I realize that it's only January but I am so over this winter. It's dark and it's cold and all I want to do all day is sleep and eat bread. Last year I at least had a trip to Hawaii to look forward to, but sadly this year we actually have to use our tax return a bit more responsibly. Boo! Hiss!
So what does one do when it's dark and cold and miserable outside?
Why, make summer dresses of course! (Denial is a wonderful thing.)
Also a wonderful thing? Making garments completely from your stash.
Like every other crafter out there I'm hoping to cut down on purchasing this year and use a lot of what I already own, starting with some of the beautiful fabric that's been gifted to me by some kind souls. This fabric happens to come from Cambodia by way of my mother-in-law who's lived there for the last couple of years. It's a cotton print fabric but the pattern was asymmetrical on the cut of fabric that I had so I spent a while trying to figure out exactly how I wanted to place the pattern pieces. Honestly, after sewing up the dress I wish I would have placed the pieces a bit differently. That blue flower on the front of the bodice kind of drives me crazy. But that's just me being way overly picky, right? I'll just make a point to stare at the back which is adorned with gold buttons. Oooooh, fancy.
The dress is the Oliver and S Bubble Dress that has obviously be de-bubblefied (this just involved not including the lining or the step where you gather the bottom of the dress with elastic - a super-easy modification). I opted to skip the decorative stitching around the "sleeves" since you can't see any stitching with this fabric and instead I just top-stitched around the armholes and the neckline.
As for the sizing, I chose to make a size 5 for my four and a half year old. The size four probably would have fit her better right now, but considering that it's currently 35 degrees out I don't think that she'll be wearing this little dress outside anytime soon.
Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to eat an entire loaf of soda bread and to take a nap. Wake me up when it's spring.
This is gorgeous! I too am in the midst of wanting to do sewing for spring and summer - love it!
ReplyDeleteIt looks wonderful and I particularly like the band of flowers at the hem line! :-)
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel...I hate the cold. Somehow it's ok till Christmas but it's downhill from there and then Winter plays tricks on you by dropping a Springy-day in once in awhile before slapping you with some more permafrost. I'm sorry...what I meant to say was: excellent pattern matching on the back!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, Carolyn. I love this un-bubblefied, especially on an older girl. The moment I saw the photo on my Feedly account, I knew this fabric had to be from Cambodia. My sister-in-law brings me back Cambodian fabric as well. She told me they print the fabric like that so you can get really creative with it, kind of like you did with the flowers running along the hem. It's perfect. I love it.
ReplyDeleteThis is really beautiful! Such gorgeous fabric.
ReplyDeleteI hope the last of winter goes quickly for you (although that means it'll be the end of summer for me - boo!)
So cute and spring-ish! Swap you some winter for a bit of blistering heatwave??
ReplyDeleteLooks great. We made whole wheat peanut butter chocolate chip cookies with the kiddo to help distract from not being able to play outside.
ReplyDeletePretty dress, but yes, roll on spring!
ReplyDeleteThe dress is adorable! The fabric looks like batik, which is intended to be worn as a sarong skirt, so the print is not like in conventional fabrics. Hope spring comes early!
ReplyDeleteCarbs, coffee, naps. Sounds about right! Though the urge to sew springtime clothes is strong, definitely! This is a very cute dress, the fabric is really beautiful! Em is in that weird in-between sizes phase too. She now needs a 4 bodice but 5 length (at least).
ReplyDeleteWow! What a gorgeous dress! The fabric is amazing! I don't know what you are talking about, the flower is just fine on the front bodice. :) I hear you, I am so over this winter. :) need to start making summer dresses. :)
ReplyDeleteWe haven't had any winter at all this year (well, there was one cold week), so I could probably whip up spring dresses for Maggie and she could wear them right away! This would be awesome if it didn't mean we'll spend our summer in drought and wildfires, ugh.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a beautiful dress, and beautiful fabric. When trying to use my stash fabrics, especially the beautiful ones, I am always trying to find something that is the right size, and weight, and doesn't leave many leftovers. And then it seems easier to just buy something new! But while I'm out I see other things I love and buy random 2 or 3 yard pieces. Haha. This is a vicious cycle I need to break out of!
That fabric is gorgeous! I'm trying to sew and knit from my stash for a few months, too, but I don't have anything that fantastic in stash, sad to say.
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