Simplicity 5695, ahem, again

I don't tend to collect UFOs, but this dress has been hanging out in my sewing bag for months, so I decided it was time to finish it.

I've made this pattern and variations of it quite a few times, so no surprises.  You can see the entire collection here.  I actually started this one as a demo dress for my sewing group, so whenever we'd get together, I'd use it to demonstrate the next steps in the pattern.  The other ladies both finished their dresses long ago, but this poor thing was forgotten!

Since I used this dress to demonstrate, I did pretty much stick to the pattern, except for a tiny bit of ribbon trim on the bodice.  The flowers are so busy you can barely see it!

Myra loves it!  She's a sucker for a new dress, especially a twirly one.  The part of Prince Charming will be played by Curious George.

Simplicity 5695 again...

Have I mentioned that I LOVE this pattern??

It is Simplicity 5695.  I think this is the sixth time I've used it, making everything from knit tee shirts to a flower girl dress.  If you sew for a little girl, you should have this pattern.  Simplicity also just expanded the size range to include bigger girls from size 3 to 8.  The larger size pattern is number 2377 and includes some cute sleeve variations as well.  Myra is sporting a size 2 here, and I think it gives her a little room to grow, which is good, since she's been busily growing out of all her dresses!

I was planning to sew this dress with my sewing group, but the fabric was sitting on my table just calling to me, so I had to sew it.  I think it will be easier to teach pattern layout without the added complexity of multiple fabrics anyway, so I'm telling myself that it's better this way.  And I have an excuse to sew it again!  I love this pattern.

Harvest top

Myra really didn't have anything to wear with her twirly skirt, and I did have some of that fabric left over, so I made her this.

The base pattern is Simplicity 5695, but I've made a few changes. I shortened it to top length, added a curving empire waistline and a pleat at center front. Obviously, the pleat is heavily inspired by Kitschy Coo's Mini Mod dress. If you don't have that pattern already, go get it now!!

With her skirt, from the front. Since she wears her skirt under her little belly the top ended up a wee bit short in the front. The expression on her face is a result of bribing her with Disney. She's mesmerized by Lightning McQueen. It is the only time she stops moving long enough to get a picture!

From the back.

I don't think brother's black Crocs are gonna cut it...

Or maybe she's just been watching Get Smart? (Link included for the youngsters who don't recognize that reference.)

Renaissance Costumes

Yesterday we took our trip to the Texas Renaissance Festival, and the kiddos all wore their costumes! Here are Peter Pan and Wendy. His tunic is Butterick 4632 and his leggings are Ottobre 04/04-38. Her dress was made from Simplicity 5695 by my friend Laurie. It was her first time sewing clothing and I think she did a great job!!
Another shot of Peter Pan. It was a little tricky getting a good picture of him...
Here is my little pirate lass. Her costume is Simplicity 2561, except for her peasant blouse, which is Simplicity 5695. She wouldn't keep her hat on, of course.
Here is our entire little band. Whew, was it tough getting a decent picture of all four of them!

Simplicity 5695 - Flower Girl dress

Another win for Simplicity 5695! I love this pattern. It really is so versatile and fun to sew. This one is my baby version of Kali's wedding gown as a flower girl dress for Myra.Here is the front. Obviously the bodice is significantly different than Kali's. Princess seaming didn't seem to make much sense for a wee one who's chest is actually smaller than her waist. Kali's dress is very simple in the front, so I didn't do any embellishment here to echo that simplicity.
All of the action is in the back!
I echoed the shape of Kali's overskirt in Myra's and while I didn't do corset lacings, I added a bow at the waistline, which is where Kali's lacings will tie. I topped the bow with a satin flower in dark red, which is the color that the bridesmaids and groomsmen will be wearing.
Inside, I pinked all of the vertical and sleeve seams, just as I did with Kali's skirt. I elected to cover up the layers of scratchy organza and fraying satin at the waistline with a bound finish, using up some more of the satin bias tape. The hem is pinked and fused, which I would have never thought to do to a formal dress, but I recently hemmed a Homecoming dress for a friend and the RTW hem was fused! When Mom and I got together last weekend I mentioned it to her and we tried it out on some swatches of satin and it looks great! So, since it's what we are doing for the wedding dress, I did the same for Myra's dress. Talk about easy hemming!

Ren Fest sewing: Pirates done!

After all that delicate wedding sewing, it was pretty nice to get back to plain old jersey and broadcloth. Whew! My iron was so relieved to finally get back to the "Yay, natural fibers" setting after being set to "Don't melt the polyester" for so long.

Of course, first up was to finish the pirate costumes for our trip to the Texas Renaissance Festival.
To complete the "look" I made a couple of fringed sashes. They are just big rectangles, sewn and turned with fringe stuck in the ends. Easy, but effective.I couldn't imagine our wee pirate lasses wanting to wear the coats for long, particularly since it is frequently still quite warm in October. So I made a couple of quick peasant blouses from Simplicity 5695, which you have seen before here. This is such a great pattern! I know I am going to get tons of use out of it. This version is made out of jersey, for comfort. I gathered the sleeves with clear elastic. Whoever invented that stuff should be sainted!! That was the easiest gathering I have ever done. It stretches like a mad fiend. I'd never have been able to get regular elastic to do that. The pattern calls for you to make a bias tape casing, which is fiddly to do. This was way easier! The neckline is cased the traditional way, since I didn't want a ruffle in the girls faces. Besides, I think this is a more traditional peasant blouse look. I also followed the sage advice of my friend Britta and made the top long, so that next year I can use it as a chemise. You can't see the extra length in the photo, since I tucked the blouse into the skirt. Myra will just need an overskirt for next year and she'll be the cutest 2 year old bar wench ever! Good call, Britta!

Although I didn't include them in this photo, there is also a pair of ridiculously cute (and easy to make) hats. You can see them here. The hats, along with the coats and skirts were made with Simplicity 2561, which also conveniently has an overskirt/baby corset that will be perfect with Myra's chemise. We are so set for next year!

Simplicity 5695

With Logan's birthday party (which has a Disney Cars theme) coming closer I finally managed a project that I have wanted to do for some time.Myra's own Lightning McQueen dress. Ever since I made Logan his Cars shirt, I have had this little dress in my head.
It is nice to finally see it in fabric. This is a great pattern. Fun and easy. I'll definitely be using it again. The only difficulty I had with it was the neckline elastic. The pattern includes a guide, which I used initially, but when I tried it on Myra it was waaaay too big. Of course, as do all Big 4 children's patterns, it runs unbelievably large. By measurements, I should have sewn a size 2, but this is a size 1/2. Just be sure to flat pattern measure, and you should be fine.
And last, some gratuitous cuteness.
I think she likes her dress. I know I do!