Smocked Garden Party Toddler Dress for Project Run & Play Season 6

My "Signature Look"

As always, click on the photos to enlarge them.

 I had such fun creating this little smocked frock for Week #6 of Project Run & Play.  This week's challenge was to design a child's outfit that would showcase one's 'Signature Look'.  This wee outfit incorporates all of my favorite sewing features.

• Vintage styling
• Fine fabrics
• Quality trimmings
• Smocking
• Embroidery
• Lace-work 
• Detailing
• Re-purposing another needle artist's work
• Baby/toddler fashions

 The dress is made of fine pink micro-check and white batiste using a 1985 pattern called Medora's Sundress & Jumper in a size 2.  I used a lovely cotton batiste battenburg and hand appliqued curtain as the overlay  on the skirt and ran both fabrics through the pleater together.  It was a dream to pleat and I am delighted to say that I have three more of these curtains in different lengths.

Photo of the curtain before I took the casing out of the top.  

The skirt has a single one inch growth tuck within the three inch hem.

 The back of the dress shows how I had the overlay continue around the back of the dress like a little pinafore would.  The Swiss edging was attached to the top of the bodice back to add a little sweetness.

 The smocking design is one I fell in love with several years ago in Creative Needle Magazine.  (I was so saddened that the magazine folded in the downturn of the economy.)  I have added a scan of the magazine page showing the design on an infant bubble.  (I do hope that this is alright.  I have credited the magazine on the photograph.)  I think it is one of the most delightful little floral and insect designs.

 As you can see, I made some minor changes like changing the colors and adding more insects.

 Love the bullion bows on this design!

 The pink Swiss edging and the white Swiss insertion were on a dress I made my daughter when she was in first grade.  It was a well-loved little dress and was literally worn out!  I salvaged these little trimmings from the sleeves for this dress.  I smile every time I look at them!

 The panties were made with Imperial broadcloth and some pink Swiss edging from my stash.

 I know that these little panties/bloomers will be on display on a two or three year old so I made them extra fancy with the little heart applique on the tushie trimmed with more Swiss edging salvaged from my daughter's dress and a little bow.

 I like this little ensemble so much that it is going into my "Grandmother's Hope Chest".  I hope one day to see a sweet little granddaughter twirling around in it!

Don't forget to stop over at Project Run and Play to see more inspiring looks for children!

Sage and Roses Smocked Daygown for Project Run & Play Season 6 Men's Shirt Refashion Sew-Along: Completed!

These pictures were taken at night and aren't as clear as I'd like.  I do apologize.

I want to thank everyone who said prayers and sent good wishes for my Tim's surgery recovery.  He had a very complicated hernia repair that caused some heart and blood pressure issues.  Unfortunately, this was the third surgery in six months for the same thing and each time recovery has been more difficult.   I was so worried a week ago but he is so much better today.  Prayer is so powerful!!!

This was such a fun project!  The challenge this past week was to take a man's dress shirt and create a child's clothing item.  The cotton shirt I found was such a lovely shade of pale sage green and had a wonderful 'hand' to it.  I knew right away that it would make a sweet daygown.  I love making baby clothes and I love working with lovely materials like French lace insertions and edgings.  I also love handwork like smocking and embroidery.   So an infant daygown would be the perfect project match for the shirt and me.

(Yesterday's post had pictures taken near a window in the morning and show the colors better and seem to have sharper details.  You can check them out here.)

  A daygown is a 20-27 inch long gown worn by babies for generations everywhere and still worn in Europe, South America, Australia, and in the United States in the South.  It has long been considered a practical garment that is loose fitting and comfortable for baby.  They cover baby's feet and make changing a diaper so much easier than dealing with snaps, buttons, or zippers on sleepers or other little suits.  Traditionally, daygowns were for both boys and girls and were made in white fabric and embroidered in white and later in pastel shades.  This one is obviously made for a baby girl!

Smocking closeup.

 
On page 4 of the wonderful heirloom sewing book French Hand Sewing for Infants by Sarah Howard Stone, Mrs. Stone gives suggestions for sewing a layette:
"For the modern baby's layette, we suggest a christening gown, slip, and cap; two pretty dresses, one fairly elaborate and one less elaborate; six permanent-press daygowns; six more elaborate batiste daygowns; six pairs of booties or little socks; three or fours kimonos; six drawstring gowns, three little caps; six diaper shirts; six very pretty top sheets; one fancy pillow; one less elaborate pillow; fourteen plisse and flannel receiving blankets; and two challis squares with wide lace ruffles."

This book was originally published in 1984 and my copy is from the fifth printing in 1993 which really wasn't so very long ago!  If you count up just the daygowns and the drawstring gowns, that is 18 gowns!  Goodness!  It is a good thing that they are supposed to fit for the first six months (depending on the baby's size).  Although I have made MANY smocked daygowns over the past 18 years, I have always given them away or sold them.  This is the first one that I am keeping for my Grandmother's Hope Chest.   Victoria-Rose, my daughter, loves both the dress and bonnet and says that her babies will wear classic baby clothing more often than the modern things found in most stores.  Yippee!  I'll be adding more to my hope chest!

 I used an old pattern for this gown:  Grace Knott's "Baby Nightie" in the 8-11 pound size and  it is 21 inches long.  I believe that it will fit a larger baby, though, unless the arms are very chubby.  Raglan sleeve garments fit for a longer time.  I did shorten and widen the sleeves to form puffed short sleeves and of course, the placket was adjusted to make use of the one already on the man's shirt.

 I changed out the buttons that came with this shirt for six carved shell buttons and added a tiny bit of  embroidery to the placket to add a little interest to the back.

 I flipped up the hem to show the inside of the dress in the next photo.  There are no exposed seams to irritate delicate infant skin.

I hope you like this little ensemble.  I had such pleasure in making it! There are lots of wonderful ideas here at Project Run & Play for using men's shirts in creating children's clothing.  Check them out!

Man's Shirt Refashion for Project Run & Play Season 6

Completed Outfit!

Alternate Title:  Time Lost Can Never Be Found Again

The completed outfit photos and details are posted HERE.  Please click over to check them out.


Oh, my goodness!  I have struggled so about writing this post!  I absolutely LOVE what I have been working on for the sew-along challenge but have not been able to complete it in time for the 8:00 am judging for the contest.  Life, with all its ups and downs, got in the way.  My husband was in the hospital again for surgery for 5 days this past week and two friends had family members pass away in the same time period. There wasn't the time to sew that I needed for this!

 Anyway....I have decided to share what I have accomplished (knowing that it cannot be judged) and update this post on Saturday with a completed picture and all the details concerning patterns, etc.

Here is the original man's extra large dress shirt in a lovely pale sage green.  This was purchased at a Hospice Resale store.

 This is the infant daygown almost complete.  The smocking didn't take too long but I was very slow with the embroidered roses and the lace work.

 Hem with entredeaux and the French cotton lace insertion and edging stitched together.

 The little heirloom bonnet with the pieced laces that just needs the ties sewn on.

This has been my favorite challenge and I am so disappointed that I didn't complete it by the deadline.  Please come back again to see the little gown and bonnet all finished. 

Love & Kisses for Project Run & Play Week 4 of Season 6

As always, just click on the photos to enlarge them.

 I am having such fun with the sew-along challenges for Project Run and Play!  It is really motivating me to get some sewing accomplished.  This week's challenge is "Love is in the Air" for Valentines Day.  I decided to make a little dress that can be worn over a white knit shirt for beautiful little Chloe, the daughter of another kindergarten teacher at my school.  All materials, including the hand embroidered vintage linen napkin were in my stash.  I guess this counts as 'stash busting', too!

I used this McCalls pattern but made quite a few changes.  The pattern calls for shirring with elastic thread on the back bodice and doesn't have you line the bodices at all.  That doesn't work for me so I completely lined both the front and the back bodice pieces and made channels for elastic casings in the back piece.  I added at least 4 inches to the strap length and still feel they could be longer.  I also made the little loops in the back longer.  I added 5 inches to the sashes and lined them as well.  Next time I would make them even longer.  They seem very short to me.  Chloe is not quite 2 1/2 years old and I made a size 3 according to her measurements.  I feel that the pattern runs small and would size up next time.  This is a surprise because my experience with the Big Three pattern companies is that they usually run large.

As you can see, I basted a vintage napkin to the skirt front and put the entire front through my pleater making such nice little pleats for gathering it to the bodice.  I smocked the napkin section with red DMC floss in a simple heart design.  I appliqued two heart shapes in contrasting fabric and machine satin stitched around them in rayon thread.  The little pewter heart charm was in the jewelry findings box and was the perfect finishing touch.

You will see in the next picture that I didn't knot the straps after pulling them through the back loops the way the pattern shows the closure.  I didn't like how that looked so I tied them together.  The bow is big and pretty but I really would prefer the sashes to be longer.  We've been having some beautiful warm weather here lately.  If this weekend had been Valentines Day, Chloe could have worn this without a shirt!

This weekend was my son's 18th birthday.  I can't believe how fast these eighteen years have flown by!  Logan is a wonderful young man, an honor roll senior who makes us very proud of the good choices he makes every day.  That is my sweet husband in the picture with him.

I can't get over how much he looks like my Uncle Bill, my dad's younger brother.  He has his dad's upper lip and my eyes, though.  He has Uncle Bill's sense of humor and my dad's musical ear.  Logan plays the piano beautifully.

The last picture is of my daughter during the last week of December.  Victoria-Rose is 19 and is a freshman in college studying music performance and education.  She is a pianist and an opera singer.  I have two amazing children.  I am truly blessed.

Don't forget to stop by Project Run and Play to see all the other Valentine inspired outfits.  Next week is a challenge that I have been anxious to complete:  taking a man's shirt and making it into something for a child.  I am excited by this challenge and have been working on it off and on since the first week.  I have turned it into something for my "Grandmother's Hope Chest"!

