Monday, April 20, 2015

How (not) to sew a dress expediently

Step 1)
Receive a lovely handmade gift for your daughter on her second birthday (which she is crazy about and wears all winter), and decide you'd like to repay the giver with an equally thoughtful gift for *her* daughter.



Step 2)
Identify adorable Octopus Panel online (for friend, who is octopus-crazy), and pore over pattern books at local fabric shops. Select the perfect one to show off the octopus. Round out the supplies for this dress with a some lively coordinating prints from your LQS.


Step 3)
Conceive Child. Get kind of morning sick. Ugh.

Step 4)
Push through to make dress anyway. Pull pattern out of envelope and discover that - surprise! there's a big pleat in the center of the apron that gives it its shape. Ooops; that's not going to work with the octopus! His head will get chopped off.

Step 5)
Panic. Search through PDF patterns on Etsy, downloading 2 or 3 potential candidates, and ultimately and decide on the Baby Peasant Dress by TieDyeDiva.

Step 6)
Realize that fabric selection is a little... less appropriate for new pattern/style, and order more fabric online from Gee Gees Quilting.



Step 7)
Wait for fabric to come. Get EVEN MORE Morning sick. 

Step 8)
Fabric comes, yay! Decide at this point that you are better served making the dress in size 18m than size 12, since steps 1-7 have taken you until well after the child's 14-month natal anniversary.  Cut into fabric.

Step 9)
Realize you made a mistake. Blame morning sickness. Order more fabric anyway.

Step 11)
Third Purchase arrives! Tie Dye Diva pattern is simple and straightforward; make it in a day.


Step 10) Make a complimentary diaper cover the next day (from another TDD Pattern).


Step 11) Mail the goods to friend a mere 4.5 months after child's birthday, and 6 months after your initial fabric buy.

And... That's how I spent my hiatus from sewing. Honestly, once I got on a roll the dress was short work, but getting all my fabrics and patterns lined up took most of the time. I am pretty excited about this dress though - It was easy to put together and turned out really nicely. Incorporating the panel took a little bit of doing, but now that I've done it once, I wouldn't blink at doing it again.

I will admit I was a little sad that my first project in over 6 months (and actually the project before it, now that I think about it) won't be sticking around the house. But it's always exciting to send a handmade gift to its recipient, and I'm glad to have this "late" first birthday gift off my conscience!


3 comments:

  1. Dress is adorable and child will be tickled even if it's a little late

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  2. OMG. I laughed my way all through this post. It was factual. It was tongue in cheek. It is worthy of a writer's humor award. Not to mention, but I will, that I love the absolutely adorable octopus dress that is the result. Great colors great pairing of fabric and pattern. Love the ruffles at the hem. And good planning. Said recipient can wear 18 mos size longer than 12 mos size. Kids stay in an 18 month size longer than a 12 month size. .. yes they really do... cause they are growing more slowly. Think about it . Sizes are 0-3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24. Size 12-18 starts the bigger time elapse for one size increment. Great job!

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  3. I found your blog through Linky Tuesday at Free Motion by the River. Oh, what you went through for this so so sweet dress (and diaper cover). Hope you feel better now. Looking forward to reading more posts!
    Janie

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