I know, I've written before that I don't make kids clothes. I don't have anything against kids - I just hate to think of how quickly they grow out of their clothes. If they're special enough then the items are put away in a keep sake box, but many things are just given away. Anyway, here is an example of where I made an exception to my rule. How many times do I need to learn - never say never!
It all started with a "trim challenge" from my Sewing Guild of America Chapter group. (I usually refer to this group as my sewing club) The challenge asked members to bring in 3 or more yards of trim to donate to the challenge. Those participating in the challenge picked a number from a hat which was then matched to a trim donation with the same number. The trim was to become part of a wonderful creation by the next meeting. Let me start by saying - none of the trim options were very inspiring. For my donation, I actually went to Joann's and bought a fun, new fancy trim. When I saw the other donations, I just wanted to keep mine. These trims had probably been sitting in someone's stash for at least 10 years! There were old home decor trims in awful colors like rust, and lots of old polyester flat lace - you get the picture. My random selection was a pink and blue embroidered trim. Thankfully not the worst of the bunch - but I was concerned because it looked very juvenile to me. I racked my brain for a couple of weeks trying to think of something more original than a tote bag or pillow. Finally I started thinking about the kids in my life and searching for practical items for little girls in particular. This train of thought lead me to a break through - what about doll clothes?! I remembered I have a good friend who's daughter will be turning 6 soon. Eureka! What a great way to have something for my trim challenge but also would be a useful gift! This little girl had just inherited an American Girl Doll and several accessories. As I looked for doll clothes patterns I came across a Kwik Sew pattern of a dress for a girl with a matching dress for her doll, Tulle -da-Lu. I knew this was the perfect dress because it had an under lining with a tulle bottom that peaked out from under the skirt. What little girl wouldn't want a frilly little skirt like that?!
The project was more fun that I expected. The one thing I wasn't looking forward to was all of the gathering for the skirt, skirt lining, and tulle - not just for one dress but two! I'm not in the practice of using my gathering skills very often for adult clothes ; ) I was a bit disappointed that the best match for the trim turned out to be a basic blue chambray. I was really looking forward to working with a fun cheery pink cotton - but no such luck, nothing looked right with the trim. I did have some fun picking out heart buttons and pink tulle. As expected, the Kwik Sew pattern was very straight forward, the project came together easily. The fit of the dress was very simple, with buttons on the back of the bodice and a bow tie around the waist. This ensures that the fit doesn't have to be exact, it can be a little loose leaving room for growth. I do wish they had included better instructions on finishing the corners of the bow tie; finishing sharp corners with a double folded hem is always a challenge. Working on the doll dress was a bit difficult at times because of the small pieces of fabric, but then again, they also took less time to sew.
I finished the project in time for the challenge and in time for the birthday. At my meeting I won second prize out of five contestants. I had the cute factor going for me. It wasn't really about winning, it's just fun to challenge myself to be creative within predefined constraints. Although the dress was ready it wasn't delivered until a week or so later - but I think Savannah liked her dress anyway.
Here is a close up of the trim and fabric:
It all started with a "trim challenge" from my Sewing Guild of America Chapter group. (I usually refer to this group as my sewing club) The challenge asked members to bring in 3 or more yards of trim to donate to the challenge. Those participating in the challenge picked a number from a hat which was then matched to a trim donation with the same number. The trim was to become part of a wonderful creation by the next meeting. Let me start by saying - none of the trim options were very inspiring. For my donation, I actually went to Joann's and bought a fun, new fancy trim. When I saw the other donations, I just wanted to keep mine. These trims had probably been sitting in someone's stash for at least 10 years! There were old home decor trims in awful colors like rust, and lots of old polyester flat lace - you get the picture. My random selection was a pink and blue embroidered trim. Thankfully not the worst of the bunch - but I was concerned because it looked very juvenile to me. I racked my brain for a couple of weeks trying to think of something more original than a tote bag or pillow. Finally I started thinking about the kids in my life and searching for practical items for little girls in particular. This train of thought lead me to a break through - what about doll clothes?! I remembered I have a good friend who's daughter will be turning 6 soon. Eureka! What a great way to have something for my trim challenge but also would be a useful gift! This little girl had just inherited an American Girl Doll and several accessories. As I looked for doll clothes patterns I came across a Kwik Sew pattern of a dress for a girl with a matching dress for her doll, Tulle -da-Lu. I knew this was the perfect dress because it had an under lining with a tulle bottom that peaked out from under the skirt. What little girl wouldn't want a frilly little skirt like that?!
The project was more fun that I expected. The one thing I wasn't looking forward to was all of the gathering for the skirt, skirt lining, and tulle - not just for one dress but two! I'm not in the practice of using my gathering skills very often for adult clothes ; ) I was a bit disappointed that the best match for the trim turned out to be a basic blue chambray. I was really looking forward to working with a fun cheery pink cotton - but no such luck, nothing looked right with the trim. I did have some fun picking out heart buttons and pink tulle. As expected, the Kwik Sew pattern was very straight forward, the project came together easily. The fit of the dress was very simple, with buttons on the back of the bodice and a bow tie around the waist. This ensures that the fit doesn't have to be exact, it can be a little loose leaving room for growth. I do wish they had included better instructions on finishing the corners of the bow tie; finishing sharp corners with a double folded hem is always a challenge. Working on the doll dress was a bit difficult at times because of the small pieces of fabric, but then again, they also took less time to sew.
I finished the project in time for the challenge and in time for the birthday. At my meeting I won second prize out of five contestants. I had the cute factor going for me. It wasn't really about winning, it's just fun to challenge myself to be creative within predefined constraints. Although the dress was ready it wasn't delivered until a week or so later - but I think Savannah liked her dress anyway.
Here is a close up of the trim and fabric:
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