Thursday, December 13, 2012

Time to stop crafting for everyone else! :)

I realised this week that i've spent the last few months mostly crafting for others. The kids and other family members. So half way through my final washcloth for my Dad i popped down my crochet hook and whipped out the sewing machine. Project custom dress began. I started off with a gorgeous wee dress i got from the local opshop for just $5! Only problem was its length and lack of straps. I'll be honest here I hate my knees. Thanks to my excema theyre dry and covered in scars so i hide them. This summer though it's clearly going to be too hot for trousers and i only have one pair of shorts. I dont do strapless tops or dresses, cause quite frankly my boobs are too big in my opinion. you'd think big boobs would hold dresses up...not in my case!
In the beginning there was a dress... When it came to the fabric to add to the length i wanted something bright and summery. I had two perfect fabrics. A gorgeous red with flowers and a lovely green with little we flowers and cherries. I honestly have spent three days staring at the fabric asking myself which one i like best...there is no answer. i love them both soo much.
I cut six two inch wide strips of the fabric each 29inches long, four red and two green and sewed them together. Red, green, red. The dress has a seam on each side, so to make the custom a little more natural looking I sewed each 29inch strip of the three end on end. With the seams lined up with the dress seams i pinned a bucket load of pinns to them and sewed around them bottome of the dress. Lots of ironing happend during this procces to keep all the seams nice a crisp. Things just look so much tidier that way!
once fabric was sewn on i then went around the bottom with and iron and pressed the raw edge inwards to tidy up the base of the dress. I went over the hem with a zig zag stich, from a distance it cant be seen but if you look closely its visable. I think the zig zag hemm just gives it that little extra something special. Break the mold, use some different stiches on your hems. if your really brave (or crazy) use a contrasting thread for that extra bold look. The straps were destined to be a bit fiddely. I'm currently breastfeeding my second child and will be for the forseeable future. I'm aiming for at least till shes one, but will see what she wants. if she wants longer he can have longer. Breast feeding is that little bit of calm in the maddness that is life. :) So i needed straps that would undo, allowing easy access. What better that recycling that old nursing bra i can't wear cause the fabric sets of my excema...seriously excema on the boob is NOT pleasant!!
The little nursing access clips i lined up just at the edge of the wee ruffle, so unless you're really looking for them you dont really notice them. Alot of expletives were uttered as i attached the straps...i stabbed my finger several times. Thankfully the kids were asleep so no chance of Mr 20 months reapeating mummies naughty words! phew. So with the straps attached i tried it on and its perfect!
Voila! I absolutely love my dress now!! Its perfect! Straps to avoid embarassing mishaps and allow easy acess for breastfeeding my girl, and pretty fabric for that splash of colour and extra length! It wonderful as a long skirt too, cause the straps tuck away, so i can dress it up with a smart collared shirt aswell. I'm off out to do the kids christmas shopping tomorrow with my mum. I'm hoping the weather will stay lovely so i can show off my new dress!!

1 comment:

  1. Gorgeous dress. Crafting something for yourself is good for the soul.

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