Sunday 12 January 2014

The bit after the Happily Ever After...

There are just a few hundred things I'm meant to be doing but they're all boring or troublesome, so of course I made a list of all the boring, troublesome things that still need to be done, then I made another Oliver + S Fairy Tale dress!
 

I found this fabric as a remnant long before A hit her pink, ballerina phase (we're solidly in that now and I'm holding my breath waiting for it to pass) and I found it too hard to resist so it was added to the stash.

I knew I was on a real winner with the pattern after making this one. The fit was perfect and she simply adores that blue "Cinderella" dress. Since my Christmas Tutu went down like a lead balloon I was looking for some redemption.


This dress would be pink, it would be "poofy" and it would be made just in time for next week's trip to the theatre to see Angelina Ballerina. I was going against all my own ideas of style and tastefulness and making something that I just knew she'd love.

I had planned a standard "view B' but then hit a snag wondering how my vertical bodice stripes would look right next to the gathered skirt. The stripes would never match but they're wide enough to look like they probably should. Then I stumbled across the solution in a 2013 sewing summary by Katy of Designs by BellaBug


Katy had photographed her dress with the sash wrapped across the front. It looked fantastic and was the ideal solution. Only I still wanted that BIG bow at the back, so I made an extra sash section that was gathered and stitched into the side seams just like the back sash is.


I'm happy to say that A is delighted with her dress and is "saving" it for Angela (sic) Ballerina next week. That hasn't stopped her putting it on at every possible moment, during and after it was sewn.


The only modification I made was to add one inch in length to the skirt. The armhole facings are kind of redundant given that the dress is lined, but I can see why they're there as it means the bodice construction is the same for both the sleeveless and tulip sleeve versions. It also allowed for a peep of some more fuschia pink cotton on the inside.

The kids were getting excited about the ballet show and, predictably, were fighting about something. It would seem we only have one pair of bright pink mouse ears and P was adamant that they were his and he would be wearing them (more on that in another post!).

Oliver + S to the rescue again with a free downloadable pattern for a felt bow and tips on making fabric covered headbands.

You've got to believe me, I was so far out of my beige-brown comfort zone now I figured in for a penny, in for a pound... Cutesy matching hairband was made. .... and adored!

I think the temporary tiger tattoo on her bicep really works with this outfit, right?!
Then, due to a complete failure to drink and party on New Year's Eve, the Flipper and I found ourselves awake, sober and bored on new year's day so we went to Ikea. P got a new desk and swivel chair (that's better than the show rides!) and A got a toy chest and wardrobe. Flipper and I came up with a new premise for a reality TV game show: Ikea vs the Chef. Co-habiting couple race against each other to prepare dinner or assemble Ikea furniture.

Not only was my Stuva wardrobe build beaten by Spaghetti Meatballs (too easy and should have been handicapped) but it turned out I'd bought the wrong size frame. After attaching all those draw slider thingies I was NOT returning it and so another trip was made to get the bigger frame and A now has two wardrobes.


And when you look inside it appears that one would never have sufficed!

 

I guess it also shows that I really must stop making dresses and get on with those boring, troublesome jobs after all.

27 comments:

  1. Gorgeous, and a little girl can never have too many dresses.
    I love your 'in for a penny in for a pound' reference. Hugo and I use it all the time.
    (Have you seen Tim Minchins 'Storm' on youtube?

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  2. Thanks Nicole.
    As an atheist who practices evidence based medicine, that "beat poem" is very dear to my heart! (and it's just plain hilarious!)

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  3. It may be pink and pretty but for something super-girly, it's really very restrained and tasteful. And while you may have been beaten by the meatballs, the fact that you're still sane after assembling Ikea furniture is something you should be very proud of.

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    1. I can't say that there wasn't any swearing. Sewing is so much easier.
      I really love the peach background colour so I agree it's not too over the top.

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  4. It looks very beautiful and I am so glad she loves it! Sarah was in this stage too so hopefully it will pass soon. : )

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    1. Thanks Sharon. Curiously my son was infatuated with Angelina and all things pink at exactly the same age.

