Pink Raglan dress from Simplicity 7465 copyright 1967 with alterations

  

Simplicity 7465, copyright 1967

I made this today, with some alterations.

This pattern caught me into buying it because it boasted raglan sleeves or regular looking sleeves in the same pattern.  Do you see how they did it?  They put a yoke on one version of the dress - using the same lower half of the dress, and the raglan sleeves when added to the yoked version turn out looking very normal with set-in shoulder and armhole.  The version without the yoke comes up and finishes like a regular raglan.

I made several alterations to the pattern from the get-go.  I couldn't help myself - plus I had already cut a pair of pants out of the fabric I had bought, and had to 'make up' for not having the entire two yards anymore that I had planned for.  But, I knew I could do it - and with a bit of fiddling here and there, it happened.

Here is Esme pretending a knitting needle is a wand, and goofing off.. she is casting a magic spell.  I love the way the sleeves move, as I said in another post - sewing takes 2D and makes it 3D, then you get to see 3D in motion on a body.  The sizing of this one - size 6 chest 25, is a little large on her, and I made the long version instead of shortening it like I normally do.  But, it works on her - and it will grow with her over the next year or so better for having long sleeves now.

The skirt has some excess planned into it for the tie back, which allows her to both be comfortable in it standing or sitting and run as well.  It is a good design.  I had her try it on to make sure I had put the ties at her waistline before I sewed them down for permanency.   This picture also shows the slightly fallen yellow hairtie ribbons I put in her hair this morning for school.

The dress after it was finished - it really looked too big on the hanger, almost a size 7 or 8... not a 6.  Esme even said when she saw it that it was too big for her!  But the ties (seen below) were not tied tight at that time, either.  I took a second fabric I had and put panels in the front skirt because I had not put the inverted pleat in.. they weren't much, but enough to ensure it would not hang tight.  I've tried the inverted pleat before and been dissatisfied with it.. so I wasn't willing to try it with this fabric, maybe another time to do this pattern 'as it is written'?  Maybe not.. I know what works on her, and I know what my sewing style likes...which is what works on her :)

Pre-wear on the hanger, back ties.  It was supposed to have buttons, but I altered for a zipper.  It stays much better on her.  The other alteration I did is slightly visible here, but not otherwise.  I cut the back pieces apart at the center waist to reposition the fabric and make the most out of my short yardage.  I would not have gotten them out of the fabric in full pieces.  It is seen only as a disturbance in the pattern but the pattern is so all-over eye-dazzling that it doesn't matter much. 

Yay for good sewing projects :)

Handmade things by KnitOwl - and other bits

The KnitOwl shop is still open, and I will be adding things to it as I can.  There is so much handmade in this house and the 'fall to winter rush' for our own use is almost over - so there is time (I hope) to make some other things.

Scarves being made for the

KnitOwl shop 

 100% wool, basketweave hand knit 

brown variegated and (coming) blue variegated 

Esme talking to me about being out in the frost before we take her to school


Size 6 1960's smock dress with back zipper

Handmade toys in several styles
Bambi toy and blue summer - to - fall dress

Someone at Esme's school said they recognized her 'from the internet, somewhere'... if you made it here then 'Hi!' - this is our little corner, and where I post the clothing I make for Esme,   I was "just" a toymaker, making custom dolls and animals for people at my Etsy shop for five years before I had Esme.  But then I couldn't find anything that fit her right - and I dove into making clothing as well.   Women in my family have made clothes and toys for their families for generations. My mom passed along some general sewing knowledge but not much about clothes - so I had to learn as much as I could by doing, trial-and-error, and seeing what other people were doing on the Internet at the same time.

