little green dress

i finished the dress! after dying it green yesterday i put the pieces through the wash last night and took advantage of nap time today to get it put together. i love how it turned out.



the green isnt quite solid, but it doesnt look tie dyed either, so im okay with that. i went ahead and tried the piping across the front, to add a little more bright white to the green and it wasnt as hard as i expected. i used my zipper foot, and scooted right up beside the piping. it was quick and i really like how it makes the dress look.



i had planned on buttons for the back, but that was before the dress changed colors. i dont have green buttons, or green thread for the button holes. then i remembered the snaps and snap press form my mom! what a perfect opportunity to try it out! i only wasted four pronged rings , and i installed ten altogether (with the practice one too) so for a first try, i think i did okay. hopefully next time i wont bend any.



and here is the back again, i used white thread for the little hem on the bottom, and i think it looks good. i am so glad i finally finished this dress- i hate having something half pieced together and just laying there.

unfinished dress and blanket in progress

i did not finish the dress. i love the cream, but together, it is too much cream.




there are the pieces. i like the way the top turned out. i added width in the back, then sewed and turned it so that i have room for three buttons instead of closing the whole with a zipper. this makes for easier sewing, and less money than buying zippers for everything. also, i think buttons are cute. (i think i get that from my mom. she always prefers buttons. but she doesnt like to sew zippers either.)

anyway- i went with ribbon ties, because they dont wrinkle up and it adds a little contrast. the piping isnt sewn in yet, because i just dont like the cream on cream. last time i made this dress, i did a blue top with a patterned skirt.



i LOVE the way this turned out, so maybe i just have too high of expectation? so i dont think i will finish this dress as is. i think i will use the top on another skirt, and find a new fabric for the top of this dress. i have a fat quarter of cream with muted color stars that matches really well. it doesnt match the wish puff on the skirt though. any ideas for this dress?

things to think about. while i decide, i have a blanket i have been working on for a while that needs finishing so i can start a boy version. here is a peek.

freezer paper one, two, and three

i decided this week to learn to use freezer paper stencils. aunty google gave me several great tutorials with only minor contradictions so i bought my reynolds brand freezer paper (my only option was the enormous roll, so if i dont enjoy this, jason needs to go hunting so we will have a use for it!) and tulip soft brand fabric paint. i picked up three yards of white muslin to practice on, as well as a package of onesies.

try number one: scrap of white fabric and a stick drawing.



i didnt photograph the finished stencil this time, but i did on the next two. i had trouble with bleeding under the edges as well as the discovery that my black and red paints were velveteen. bummer.

try number two: white muslin dress with pleats and dots (this is from a simplicity pattern, number 2668. i made this dress out of pink silk for my cousins wedding last may and knew it was a quick sew.)



i like the idea here, the ironed pleats and the dots down them, but its not my favorite. might be the color, im not sure. i still had trouble with the edges blurring and on this try, i missed a step.

this is the back of the dress. the pattern calls for a zipper, but i want to try and use buttons instead in some of my patterns (cheaper) so i tried this one. it looks okay from the outside.



i forgot to put something behind the painted part, and didnt unfold the pleats so i ended up with smudgy dots on the back where i dont want them.

and here is the inside of the button. i finished the edges with my serger, but need to figure out a nicer way to do this.





























so after attempt number two, i still need to figure out how to get the edges crisp so the design turns out like i want. also, i need to be certain that there is no fabric behind what i am painting, and that there is something back there to seal it (like another sheet of freezer paper) or to catch it (like the table, or cardboard or regular paper).

try number three: cream quilters cotton from joanns, a wish puff on the skirt of mccalls pattern m5791

i printed out a picture of a wish puff blowing in the wind onto my freezer paper. then, taped it to my cutting mat, and cut, then ironed to my front skirt piece. i extended the wind blown bits a little because it is a gathered skirt, and i wanted a little more of the stencil to be seen. next, i used a fan brush, and painted.

the paint dried for a couple hours (two or threeish) while i ran errands and when i got home it was still just tacky to touch, but i pulled up the paper anyway.







this time, the edges are crisp, and the paint looks good! finally! im not sure if it is the non velveteen paint, a little experience, or what, but so far this design looks like it has turned out!



i plan to finish the dress tomorrow, but before then, i need to learn how to sew in piping. i have some white piping that i want to put in between the gathered skirt and the bodice top to add in a little more white, and i havent decided if i am going to use white grosgrain ribbon as the ties or cut fabric. those things come before the finished product. so, sewing in piping? aunty google tell me everything you know.