Adventures in Vintage Resales... fka adventures in baby-sewing

Red dress (oldest's) is partially completed. Sleeves still need elastic and finishing, needs velvet waist band, ruffle and hem, zipper and inside finishing. You can see baby's brown dress and diaper cover, dress is waiting for hem and lining hem. It is pressed into place and pinned. I won't waste daylight time on it today. One booboo is a side seam on the skirt was a little off, and I did not compensate in the back gathers so the zipper twists a bit. I am adding a bow with tails via snaps to camoflauge. Too late to fix it now! Let's see if my mom notices, I bet she will! I am sure I will hear about it. I still think it's a good job for my 3rd zipper ever inserted, and all by hand (the zipper). DH took the oldest two to shop at the stores for my birthday present, #3 is at preschool and baby is napping. I need to take advantage of the quiet. Also, SC Bloggers, if I do not comment on your blogs, do not worry, my focus is on these dresses, housework, cooking,...

I am still working on this one's dress; look at the booboo... Somehow, when attaching bodice and skirt together, the taffeta folded into the seam and was stitched down. I did not discover this until the seam was trimmed... After undoing the area and unfolding it, I discovered the small slits cut into the bodice. Luckily they will be covered by velvet ribbon and lined on the inside. So, here comes fusible interfacing patches! They are now patched and are being hidden by the ribbon that is hand tacked down. I really need to get some small scissors for trimming seam allowances. I am too dangerous with shears for small work. I have parts of the oldest's dress cut out, she will be out of school for holidays after tomorrow, so I should have her around to entertain the little one and for her fittings. I should be able to pull this off, but not much else, esp. since we have to go shopping for her today. She is the last of the gifts for the kids.

I really need to declutter this house, it is that bad, with the way my life has been the last 18 months. With Christmas coming, it is the perfect time to work on a small area at a time. I am working on the open cabinet under the coffee bar. For sewing today, I cut out the baby's dress out of the chocolate brown taffeta flocked with black. I am reusing the NL from before, view C with sleeves, traditional little girl dress. I also copied the McCall for my daughter, the bodice is now to be cut as one for the entire bod front, incorporating the yoke and lower bodice pieces into one for the front and the back will also be incorporated, but still cut a L & R as there is a back zip. I did not have the nerve to cut hers yet. I do have the pattern ready to go. I will post Friday winners on Saturday.

I managed to get little girl down and have sick kid halfway satisfied, so I drug the sewing machine and serger to DR table. 1. I think the serged seams on the pj pants were too loose on the tension (hey, it was my 1st try), so I machine stitched over the innermost line for stability. They need pressing and attaching the two pieces together (tomorrow). 2. Pieced together the bodice from the McCall pattern for oldest's dress. It is too much work, but need to try it on her for a fitting. I may amend the final pattern to eliminated the square yoke and integrate it into a whole bodice, because I like the sqaure neckline, but piecing the yoke, bodice & incorporating the sleeves is a PITA. 3. Serged and sewed shoulder seams and one arm ruffle onto the knit nightshirt for her as a trial serger piece. What I did to make all this happen in about 1 hr time, was to have the bodice pieces cut out 1st and ready to go, had the nighshirt cut & ready, and the pj pants ready, 3 different ...