There are a lot of 'handmade' clothing shops out on the Internet - everyone is different, and my style of making is much more 'old school' than many of those out there now.  I don't know many who would hand work a buttonhole anymore, and my sewing friends think I am nuts to sew in a zipper by hand.  But, I do it because it turns out better for me.   I found out that these handmade clothes actually last a lot longer than storebought knits and were a better investment for our household in the long run.  And, I didn't have to fight dressing rooms and too-tight t-shirt necks.   Each piece takes about an hour to three hours of handwork and sewing machine work, and has zigzagged interior seams, turned and edged facings, handworked buttonholes and zippers sewn in by hand.  The clothes are sewn using 'antique' or vintage patterns (1940s to 1970s collection, size 2 through 10) and given alterations based on what the child needs.  I face with simple cotton fabrics and do not use seam or bias tape.

I do take custom orders - but only for those serious few who want handmade 'old made' things... the results will last a long time, hard washing in the washing machine and hard play outdoors in mud and rain.  However, they do require measurements and sometimes a try on to see where the 'problem areas' are.  For myself, the problem area is my wide shoulders.  For little one, it is also the wide shoulders, long legs and skinny waist.  When things are handmade, allowances can be discovered and made for such things that would require long searching in off-the-rack clothes!

All that said - I still work full time, and sometimes growth spurts here keep me from making much at all otherwise.  Maybe that will change over the next year - we'll see. I'll try to put up a few more things in the shop, and see if there is anyone out there willing to take the dive!

Black Friday, riding in the car in her handknit jacket, helping to take Mom to work

 

Size 5 Blue long sleeved dress and shorts from 1960s McCalls pattern with back ties 

Hobby Horse
 

Soup and tea remedies for sinus infection

My family was always one for making 'herbals' , tonics and teas and food combinations to try to chase the basic ills of fever and cold and stomachache away...  I guess I inherited some of it, the information and the art.  My nose usually tells me what I need and then I go about trying to make that happen.  Mark says I can eat more black pepper and garlic on something than anyone he knows. 

My shelf contains the following always - garlic powder, onion powder, curry powder (madras style with yellow turmeric), black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, basil, mint leaves, cinnamon, ginger powder and diced ginger root pieces.  Beyond that I have strong black tea, lemon juice, honey, coffee, cocoa powder, white vinegar, balsamic vinegar and apple cider vinegar, olive oil, orange juice, tomato soup, chicken noodle soup (or broth), miso soup, canned carrots, canned pineapple, licorice tea, peppermint tea and a certain brand of echinachea tea that is hard to find but is from Traditional Medicinals.   There are a few off the wall things in there that are not used very often (anise, marshmallow root, etc.)  I have peppermint extract and eucalyptus oil for adding to vapor baths to clear congestion.   Sounds like a major tea party and luncheon, right?  Those are the basics for throwing together something in the middle of the night that might break a fever, have a chance at fighting a bacteria and just keep everything on the way to recovery.  My grandmother (part Ojibwe / Anishiniabe ) was told to be also fond of willow bark and white pine needle tea.  I've had the tea before, but the trees do not grow here in the South very well, and the willow bark was a substitute for aspirin.  I remember just a tiny bit about going through the Northern Minnesota woods with her and a few things she showed me that were edible there, a few sweet clovers and of course raspberries and blackberries.

What I have been making every few hours the past few days with my sinus infection was the echinachea tea with honey, chicken broth with garlic, ginger, black pepper and curry powder, ginger/honey syrup and tomato onion powder soup.  I feel much better than the past two days - with a lot of sleep, water and coffee on top of that.

Armed with my 'strong soups' and plenty of fluids I'll probably be back at work tomorrow.

Sewing:
Tonight, I have a new dark blue dress half done for Esme, with long sleeves and a gorgeous astronomical pattern to the fabric.  I am using the Simplicity 4969 pattern from her camp shirt, size 6, with the opening adjusted to be in the back instead of the front.  That, mixed along with the sleeves from Butterick 9644, size 6 jacket.  Since I put most of my 'go to' patterns away, it is hard to find just what I want to work with.. so I end up conglomerating whatever is on the top of the stack.  So far, looking at what I've got, it looks like it will work just fine.  I could tell I was sick, though -- I sewed a facing to the wrong side and took several minutes to realize what was wrong... then I looked around my table for five minutes to find the bobbin case cover that was underneath my pair of scissors.

