Feria Dress

(week five of Project Run and Play)



When we were in Spain a few years ago (don't get too jealous- it's pretty much the only exciting thing we've done) we were lucky to be there during Feria. I was in love with the fun dresses and colors and that the whole city shuts down for a week long party. I've wanted an excuse to make Ansley a dress and Halloween seemed perfect.



I made a girl's version with a cap sleeve (instead of sleeveless) and the ruffles starting at the low waist rather than at hip level like women's dresses.



The top is made from a swimsuit/dance knit. I actually drafted a sloper(!) using ikatbag's excellent tutorial. I didn't add any seam allowances to the sloper b/c I was using knit. I used one of Ansley's cap sleeve tees to eyeball the sleeves. I was going to use the back sloper for the back but I didn't do a very good job with that one/didn't know what to do with the darts that are on the sloper b/c I didn't want darts on the dress. I used the top of my back sloper for the back and followed the shape of the existing shirt.



A quick google search lead me to some inspiration pictures. I also read about circular ruffles, which lead me to The Rooster and the Hen's circular ruffle tutorial. I hand cut at least sixty circles (I quit counting after a while) to make the nine tiers of ruffles. (and every time I think "hand cut" I want a steak ha). I love how they look!! The ruffle fabric is a shiny knit from the Halloween section of Joann. I don't love how flimsy/prone to snagging it is but Ansley loved the color and I wanted knit so I wouldn't have to hem every circlee. The ruffles are sewn to a half circle skirt using this tutorial to make sure my math was okay before cutting the fabric. The skirt portion is made of a poly satin fabric. I was going to make it knit so I wouldn't have to hem it but I didn't buy enough fabric the first time around. When I went back it was gone. This probably worked out better b/c the skirt isn't as heavy.



I made the flower clip using Brynde's tutorial at the Ribbon Retreat Blog.



And some more pictures:









PS our front door is blue now.



Bye.





Linked here. :)

For My Favorite Nephew

I wasn't sure I was going to participate in the Boy's Week Challenge, but my sister asked if I'd be interested in sewing a fox costume for her son a few months ago. I searched for a pattern, hoping it would be all spelled out for me but I didn't find one. I found this hat by itsybitsyhats on etsy (sold out) and added ears to Simplicity 3582.



I also used Simplicity 3582 view d to make the jacket. I learned a new way to fully line a jacket with no hand sewing! Wahoo! I used fleece, even though the jacket is not designed for fleece b/c it was the best color I could find, thanks to help from Tricia. I finished the hat the day before Kristin posted her Fantastic Mr Fox outfits (which are fantastic!), complete with an enviable rich corduroy. Anyway, I lined the jacket with a fabric from Ikea and I omitted the cuffs (shortened the sleeves before finishing the sleeves in the most confusing step of the pattern) b/c the veggies would've been upside down on the cuffs. The darling little model is my friend's daughter who is about the same size as my nephew. And yes, Ansley can sometimes whistle!

Where Tyrone Works

Big Elk Creek:









Packsaddle Lake just before dark:

















Sheep Creek:













Where Fall Creek empties into the Snake River:

The White Sheet Challenge

(week three of project run and play)



I used part of a queen sized 100% cotton 300 thread count sheet. I was tempted to dye it (hence the 100% cotton) or stamp it or do something crazy but my love of white won. I also wanted to use the existing hem on the sides and bottom of the sheet for the ruffles (and minimize sewing time wahoo), which were already hemmed with white thread (which doesn't dye well) so here it is.



I used my favorite pattern, simplicity 0351a (which I noticed has another pattern number but I didn't write it down. I tried to google it and it linked to my blog ha) for the top (I know, I've used it a ton) and the idea from my (again very cryptic) secret sewing jumper (using the Kati Cupcake Darla Jumper pattern) for the bottom. With the secret project, the tiers and ruffles were all different fabrics and it was fun to have them all peeking out. In hindsight I wish I'd covered up the tiers in this dress better (ie made the ruffles and tiers the same height). Guess there's always another time like week five or six of project run and play. I didn't copy the measurements from the pattern, just the general idea. I had to decrease some of the ruffle measurements too from my first calculations so I wouldn't have to hem any of them. :)



From the simplicity pattern, I measured the bottom of the bodice. Then I did some math at midnight and came up with the following measurements, which I'm documenting so I can throw away the receipts and envelope I scribbled on. All measurements in inches.



Bodice= 13.5
Ruffle 1= tier 1 x 1.7= 29.75 wide x 3 high
Tier 1= bodice x 1.3= 17.5 wide x 4 high
Ruffle 2= tier 2 x 1.7= 38.7 wide x 5 high
Tier 2= tier 1 x 1.3= 22.75 wide x 6 high
Ruffle 3= tier 2 x 2= 45.5 wide x 7 high



I added a waistband similar to the directions in the Darla Jumper except the bodice isn't lined in this dress. I made a sash from the bedsheet to tie in the back.







I'm also pretty excited about the texture in the top pictures and how these turned out even though my hand was numb (which has temporarily resolved my carpal tunnel- best news ever) and I was recovering from food poisoning.

If Ansley Had a Facebook Page. . .

She'd probably rotate through these pictures for her profile picture. :) She asked me to take all of these: