily Bird Studios will be emailing you so keep an eye out!

Thanks for playing along

Adding an inset to any bodice pattern

I have a simple tutorial for you. It looks a lot more complicated than it actually is. Seriously, you'll just be adding two more seams than usual to make this look. You can do a sheer overlay or a solid color. If you have a bodice pattern, you can make this look.

In case you haven’t noticed yet, I LOVE to take patterns and change them around a bit to get a look that’s different from the original. It’s easier than you might think. Today, I’ll show you how to make a sheer inset and overlay on any bodice you already have. You just need a scrap of sheer fabric, so you can raid your stash. It would be fun to make this with a contrasting panel too.


Have your favorite bodice? Good, we can start! We’re going to draw a line down it and cut it so you might want to use a copy. Here we go!

I like to use my drafting ruler here. I LOVE this thing. You’ve probably seen me bust it out before. If you plan to do a lot of pattern modification, you’ll probably want to get one but don’t be discouraged if you don’t have one in your artillery yet. You can just eyeball this curve. Really, you can. It’s not going to change the fit of your top at all – it’s all aesthetic. Just draw a curved line from the shoulder down pattern until the like the look of it. You can see where I did mine.

Now, cut it apart along the line you drew. Take your two new pieces and trace them out on another piece of paper. Add seam allowance along the lines you cut.


Okay, easy as pie! Now, go cut out your pieces. You’ll want to cut the piece that says “fold” along the fold as it states (Cut one in the main fabric and one in your sheer fabric. I’ve used a black lace). You’ll cut two of the other piece (main fabric) making sure you cut a mirror image.

Here’s how I laid my pattern pieces out. I already cut out my lace piece and I set it there to show you what it looks like cut out.

Lay your sheer piece over it’s matching main fabric piece like so. You’ll want to baste these two together. Really, you do. It will save you tons of headache later. Believe me.

Now, take your side piece and pin it to your center piece, right sides together. It’s not going to look like it will match, but keep pinning and it will come into place. I use a LOT of pins. (You can see my basting stitches!). Keep on pinning and then go sew. Repeat for the other side.

Now, go iron the snot out of this thing. Iron it until it cries. I pressed my seams toward the sides. The curves seem to fall best that way. A hot iron is your friend here. Don’t skip this step or these curves won’t play nicely when it’s being worn. I know. Don’t ask.


Now, you have a bodice front piece that matches the original pattern piece. You sew with this just like you would if you’d cut the original pattern piece out. Follow the directions in your pattern to construct the rest of your top or dress.


I used the hanami pattern which calls for a lining. If you have to cut a lining, you don’t need to make a panel on the lining as well. Just cut out the original bodice pattern piece (If you’ve cut it, just tape it back together).

To complete my look I sewed on an exposed zipper and lined my sleeves with the same lace I used for the inset. Everything was sewn according to my pattern’s directions, I just took the time to change up the look of the bodice a little bit.

This is a fun technique to add a little bit of color blocking to existing patterns too. Just sew in a contrasting color in regular cotton instead of a layered sheer fabric. The combinations are endless!