Size 6 Simplicity 4969 TOP front, back, sleeve head, 

skirt from DRESS cut in half vertically.

Size 6 Butterick 9644 jacket sleeve, length and elbow width

Yes, the dress turned out perfectly.  I had to add the normal 'three small tucks' at the front of the sleeve on each side to make it line up properly with the other pattern.. but it looks pretty and normal for her little girl attitude.  The dress hangs a little large in the bodice (as she is technically a size 5 right now and it is a 6) but that is a good thing and she likes her dresses that way.

bits with dog skirts and smurfs

the roller coaster
at the west tennessee state fair

written this morning:
Esme is due to wake up any minute. I had to giggle again last night as she has so much faith in my construction abilities. In the past few weeks she has asked me to make a WordWorld robot for her that talks and plays and moves its eyes. She was certain we had the materials for one in the garage in my workbench. If not, she was certain I could go to the 'work store' in the big town and buy all the stuff to make the robot, just like her room. She calls where I work the 'work store'.

Last night she decided to ask Mom to build a rollercoaster like the one she rode at the fair. She said we could use our yellow wagon and I could build tracks and lift her up on to it. The one thing I COULD make for her was a poodle skirt like the one she wanted there - made one last night for her. As I entered her room after she went to sleep - to put it in the dresser drawer - I found an entire smurf village built out on the bedroom floor. As I had been stitching earlier she had told me she had been playing with pretend smurfs in her room and built a village where each one could be safe in their houses. Sure enough, little block houses all over the floor, fifteen to twenty of them.

this afternoon:
The smurf village is still intact on the floor. Esme is passed out in her beanbag chair in front of a Land before Time episode. Mark said she came in during the rain and was very upset about not being able to play outside. She is wearing the skirt I made her last night over her pants. Mark said she came to him wearing her smock top dress and pants and asking him to help her find the sleeves on the skirt because she thought it was a new dress. He showed her how it was used and she was happy. It is a six gore red trumpet skirt with an elastic waist and a brown dog applique poorly stitched by me last night. For a first attempt at a 'poodle' type skirt for her, not bad - useful, she likes it.


8943 simplicity pattern size 5
had the skirt in it


hand drawn by me from looking at some vintage clothing and putting my own spin on it


passed out in the beanbag chair
with a bag of chips wearing the skirt


Esme's 'smurf village'

Sunday pink dress

Size 5.5 dress
mixture of McCalls 8001 size 5 and Butterick 9644 size 6

She wanted a pink spiderman costume with a mask. I told her if I could get a pattern to work well I would put a spiderman emblem on a pink dress. I have one drawn out for her, and this pattern did seem to work fairly well. The sleeves need to be a little larger and the waistline could be more even and lower by an inch or more. But, as the lady at the store today said, 'I didn't even notice - and no one else should be looking that close, either.' Yes... *hmm* I still bought more pink fabric. It will be Friday when I have another full day off.

Pattern Alterations:

9644 Butterick circa 1960, size 6
could not find the front bodice piece this time


McCalls 8001 size 5, circa 1961
I've been using this one for nearly a year now

Sleeves: 8001 dress sleeve laid over coat sleeve, cut according to length of remaining remnant of fabric. Skirt: Butterick 9644, own version of gathering done all around. Bodice: 8001 dress with 9644 back bodice as length indicator..



being a little goat herder girl
leading the goat around the yard by waving a stick by her - so she gets curious and wants to try to eat it


Loula hanging out with Mouse cat in the background



Mark took this photo a few nights ago. This puppy was given away to her new home today - and I think the lady will really love her. It is also a great shot of Esme smiling :)

rant from the non-pattern following knitter (and more)

//Esme does seem to be feeling a bit better, still coughing... but I'm putting liquids and soup into her. I'll be keeping her home tomorrow with me tomorrow when Mark and Grandma go to Memphis.///

I do still knit... although most of the time it is washcloths and dishtowels - just because they are easy and always useful. Then there was that pair of gloves last year that have still proved extremely useful,Esme's sweater jacket, my knitted wool vest, both of our scarves and hats, a pair of slippers for me (one for her she never liked) and half of a pair of knee-high socks for me (still working on the other one bit by bit). It does feel nice to have things that are 'mine' through and through - I made them and I use them etc.

I was just out and about the internet looking for other things that could be similarly useful. It is getting hard to get excited about any of the patterns -- mostly because I don't follow them. I only use them for inspiration and rewrite what I actually knit into 'pseudocode' like the crochet hat below. I really love wool as a working material, but use more of the items made of acrylic and cotton... There was a belt I made on a doorframe back in Fargo way back when - of Norway Svale and wool over a base of cotton warp (weaving) - and I am still wearing that belt once in a while now. I wonder if there is any stitch I could knit and out of what material that would be as durable.

Saw these patterns out there that are quite inspiring:

• Apis Dorsata at Knitty 'Deep Fall' 2011 .. nice texture on an otherwise simple and functional shape.


• Potter craft hooded scarf, too much texture but the shape might be useful. The hooded scarf I made last year had one drawback - it is made of wool and needs to be washed now. And, I hate to wash the wool. I should have used superwash! Oh well.


• really cute octopus toy, ok it isn't 'useful' but it is darn cute.


• Amanda Lilley designs : very nice knee high pattern and a few others, too.


• Yarnigans toy patterns: I love the Marisol the mouse pattern, and Esme does, too. She asked me: 'You will build me a mouse?'

things on the needles still:

• that second knee-high sock


• a garter stitch blanket that is about 5/8 done and in no hurry.. it is a fill time project. I do wish it didn't keep my circular needle hostage, but apparently not enough of a wish to work faster or get another one.


• almost always a washcloth somewhere.. I have one on the needles now that is essentially done, but not tied off


• A scarfy thing in off-white acrylic... I'm playing with a few textures on it but not committed to anything. This is the 'project' that made me wish for something more useful yet not 'complicated and requires a pattern' to work for.

I also picked up a copy of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac at a booksale a while back... paging through it. I identify with her pattern writing style 'pithy instructions' et al...

Knitting Pseudocode: I made up this term back in 2000 or so to describe what I 'think' in knitting that is nothing like how actual knitting patterns are written. It takes knowing a little about how things are structured but doesn't require following anything line for line - where I tend to get lost in the trees and lose the idea of the forest. Hopefully the way my patterns 'skip ahead' assuming the knitter has a 'whole picture' in mind doesn't lose someone else who requires that detail. But, then.. that is what the 'usual' patter system was designed for. My worsted weight gloves pattern (at sovereignit) is a perfect example.

The crocheted skull cap hat in pseudocode : found a sizeable ball of acrylic in my collection and a size K crochet hook. Crocheted a chain of seven and then joined it, crocheted around increasing by crocheting two in one stitch every four to six stitches... really felt my way did not follow any pattern with it at all - made it 'round' to fit the top of my head, then stopped increasing and just crocheted straight around until it came down over my ears. Perfect hat. I've had several people compliment it on the way in and out of work already... it looks simple but useful.

here and there weekend

I have the weekend off, and a lot of closing shifts next week. Maybe I'll get more done, but probably not. I had a headache to beat the band yesterday, that had started the day before. I'm feeling okay today but not as ambitious as usual. We might go to town and we might just stay home and loll (which for me, always is more.. but I have to work myself up to it). Esme is watching 'Tarzan' for about the twentieth time since we bought it for her last week -- our brains might explode if we watch it much more! I've already caught myself humming the music to her while I am sewing, making food etc... and she catches on and starts to sing 'mama monkey and baby boy' song.

QUOTES and birthday prep

That is a toy car, a baby toy car, it is so cute! (tiny smart car in parking lot). I want to go to that house, the happy birthday house, PLEASE?? We go there find toys, go happy birthday. (dollar tree store across the road, where we bought a balloon for another girl last month) I told her I would wash a dress that was put away and see if she had grown into it, maybe she could wear it for Christmas - and she said 'Santa give it pretty dress to me? For Christmas tree? WOW, let's wash it. (so innocent!) I want to share it with you, we be rabbits, you eat some and I eat some, it not so bad! (it not so bad??? we bought new french bread and this was the end of the old loaf we were going to split out for lunch).

Mark and I sent in the order for Esme's birthday/Christmas items from Amazon. I am getting her the Pocoyo toys she actually pointed out she wanted on the screen - and anything else will just fall into place as the events arrive. She is such a happy and easygoing child - she doesn't expect tons of things and actually would probably be thrilled with one wrapped item, a bunch of balloons and birthday candles. We are lucky parents to have a little personality like this... I know it won't last like that forever and don't want to take advantage of it too much, either.


HOMESCHOOL:

I made paper dolls for Esme last night as part of our projects. I made her a fireman and a dog with a water hose to go put out a fire in a building. Then she said the dog got hurt - so I made her a doctor/nurse figure with a bag that came and fixed the dog's foot. Then she said there were people in the building, so I made her a little girl for the fireman and the doctor to save - then they all had to have pizza.

Playing with such things and listening to her talk about painting while I was sewing, it makes me more confident there are lots of homeschool things we can work on over the next two years. She won't be the age they want for Kindergarten for another year or two... And although she is on the verge of reading now, and understands a lot of logic games - we can learn about like plants, animals, jobs, how to build things and how things are made... and on the way her language will continue to naturally get more complex. Every morning and when I get home from work she comes up to me now with the request 'I want to talk talk talk to you you you Mama, I'm thinking... (painting/cereal/monkeys/do exercises) etc...' She is really reveling in the homeschool idea as Mama spending lots of time with her doing fun things. And she is saying more 'Esmespeak' that I have to stop and try to translate. ie: She told me I 'missed a spot' on her dress ties this morning because they were hanging looser than usual... so I tried to explain I just didn't tie them 'all the way'... that was a five minute discussion explaining what I was trying to explain. *shakes head* And at the same time I found her at my computer screen a few minutes ago pointing out letter after letter and having no idea what the words said.. but she wants to learn why I do this and what it all means.

SEWING:


Sherbet Pips fabric
puppy dogs in blue

I have a yard of this coming in the mail from my sewing rec money. Esme picked it over the gray, which I was considering. She has a good eye, because the blue was half-price for a full yard and I was knowing a half-yard wasn't enough but not wanting to spend more than that. She's a good helper ;) The reason I was looking at the lavendar gray was that she has so many blue things already... hmm.

I finished my second tunic shirt last night. I am very happy with how this pattern has worked out - it is a smash-together of this jacket pattern (recent) and the following vintage tunic shirt pattern. The sleeves set in very easily and I 'make do' for not having enough fabric by splitting the front horizontally.


recently published M5298 McCalls (a few years old)
The drawstring pants I've made several pairs of came from this, too

I started with such a large pattern size 14, because my shoulders and arms are much larger than what is 'average' for my chest and waist size. That has made it difficult to find clothes off the rack that fit well enough in the arms without having large drapes of material about the waist.


8340 Simplicity tunic shirt, 1977

Combining the shoulder and arm width of the upper pattern with other details of the smaller pattern, I end up with something in between. The sleeves set in like the jacket, with a different armscye shape. Adding ties at the sides draws some of the material to the back but still allows me to get my shoulders up into the garment. It still needs work particularly in the neckline and the back lower armhole needs 'something' to not pull when I cross my arms across the front.

more thoughts on projects

Simplicity 5085
don't have this one, but tracked it down from
a partial picture on a lot at Ebay....I didn't need the entire lot!,
so I'll have to wait for it to come up at another time.

This pattern has really interesting side pleats and back belt, which intrigued me to track it down further. It has several features that would have me choose to do it over this coat I do have the pattern for, Simplicity 5337. It would be an interesting adaptation from a few things I do have. I still have not started the pink coat I intended to make this summer... but then, I made that blue coat in July and it has been very useful. I intend the pink coat to be heavier but want to put more thought into it.

Esme's three blue dresses I made for her early this year (February, February, March) are needing to be replaced sometime in the next few months. I will scrape what I have in the fabric stash up and see if this weekend off can plan/start the first replacement. I don't think she needs a size up from these dresses, just one or two nicer looking ones for when these get too badly stained. Everything else needs to be went through again and sorted by how well it fits - so I know where I'm at. I know there are 2.5 year old raglan shirts in there that can be cleaned out. Everything recent could probably 'ride' for another few months if it was necessary... which it isn't. Mama likes to sew, and that is why I have this stash ;) I have a shirt cut out and waiting to be sewn for myself, as well... might try to knock that out today. It is another tunic shirt with the back ties as the last one has been really useful.

Esme has been playing this game: 'Droppy', and can get all of the levels herself except #5, which has some reading in it of directions she doesn't understand. She really has this 'poke around and see what things do' part of the flash games worked out, but can't get the little codes or pattern matching they sometimes have hidden in there. If it is a matter of finding a key and putting it in a lock, or prying open a door with a stick picked up off the ground etc.. she uses her logic and knows what to do with it.

Tunic shirt

My continued experiments in making shirts for myself that have enough room in the arms and shoulders! Altered "my" shirt pattern (previously adjusted for my shoulders) mixed up with another vintage pattern that had a 'keyhole' type front.

I was trying to emulate this dress tunic on Etsy. However, I messed up the pattern on the collar and saved it by cutting it deeper and facing it simply. Also, my pattern did not want to gather well across the front and I had begun the collar too low to look much like the inspiration item, anyway. Will keep changes in mind to make the neck higher on a future project. I put tiebacks on the edges in red, which allows the front to be drawn tight and not look like a maternity shirt. My brother saw one of the shirts I had made for myself last year and thought the gathering across the front meant I was expecting. Yeep!


sleeves!

I always cut the sleeves generously, as it is the hardest part to fit with my very large arm muscles. I could try to take them in a little at the bottom half of the armhole next time - see how much I can cut and still lift and stretch the shoulder/arm muscles the proper distances without stressing the garment.

ALSO: Esme and I went to a crafty ladies type get together today, and we did enjoy ourselves. It was a show and tell of things that the ladies make and although I was running behind Esme for most of the morning I had her outfit, mine, and a few knitted things with us to show. The other ladies brought projects to work on - my work-in-progress was keeping Esme occupied with the right things. Miss Diana definitely wanted me to not worry about breaking anything or making noise - but I naturally wanted her to be good and not do any damage! She chased the cat around and did throw one fit about not being allowed to go chase the outside cat in the cold weather in her stocking feet. She was very good for the most part, and enjoyed lunch with us (I brought us chicken noodle soup and french bread and Miss Diana offered strawberries which are an Esme _favorite_) and drawing and playing with various toys that were about the place. Esme really does need to be around more different people, like this - as she tried to call Miss Diana 'Grandma' and her husband 'Santa' *haha*. One thing Esme did that made me doubletake during the visit was she found a large plastic bank that was shaped like a combination lock. She went over to the door of the sunroom and slipped it on to the door handle and told us we were locked in. HAHA. And she was extremely interested in the loom they were trying to repair on the main table - she tried to measure it with the measuring tape and did break that the same way she breaks my measuring tapes here at home. Miss Diana did want to have her back another day - she said it was a lot of fun and she wanted to spend more time with Esme :)

Plans for more alterations to Lizzie's dress

I brought nothing else to work today to take up the leftover lunch hour - so instead I drew out plans for how to alter Lizzie's dress. I had worked them out in my mind using her picture, so I'll see how it comes together with the actual pattern tonight. Altering Esme's dress using the photograph and a mathematical plan worked really well.