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  5. It's pretty and soft, and that bow means business :) I'm so glad she loves it! IKEA furniture is always an adventure.

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    1. It sure does. In hindsight a voile or batiste would have been better than quilting cotton. Perversely I kind of like assembling flat pack furniture, assuming I bought the right bits to start with!

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  6. You should never go to Ikea out of boredom! In my experience, that is fatal. You must have come home with some tealights that you haven't mentioned. Or new picture frames.

    The dress is gorgeous, I can see why she loves it. It is just the right amount of girly.
    What have we all been feeding our children over Christmas, everybody seems to have grown, where are all the babies?!

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    1. Ha ha. I confess I did get some storage things for fabric storage and then some shoe storage things for my wardrobe. It's the market hall at the end that gets me every time.
      It's amazing how they go from toddlers to children seemingly overnight isn't it.

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  7. She looks like a perfect little poppet in that gorgeous dress (although she definitely has a sparkle in her eye... methinks you may have to keep an eye on her!)

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    1. You picked it. There is a ferocious will under the poppet façade.

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  8. Love the dress. And, it's now officially Julia approved. She says she wants to invite your daughter over to play.

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    1. Thanks! That's so sweet. My kids feel like they're friends with all the others they see on Flickr.

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  9. I think this is perfectly stylish and tasteful even if it is pink :) She also loves it, which makes it even better. It's lovely. I might have to buy this pattern one of these days.

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    1. Oh you should. You would make a stunning one I just know it.

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  10. The dress is so gorgeous! I love the colors. I love pink if it isn't too much and your dress is perfect. The wardrobes are impressive but I think you have room to make many more dresses.

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    1. Thank you Christine. I'll make dresses even if there is no more room and they're all squished in, it's so enjoyable when it comes together well.

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  11. Oh wow. It's beautiful. And very tasteful. I also gravitate towards beautiful plums and browns and rusts, etc., but I think you've struck a really nice balance with the soft "wallpaper" like main fabric and the fuchsia highlights. Love that sash! And she looks so happy with it!

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    1. Wallpaper exactly! I hadn't been able to think of what the fabric reminded me of but that's it, wallpaper. I think we could be "colour twins"!

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  12. Beautiful, beautiful dress. And I had to laugh out loud at your comment about making a list of the boring troublesome things and then sewing a dress. I have been wanting to avoid my own boring and troublesome things by sewing summer clothes for a friend's daughter (even though it's winter here). Good to get a little sewing therapy. :)

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    1. Thanks Donna. I think 90% of my sewing is for distraction or procrastination. Sewing summer clothes in winter sounds like a great idea to beat the seasonal blues. You could even wear some sunscreen while you sew to get the smell senses on board!

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  13. The dress turned out beautifully! Sometimes, we have to put aside our personal taste and embrace what the one we're sewing for likes. You can tell how pleased she is with it!

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    1. Thanks Cindy, she is delighted with it so of course that makes me happy.

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  14. love the newest Fairytale dress, and of course the requisite headband that went along with it:) And had a good chuckle at your IKEA sage! We have a love/hate relationship with IKEA products in our house - love their aesthetic and price point, but always dread the assembly! And the closest one being two hours away, a mistake is not easily fixed. Looks like her wardrobe will suffice A for awhile!

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  15. Hi. I LOVE your version of the fairy tale dress with the sash and bow. I am going to make one with both and was wondering if for the front sash you just used the bow pattern piece minus the pointed end. Thanks in advance!

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    1. Well I can't say i remember exactly :), but looking at my own blog notes it would appear I've used the sash pattern piece for the width. So, yep, a rectangle from the sash pattern piece. No need to cut this bit on the bias though as it won't need to tie and lay nicely in the bow. I guess I would have just laid it across the front bodice piece then basted it to the side seams as far the "measured" length goes. Good luck. It's a delightful pattern however you make it.

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