It's a bugs life...

I found this beautiful bugs fabric on ebay whilst hunting for something else and I knew immediately it would be perfect for my friend at works daughter, who is bugs mad!

I bought and let her parent chose which pattern I used from few free ones on Pintrest. The pattern they chose is the one in the picture to the left, if you click on the picture it will take you to the sewyourtv.com website too which the pattern and instructions if you want to make it yourself, please take what i'm about to say into consideration if you do want to.

This dress is not really for beginners, the concept would be great for beginners but the pattern is just pure awful. For example the front pattern peice is about 7 cm's longer than any of the other prices for no reason that I can tell, as I ended up slicing the excess off. Also there is no pattern piece for the bodice lining so I hacked it using the front and back pieces put together overlapping enough for seam allowances. I used bias binding around the arm holes as there was no was I could get the bodice lining to turn right way out once I has sewn this. I also didn't use the pattern piece for the skirt as the pieces didn't seem to fit together right, so I just used a straight rectangle and used my new gathering foot to make the ruffles. (ps gathering foots! genius!)
Once I had gifted this dress also, she couldn't get it over her head! Now, not having a 3 year old of my own and never having owned one I wasn't really sure how big her head was going to be, but I remember looking and thinking wow kids have small heads! Apparently not that small! So I have now had to slice down the back and create a button panel so she could wear it!

Anyway enough about the failures of this dress I does look super cute! The frills on the sleeves are a great stash buster, do you remember the turquoise from my simplicity dress and my Victoria jacket toil? I tried to french seam all the bits that had to be inside and I have done the skirt seam on the outside so it didn't irritate her, and the sash covers it nicely.

I'm going to retrace my pattern pieces into what needs to be used next time so that I can make another because once it's finished it is lovely, it's just a lot of brain work to get to that point.

A less poofy much more wearable skirt, with elastic waist

 

 


This skirt was the result of a facebook post on one of the sewing forums asking for advice on the easiest was to make a comfy skirt.

I had this fabric from the Knit and Stitch show in Birmingham I had been to a good few months before but I was saving it for something I would wear so I risked it with this!

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I had 2m of this fabric and 2m of 1cm wide elastic. I measured the length i wanted the skirt to be, ie waist to calf. Then i cut two rectangles 1m wide by thr length i measured deep. 

I cut the same pockets as before and sewed one to each side of the fabric. I then sewed the two short sides together, following the edge of the fabric including the pockets. I then hemmed the bottom up all the way around, this would be easier if i didnt have an iron aversion so try ironing the seam first.

I then sewed the top in a very similar hem but i left a gap on one edge still open. This is for me to feed the elastic through. I cut the elastic to the size of my waist learning from the last skirt about stretching it a little. I then attached a small safety pin to either end of the elastic and attached one end to the fabric of the skirt. The other end i fed through the top channel all the way around allowing it to gather as I went along. 

When I had both safety pins back out the skirt i machined the two ends of elastic together. Then finished hemming the top of the fabric.

I could then wear my new skirt for the family BBQ! Fabulous!