my first dress

i made my first attempt at making a garment yesterday. making clothes intimidates me because i am worried about getting all of the pieces to fit in the end (not fit together, but to end up with a wearable garment). i found a dress online that i thought was cute and the blogger had me convinced i could do it. you have to make your own pattern (which, honestly, i prefer to the thought of trying to follow a real pattern). i used a shirt that fit but was a little big for my template to make the bodice, drew the sleeves freehand (the blog post showed the general shape) and let madelyn select the length. i wanted it to be knee-length, but she asked for it to be down her shin more. sure, why not? she was the one who had to wear it and we can always make it shorter later if she wants.

i started mid-afternoon with drawing and cutting my pattern and then cutting the fabric. that was all i was going to do yesterday because i had some other mending i wanted to do first.

after dinner, i had some time to myself and decided to start some of it because i already had the machine out. and, let's face it, i was a little excited to see if i could do it.

and then i only had a little more to go after putting manning down for the night so i got back at it. i did make a mistake when sewing the skirt on - the bodice was inside out on the finished product - and had to rip the whole thing off, turn it right and repin (twice) before i got it all together right. but i was quite happy with the finished product and could hardly wait for madelyn to try it on in the morning to see if it actually fit.

when she woke up this morning i showed her the finished product. she wasn't as excited as she had been yesterday to watch me make it. i asked if she liked it and she said, "not quite." disappointed, i asked why not and she told me that it didn't have a pink bow. (the dress i had shown her a picture of had a white ribbon tied around the waist and i had told her that she could pick the ribbon to go around her waist. we had not gone to pick the ribbon yet.) i told her that we could go pick out ribbon tonight and she told me that she really wanted to wear it to school today. how 'bout you try it on first?

i guess the fit over her head was a little tight, but other than that it fit about the way i wanted it to (only quite a bit longer like she had requested). i was very happy with it. and extra pleased that she would wear the finished product - once i got the correct ribbon. i told her that she could wear it without the ribbon but she really, really wanted a bow. so i dug around and came up with a length of white ribbon that would do the trick.

she kept telling me that she was "thankful for what [she] had" and that she was "content" so i guess she was grateful? she would not have worn it if she didn't like it. and it wasn't just wore because it was new. we had just picked up three dresses this weekend that she could have worn if she was after something new.

we have already begun planning her next dress. i need to make some things for the boys first so that they don't feel left out. i have some ideas, now i just need to find the time. love.