Christmas Dress #3

Using the Oliver + S Bubble Dress pattern for the skirt and McCalls 5964 for the bodice , here is Christmas dress number 3.

The devil made me buy this red party fabric.  It was on sale, I was convinced, for exactly the amount of spare change I had in my pocket.  And besides, it was sparkly and Christmassy looking, even my better judgement couldn't resist.

However I used black cotton for lining and black velvet for the bodice all from my stash.  Therefore, I feel somewhat redeemed.

I made a little rosette from the fabric.  I cut a strip about 30cm long (12 inches) and 5cm wide (2 inches) folded the fabric in half and ran a basting stitch using strong quilting thread along the raw edge.
Then slowly, pull on the thread at one end to gather and roll until the fabric looks like a rose.  Then stitch in the middle to hold everything together.  I put a button in the centre as well and then stitched it to the bodice.

The dress is size 2.
I only needed a small amount of the red fabric for the skirt. But all the black cotton and black velvet got used up and has made way for the red fabric that's now left over!

Christmas dress #2

My daughter came with me to Fabricland and she picked out the fabric for a Christmas dress.
Using Oliver + S pattern, Bubble dress, here's the dress.  I'm pleased with the results.

And it looks good on Caitlin.  It's size 2.
Because it has a capped sleeve, I ordered some sage green velvet from On-line fabric  to make a shrug.

The order was sent right away and I will certainly use them again if I need to get something that isn't in my stash.
Using McCalls 5964 in size 2, I whipped up the shrug.  It's a little small, so next time I'll make size 3.

The velvet is stretchy so for the lining,  I used a stretchy fabric I found in the 'slinky' bin at Fabricland.

Mom likes the dress. Caitlin likes the dress.  Grandma loves the fabric.

Book & Toys

A neighbour is an artist and she has illustrated a children's book called The Perfect Bear.  I bought a copy and of course had her sign it.  It's a Christmas gift for Caitlin.

ISBN 978-0-9810609-1-0

Then I got idea to make some of the toys found in the book.  A sock monkey, a giraffe,  whale, Raggedy Ann and a bear.

I found a sock monkey already made at a toy store along with a bear that looked similar to the bear featured in the book.

I've run out of time to make a giraffe and a whale, but I did manage to make a Raggedy Ann doll.  But I ran out of stuffing so this doll looks a little wrinkled, much like her maker!

McCalls 8077

I tried to match the doll to the one in the book. 

To see more of this charming little book, go to  Yellow Toadstool Press then click on the book cover and download the sample text and illustrations.

This is what the illustrators studio looks like.  It's a Fairy Castle in the woods.

Third Christmas dress completed.

Using red velveteen, although it looks a little orangy in this photo, dress number 3 is completed.

I wasn't too sure how to apply the white fur strip so I just pushed aside the fur and using a 1/8 inch s/a stitched it down.  However, I think I might have to send a lint brush along with the dress because the fur is sticking to the velveteen just like dog or cat hair!

Ironically, this Santa inspired dress is sitting exactly on the 45th parallel which is half way to the North Pole.

The pattern used was M5964, size 1.  It was easy but because I didn't have a red zipper I made a placket in the back skirt and buttons on the bodice back.   Truth be known, even if I did have a zipper I might have still gone the button route because working with velveteen is tricky.  But making the placket sit flat was difficult given the bulk of the fabric.

The sun is low in the sky these days so getting a good shot is proving difficult.  Well, that and the fact that I'm still learning about light, angles and photography in general.  This photo gives a more accurate colour of the fabric.

Black bucket in background is the ash bucket and it's full!

Over 17 cm (6") of snow fell last night. The first snowfall of the season. Now I'm really in a Christmas sewing mood!

Sleep sac

I have departed from my quest to use up existing fabric. Daughter needed a sleep sac for grandbaby in polar fleece. So I bought a meter of fleece $5.00, a long zipper $2.80 and then the gas to drive 1/2 hour to the nearest town that has a fabric store.

I already had McCalls 4236 and have made sleep sac in a smaller size. It's a drop dead easy pattern, just a front and a back. I cheated and used zipper tape to hold the zipper in place while I basted and stitched it in place. Actually, the instructions call for tape, so I guess it's not really cheating at all.
There are no facings for this pattern, just roll the edge and stitch down.

I made view B in size medium using pale lime green polar fleece.

I also dug out my embroidery machine and stitched the little toadstool on the front. The colour of the rayon thread didn't come out well in this photo. The base is brown, outline in orange and inside dots in bright yellow on a pale lime green backgound.

The whole project took about 2 1/2 hours to make.