Process of this dress:
Step 1: Make a plan based on measurements and/or picture of previous work (check)
Step 2: Make drawing paper copies of the original pattern (check)
Step 3: Make alterations to the paper copies (check)
Step 4: Choose fabric (check! wow it was easy)
Step 5: Prepare fabric (working on that right now)
Step 6: Trace and cut all pieces of pattern (also in progress)
Step 7: Begin to sew pieces together and finish inside seams
Step 8: Do all facings and hems.
Step 9: Pin and sew in the zipper by hand.
Step 10: Take pictures!
Step 11: Send it out in the mail to her and have her try it on. *oh boy*
Step 12: Get pictures and see if did a good job!

I've also signed up to a new service on skillpages. I'll see if I get anyone else who would like me to try altering or making clothes for their little ones near here. I know people are always looking for someone to take up curtains by 6 inches or split a panel of curtains or etc... so I would be willing to do something small like that as well.

Sewing and Dressmaking near Paris, TN : Marie Lamb

I have finished Esme's short-sleeved blue dress and the other one is cut out and waiting to be made up. It was a beautiful day out - and Esme and Daddy went walking and visited Grandma and Grandpa. I got to see a gorgeous sunset just as I came home. Esme is napping now, so I'll go to the machine and see what I can do.

Remake robin dress

This is the original pattern: Simplicity 8714, copyright 1970

I made one without any alterations to the bodice in this blue fabric with a 'standard' bell sleeve piece. But - I decided it needed quite a few alterations to fit her better. I lowered the neckline, made the shoulder head higher, dropped the waist an inch and a bit, and reduced the sleeve width by quite a bit. link that shows the alterations done to this dress from the original pattern


And this is the 'remake', which I am happy with. I like the way it fits in the neck and shoulders much better with the alterations. It pulls just slightly near the shoulders where I have it held back with ties - but that is a good place for it to do that - it gives her extra room if she needs it and the ties hold it closer to her waist.

The coloring could have been much better for her -- but it was remnant material, and I think it turned out fairly well for something I wasn't sure was going to work out.

I may have even solved the 'second arm' problem, at least temporarily. How? I made her give me the opposite arm (the one she is having trouble with before) first - get it in - and then somehow the other arm went in just fine. That could be because I 'slowed her down' by asking for the opposite arm and she had to think hard instead of just full-speed ahead. If I continue to use the opposite arm first she may go right back to having the problem? We'll see. I think she needs another one in dark blue or medium green.

---

And for the future I snagged this:



Butterick 3200
1960s, size 6

I've had my eye on this one for a while - the artwork is beautiful and the pattern itself is elegant, easy to alter into a number of different things. Ever since I saw it has been much too rich for my blood - and of course being vintage the supply is limited. So... when I saw this size 6 for 'decent price' today I bought it. I often feel guilty about buying supplies that are not 'steals' well before I'll use them. BUT - I can't feel all that guilty about this one - because I've used size 5's for Lizzie lately and I know I will use it in the future for Esme. It still cost less shipped than a full-price childrens t-shirt would cost - and will return much more that in finished garments. Yes - I'm still trying to justify it *ha*... that is just how I am.

Blue dress in motion

This is the dress made yesterday - it needs some analysis to see if there is any better alteration of this pattern to be made. I took some pictures of her in motion as well as standing still.

The more it is on her the more I like it in general - but there are elements of her body shape that can be altered better for. See below how the dress pulls funny across her chest as she raises her arms. There is also something pulling right at the neck when she flexes and at the waistline. These are all things that COULD be fixed but may take a few variations in order to find the best solution.




It's obvious the sleeves can be narrowed. A lot of her dresses have these bell sleeves because they are easy and never constricting - but they do get in the way some elsewise, as well - like getting severely wet when washing hands.

The skirt can be dropped but will need longer zippers than the 7 inch ones in my collection. Mark says I can just drop the zipper lower and put a button at the top of the dress - and/or drop the neckline on both sides.

