I know it's a tad early to really be thinking of sewing for fall but with all the sewing I have done in mass for my boys this past month my little Sweet pea was beyond jealous. After all I started sewing to make her beautiful dress so why on earth would I be sewing for the boys, so she thinks. Well her turn has come around again! This past summer while I was reading emails she seen this Zulily dress "pop" up many times on the side bar and ask me if I had made that dress for her. After the hundredth time of telling her "no mommy did not, it was for sale in shop online". She looked at me ever so sweetly and ask very nicely "mama could you very please make this beautiful dress, please??" How could I say no. ;-) I saved the picture onto the computer and told it would be made for fall.
So this past weekend I went to the fabric store, a quilting one and found the perfect dotted fabric for the dress but no gingham fabric at all. They said they do not carry it. What?!?! I think this is so very unheard of. How would a fabric store carry a staple fabric? Any way I lucked out and found some very similar gingham fabric at Wal-Mart of all places. It's not all orange but I think the yellow with orange still works. The orange on the gingham is the very same as the dotted fabric so that was a huge win and the fabric feels very nice too. So I am happy still.
I free hand made the applique' for this dress, no fancy embroidery machine was needed. (no that I don't want one, hint, hint hubs!!) I made/cut out a oval for the made and made a sort of rectangle for the stem. The stem is also a corduroy too. I think it looks very much stem like. I finished all the edges with a narrow zig-zag stitch. It was not too very hard make.
I used Ellie Inspired Sugar and Spice dress pattern. I had only a few wee mods to make this too. All I had to do was take 6" off the width of the front and back skirts each and add flat piping, 1" on the finished side, to the front and back bodices. Oh and add the pumpkin. I almost had forgotten how much I love to sew dresses for my little princess.
I used Ellie Inspired Sugar and Spice dress pattern. I had only a few wee mods to make this too. All I had to do was take 6" off the width of the front and back skirts each and add flat piping, 1" on the finished side, to the front and back bodices. Oh and add the pumpkin. I almost had forgotten how much I love to sew dresses for my little princess.
This dress was finished nicely with MOP flower buttons on the back. Nothing but the best for my little Sweet pea! Sweet pea you ask? She love it! Now just for fall to come and then we are off to the pumpkin patch.
Sharon
Your version looks much nicer than the store bought one, plus it looks better made! The yellow gingham works wonderfully with the orange dot…very fall looking.
ReplyDeletethank so much Deb! It's not what I normally sew but Oh how Sarah wanted this dress. She is tickled pink with it....and it's not even pink. Even funnier Caspian wants a dress like this now too, lol. I wonder if daddy would mind. ;-)
DeleteSpotlight in AUS carry cotton gingham in every colour of the rainbow. When I make your parcel, I shall pop a few pieces in. I have a huge tub of it.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with Deb, your version is much nicer.
Lucky Duck! Who knew a staple would be so hard to find? I guess that's when you know you live in the country. Thank you so much too Nicole! I am almost done with wee sweat hearts little outfit. It's makes me smile so when I think of her wearing it...I really can't wait for you to see receive it!!
Deletethanks Nicole, I can't wait to get pictures of her in it. But first Caspian's must be done.
This is absolutely darling. I love the yellow gingham. The store does not sell gingham? what madness is this??! My stores have lots, but I have noticed it can be really hard to find real, woven, 100% cotton gingham. Which is the only kind I want - printed on gingham is fine for some things but really? - and I don't do poly blends. So I guess it's not that easy here after all.
ReplyDeleteThe shape of the dress, the little puffed sleeves, the applique, it is so very much like dresses I wore when I was a little girl. I just adore it.
Thank you! It is a bit vintage is it not? I adore this pattern very much and want to try the smocked version soon.
DeleteYes the poly blends are almost all I could find, lucky for me this was 100% cotton, I still can't believe I found it at Wal-Mart of all places. It was right next to the piles of "Elsa" fabric. The funniest, oddest part was that the fabric store said it was requested the most but they don't carry it seeing it's more for apparel sewing than quilting. Who cares if it will sell well?! It's being requested I sure it will sell.
I love it so much. I agree that your version is much better than the picture. I adore the vintage style of it. I would love to make my little girl a pumpkin dress like yours. I don't think I could figure out how to do the mods on the pattern though. Maybe I could do similar fabrics that you chose with applique on an Oliver and S pattern. Maybe a jumper?
ReplyDeleteThank Christine! Honestly the mods are super easy! Really all I did was make the skirt less full and took the hem off so the dress wouldn't be too long to add the bottom band of fabric. I am getting ready to make another version of this for Sarah with an apple and I could do a a mini tutorial on how to change the pattern if you would like? It really could work with any pattern though.
Delete