A winner and some Geraniums

First thing is first! The winner of the RJR Cotton Supreme Solids fat quarter bundle is, #18, Amy!

Congrats, and thanks to everyone that entered!

I'm not sure if you've tried the Geranium dress pattern by Rae, but you should if you have a little girl to sew for. I've made several of these dresses, and I recently finished a few more. My friend, Rue, just had her second child. I thought her oldest, lovingly referred to as Tadpole, might like a dress.

I used this favorite Garden Party print, with a fun orange print for the yoke lining.

My grandmother has shared a collection of buttons with me, and I found these in her stash.

I also made a few that were intended for a craft show last fall. I wasn't able to participate, but decided to add the dresses to my etsy shop.

This is such a great pattern for baby shower gifts, and for big sisters, too!

FO: Clover Geranium

Sorry to disappear again! I spent the last week out of town, and am catching up on home life this week. I meant to share this with you before I left, but I made another Geranium dress, this time for Alison Glass.

Alison sent me this adorable Clover Sunshine print and some Andover chambray to make this version. Alison shared it at her Quilt Market schoolhouse session.

I just love the button details on this dress, and the fun print she sent for the lining (also from Clover Sunshine)!

I have now sewn this dress several times, and I really enjoy making them! I always drag my feet on the hem and buttonholes. It's the little things.

I hope you are all having a great week!

Back to school

Well, not really.

After destashing some fabric on etsy (there's still some available, if you're interested!), I decided to sign up for the Summer Dresses course taught by Whipstitch. I've been making more garments lately, and felt the class would help me improve my garment-making skills. The biggest problem I face (and I'm sure I"m not alone in this) is fit. It's easy enough to follow a pattern, but catering a dress pattern to your body, accentuating you features, etc. is challenging.

Over the summer, I'll share progress from the class.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share some of the fabrics I might use for the class.

I just recently purchased these two knits from Drygoods Design. I am especially in love with the one on the right. I'm picturing a tank dress (or possibly a sleeveless one) and maybe some shirring?

I also hope to use this new Anna Maria Horner linen blend (purchased from Pink Castle), but I'm not sure which dress I'll make. Before washing, this fabric is a little stiff, but I imagine it will soften up after washing.

I've also got a pretty substantial stash of voile, mostly purchased on sale (luckily).
I won't use all of this for the class patterns, but hopefully, I'll make a dent.

And two large cuts of quilting cotton. The left print has been in the stash for EONS. I originally bought it for a skirt, but think it's much better suited for a dress. The right print is from that recent Sew Fine Fabric gift certificate.

I've got a few other fabrics that might come into play, but by the end of the summer, I hope I have a lovely handmade wardrobe!

FO: Simplicity 0508

Saturday morning, I found myself at Joann's, hunting through the $1.99 Simplicity patterns. I seriously couldn't pass up such a deal. I left with two patterns, Simplicity 2403 and 2360, fabric for 2403, and the required notions. When I got home, I looked through my existing patterns and fabric, and decided to make Simplicity 0508 first.

It seemed like an easier pattern than 2403, especially for a beginner like myself. Saturday, I cut the required pattern pieces (I made mine the length of view A, but with pockets and sleeves from view F), as well as the fabric, and sewed the sleeve pieces. Sunday, I sewed the rest!

I used a little less than two yards of Alexander Henry's Umekko fabric. I bought this last spring from Cia's Palette. I just love the cherry blossoms. The tiny all-over print was perfect for my beginner skills, especially since I used black thread. It hides my mistakes well!

There are pleats at the shoulders and neck, a tiny detail, which would probably stand out better in a solid fabric, but I love them.

On this project, I used darts for the first time (mine aren't fantastic, but again, sort of hidden by the fabric choice), installed a 22" zipper on the back, made pockets (which are fairly invisible) and learned many valuable sewing lessons. I measured carefully before cutting, which I always seem to slack on.

My only modification was adding some dart-like decreases at the waist, since it was fairly baggy in that area. The pattern is written to have a fair amount of ease, though, so it was to be expected.

Truth be told, I haven't hemmed the dress yet, but I definitely see myself wearing this to work or on weekends.