Also the sleeve head can be brought up - but that will be difficult if the neckline is also brought down - it will leave very little shoulder seam. The dress would look better with a higher sleeve head - but would it move as well with her? As can be seen in these pictures she is VERY much a little monkey - especially around her bed. Having 'loose-fitting' clothing but not TOO loose is important for her to as she is so active.

new dress for Lizzie

Lizzie's measurements showed she was a size 5 with a larger waist proportion than Esme - so I needed a pattern that was more 'straight' instead of hourglass - for safety, because she is 1800 miles away from me and I can't try it on her or even hold it up to her! This pattern has a lot of free swing in the middle and the skirt can be shortened to make more of a 'shirt' on the second pass if it constricts her legs too much. She is also a few inches taller than Esme - an inch taller in the legs. She must get that from my lumberjack of a brother (6'3"!) And her mom is taller, too. So - here we go. A size 5 vintage dress for my niece Elizabeth.

I used remnants (washed but not pressed) I had lying around the shop - because I'm not sure it will fit. It took three hours from the time her mom gave me the measurements until I was ready to put the zipper in. Of course - that counts getting Esme and I drinks and playing with random toys here and there and quite a bit of discussion about being careful with my pin cushion she had every single pin out of and was counting them and handing me some one by one while I put in the sleeves. I'm pretty proud of the way the front turned out - because once I got to cutting that piece out I didn't have enough room anywhere for the whole thing - or enough of the print to get the entire top of the bodice out of it either... so I compromised and put a stripe across the front. It looks like it was meant to be that way ;)

This is the pattern I used - something I had saved for Esme but she hasn't caught up to yet. I just LOVE the illustrations on this pattern envelope - and the dress itself is very 'plain and simple' - easy to alter into anything needed.


McCalls 8715
year was 1967
made the top view in size 5 for Lizzie

Red dirndl

Simplicity 8714 (right)
Simplicity 5169 (center)
Butterick 2194 (left)

I used most of the pattern pieces out of 8714 (right), with alterations to look like 5169 (center) in the waist and a comparison to 2194 (left) for the size. All of the patterns are 1960-1975.


I trimmed 1/2 inch off of the neckline all around and added a center waist panel that was present in the other pattern, but not in this one. It seemed to be easily addable without any alterations to the main pattern. And it was. The upper sleeve cap from 5194 was compared to the modern sleeve pattern I have been using with Butterick 2194 (a fourth pattern indeed!) to make a long bell sleeve without the center stay gathers. I just couldn't see Esme wearing that actual gathered sleeve in reality -- not practical.


Did this yesterday - still need to put the zipper in at work today and try it on her when I get home. Overall it is the same length and bodice size as the Osaka dress - but it has a dropped waist.. we'll see! I added the ties because she usually needs them to keep the dress comfortably to-form as she moves around at high speeds ;) And Nova (the puppy) will pull on her dress sleeves to lead her around if she doesn't have back ties to grab hold of. The dress sleeves get perforated and Esme doesn't like her sleeves all wet and slobbery. They play often this way 'tug of tails' back and forth across the house.

I only had enough of the flowered fabric for the front of the waist - but it was a good use of a loud fabric. It is called 'Andalucia Earth' flowery fire stripe, by Patty Young.

Today: Got her to try on the red dress today saying Grandma would want to see it. She fussed a lot - because she wanted to stay in her pajamas. She still has a cold and has been fighting Daddy to put on anything but the blanket sleepers lately. I convinced her into it with crying and found that the second sleeve was a little hard to get 'quickly and easily' assembled without asking her for cooperation.



I think the dress would look a little stranger from the back if I gathered the skirt there higher than the skirt in the front - but it would be easier to get that second arm through the waist once she already has her first arm in. I could also extend the back line from armhole to skirt a bit on each side and it would be hidden in the ties without as much change in the look of the garment.

And some pictures of it on - it really moves with her well and she can get into any position (even crawling on the floor pretending to be a puppy) and it does not make her constricted. I do like that about old clothing patterns -- they are 'fancy' but not impractical if chosen well (and properly altered).