My current design board was wanting to improve upon the design of the Children's Corner pattern #266 "MACY". This pattern is either a dress or blouse featuring a wrap-style front closure, neckline ruffle on both views and a hemline ruffle for the dress. The sleeves are very cute, a smooth cap sleeve with a narrow casing on the sleeve edge with which 1/4" elastic is inserted for a pulled up effect. Of course, fabric selection will make a difference in how your project turns out, but I wanted to go a step further. I love the details. So I decided to incorporate turquoise gingham check spaghetti bias as my ties and make piping from a matching turquoise gingham check.  

I chose FF-1086 for the base fabric. The entire dress & sleeve is lined, so I used Imperial Batiste in white for the lining. This will make for such a comfortable dress for a little girl. I choosing to make my own piping to match the spaghetti bias, I used a new tool, the Darr Piping Magic. This is a great way to make your piping and not have to precisely cut the bias stripes. With the Darr Piping Magic, cut your bias width, I used 1" since my seam allowance was 1/4", I would not have a lot of waste to trim off. Whe I make my piping I 1) cut my bias stripes, 2) seam together bias stripes, if needed, 3) press the entire piece of bias lengthwise to give me a channel to place the piping in, 4) lay the piping along the pressed channel and stitch in place. Then with the Darr Piping Magic you choose the seam allowance width your pattern calls for and place the cording of the piping in the corresponding seam allowance grove. The excess fabric is past the edge of the Darr Piping Magic. With your rotary cutter, just trim off the excess fabric and "WaLa" your piping is finished with the seam allowance width needed!  Very handy!

I have chosen to pipe the neckline and the hemline seam with the handmade piping. The piping is stitched inplace before adding the neckine ruffle.

The patterns that have just a bit of smocking at the center front of the garment are such quick and easy projects to stitch up. The one for this post is the Collar's Etc. Pattern "Layette". There are so many garments included in this pattern it's hard to decide what to make first! There are suitable versions for boys or girls. The pattern is sized 0-3 months and 6-9 months. So perfect selections for baby showers! I have made the boy version of the smocked bubble for a new baby in my church. I have used Pima Classics, the blue herringbone patterned fabric. I have used the smocked bunny design included in the pattern, but have also put some bunches of carrots on the Peter Pan collar.

When you are ready to pleat the area for the smocking, though it isn't stated in the pattern, you need to cut the pattern piece of the bubble front with straight sides. You should never try and have bias edges go through the pleater. So I cut out the buttom according to the  pattern lines, but when I cut the side seams, I just cut straight up--not cutting out the armholes, shoulder seam and neck edge. I then mark with washout marker the armholes, shoulder seams and neck edge. These will be cut out later after the smocking is completed. See above where I have mark, my smocking is completed, so I am ready to cut on those blue marked lines for the construction steps. I also needed to have some reference for placing my bunches of bullion carrots. So I marked the seam allowance on both collar pieces to get my carrots placed evenly.

When I can, I will use the Ready to Sew Piping, but many times, there is not the color that will coordinate with my garment. So the Ready to Cover Cording is the solution. See the Peter Pan collar pieces pinned with the covered cording. ( I'm a pinner!) I have stitched the cording a couple of needle positions away for the cording when I am covering the cording with my cut bias. Then when I do a final stitching I will move the needle closer to pack that cording next to the bias fold of the fabric.

One of my sewing machines, a Bernina, has a clear foot with a small "bump out" that the mini cording fits perfectly in! As stated above, I have not stitched in the bias right up next to the cording when covering the cord. Then here in this step, I have moved the needle position one more click toward the cording, but it still is NOT right next to the cording. That will occur in the final step of collar construction.

This sweet bubble has inverted release pleats on either side of the center back. You will want to press the stitched pleat so that the center of the pleat lays down next to the stitching. This way when it is turned on the right side the fabric will be evenly distributed and make a lovely pleat.

Here's the finished results with a close up of the smocking and carrot embroidery. You can also find this garment in the Inspiration Gallery of the website. I referenced A to Z of Bullions for my carrots. The bubble has an easy back placket with a 4 buttons closure. Elastic in each leg and a small piece of "Snap Tape" to close the crotch. Though the pattern calls for buttons in the crotch, I think today's mothers will appreciate the snap tape for quicker diaper changes!

As the first couple of weeks of 2012 are history, I find myself being very behind in keeping my Blog current! Six months behind as a matter of fact! Ugh! So my new goal is to resolve to get over my hump of not thinking I can do well with this and just put forth entries on a more regular basis! Thank you for your patience.

I completed several projects last Fall. During that time one of my customers with her daughters was visiting the shop. She had made this darling corduroy cape for one of the girls. She said, "It's from the Oliver+s book that I got from you". Soon after she had left, I went to my copy and worked at tracing off some of the sizes and deciding on what to make mine out of. I chose to use one of my printed featherweight corduroys and line it with a pima gingham check. The pattern is called "Little Red Riding Hood Cape", but we can have lots more imagination than just using red! The cape is perfect for our Oklahoma Fall weather and early spring when a heavy coat is too much. So hence, I stitched up "Little Red Riding Hood Cape" in brown corduroy and it turned out so cute. There are hand/arm slits in the front, I used a brown square button with the loop closure.