Sailing, Sailing....Smocking for a Baby Boy: Project Run & Play, Week 3

As always, click on the photos to enlarge them for easier viewing.

 This is my entry for the sew-along challenge for PR&P Week #3:  Boys Week.  It is a birthday gift (late...gasp) for Liam's first birthday.  He is a beautiful little boy with dark brown eyes and brown hair and the most adorable little smile.  Liam is the first grandchild of dear neighbors of ours.  He lives in Miami where the temperature usually stays fairly warm (70's-90's) all year long so this little sunsuit will get plenty of wear.

I used the pattern "Baby Playsuit" by Creations By Michie' and a smocking plate by Pat Garretson Designs called "Bebe July".  I made a size one because Liam's measurements were just under the measurements for that size.  The insert and lining are Imperial broadcloth and the seersucker is a mystery.  It has been in my stash 'mellowing' for quite a while!  I believe I bought it when my own son was about three and I made a pair of shorts for him.  Logan will be 18 this week so I think it needed to be used!  It is a polycotton.  It will be very easy care for Liam's mama.

 

 I added two extra rows of waves to fill the rows required by the pattern for the insert and I like the way it came out.  I bordered the insert with red micro-check mini piping and used Wash Away Wonder Tape for the first time to hold the piping in place instead of pins.  Carol (Mama CJT of http://mamacjt.blogspot.com/), has been talking to me about this product and sent me some and I just love it!  Thank you Carol!  I will never do an insert without it again!  Carol also gave me the playsuit pattern (among lots of other heirloom sewing goodies).  You have to know that I thought of you all week long, Carol!

I love the open sides of the bodice.  It is so nice and cool for a south Florida baby!

I put the waistband on with the stripes going horizontally for a little extra interest and used bright red buttons for a little 'back appeal'.  The crotch closes with snap tape (3 snaps) and there is 1/4 inch elastic in the legs.  I am particularly pleased with the snap tape because I (finally) used a zipper foot when doing the application.  Very neat and tidy.  I'm sorry I forgot to take a photo of that section of the playsuit.

Here is a little closer view of the smocking.  I'm not the best picture smocker but this plate has small stacked figures without color changes so it is relatively easy to do.

I really liked this pattern but it took me longer to construct than I anticipated.  This is due to me being unfamiliar with the pattern and not the pattern itself.  It really is beautifully drafted.  This pattern will get lots of use because this little playsuit was liked by everyone in my house!  Even Logan gave it a 'thumbs up'!  The bodice and waistband are lined but the pants are not so the side seams are serged.  (This fabric would have been a bear to French seam.)  The Buttonhole Fairy was with me and the buttonholes came out great.  My machine doesn't always cooperate when I do buttonholes and they often have to be redone but not this time.  What did give me trouble was the snap tape!  I put it on the wrong sides of the crotch plackets the first time and had to pick out all those tiny stitches.  I don't know what I was thinking!

Anyway, I am so glad I can give this to our neighbors to give to Liam.  I believe they will be going to Miami in a week or two.  Please stop by http://www.projectrunplay.com/2013/01/week-three-boys-week.html to see all the great entrys for this week's challenge.

Lined Sleeveless Bodice: A Little Tutorial

I recently made a basic bodice dress for a little girl for Week 1 of Project Run and Play's sixth season that included a completely lined bodice that requires no top-stitching. (See here.) I took some photos as I made the dress with the idea of putting a tutorial together for any sewists who might want to try some different techniques.  I had no idea until I started editing the photos and writing descriptions, how hard this is to accomplish!  I am amazed that there are so many women who do this regularly. I applaud you!

I did not take any photos of me cutting out the bodice pieces.  I cut two front bodice pieces on the fold and two back bodice pieces on the fold.  The back bodice pieces will be folded in half to form the two lined back bodice pieces.  My first photo was taken after the front and back bodice pieces (and linings) were sewn together at the shoulder and the neck was sewn right sides together.  When you sew the back bodice pieces to the front and the front lining it will look like a big circle with one side of each bodice back attached to the bodice front at one shoulder and the bodice lining at the other shoulder.  You will then fold the pieces over on each other so that all right sides are  facing each other and the back bodice folds are in the center back like in the photo below.  Happily, I photographed all the next steps and gave details on each photo.  Once you try this technique, I really think you will love it and never line a dress any other way.  You will want to click on the photos to enlarge them to see the writing on each one.

 Oh, I forgot to tell you to get your ironing set up ready and turn the iron on.  It is important to press after each step.  When I learned to sew, a wise woman told me to NEVER sew over a seam without pressing it first.  I press after each step and it makes the finished project so much better.

I hope someone tries lining the bodice this way and lets me know if this helped you.  I will try to get another tutorial together on how to do those nice tucks at the hemline at the same time you put in your hem next week.  I usually do my hems before I attach the skirt to the bodice.  The following week I will show you how I attach the skirt and enclose the seams with the bodice lining (partially at the same time).