I sure don’t have much to show you today, but I hope you’ll stick around to see what I DO have finished. Part of my problem was we had to have a little “chicken round up” yesterday. Remember that ad I placed on Craigslist advertising we had young hens for sale? Well, someone came to get them yesterday. 11 of our babies are gone and 3 of our big hens are too …and guess who had to help sort out the ones we wanted to keep and round up the rest?… right as I was setting in the sleeves on Kirsten’s blouse… Oh well, we’re $40 richer.
First of all, I’m sorry I didn’t get to your comments on Thursday. I did read them all… I was baking that pie, you know, (HERE) and it seemed to be an “all day” kind of thing with me… anyway it was well received, and I got a nice phone call today from the man I made it for…He was slightly thrilled and surprised! YAY!
Okay, now back to my sewing. I wanted to make a pretty little white blouse to wear under Kirsten’s dirndl and I found this very soft, almost gauzy embroidered fabric in my stash. I have had it for a while but never really touched it that much… just bought it because I liked the design in it. Well, it’s a wonderfully soft to the touch fabric and was a joy to make into Kirsten’s blouse. It gathered up very nicely and I like the sleeves the best. I may put something on them, but for now it’s staying all white.
As I was sewing on the blouse, I was trying to figure out what I was going to make the dirndl look like. I had a million different ideas in my head. I went to get my camera to at least get a picture of the blouse to show you and when I got back to my sewing room, I looked at my cutting table and thought I’d show you I’ve at least been “playing” with fabrics.
Actually I did get the pink bodice part cut out… I know I want that part pink… but it was the rest that was giving me fits…
I tried making two green strips attached to a piece of white embroidery, but I didn’t like that.
Nope!
I then used just the embroidery, centered it and stitched it onto the pink piece.
Who knows what May or May Not be embroidered on this blank canvas!!!
Now I have to decide if I’m going to use the pink or the purple gingham bias trim or if I’ll try something else.
Sometimes I truly think it takes me longer to “decide” what I’m going to do, than to actually do it. Oh well, I guess that’s just part of the creative process…
I’ll keep you posted on what gets “decided!”
Happy Saturday!
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Isn’t it great that life is full of variety? Thanks for sharing the variety in your life!
The dirndl is looking beautiful. You have such good taste. It will be a pleasure to continue watching and viewing what comes of this looking-to-be-lovely dirndl for Kirsten.
Take care.
Thank you Becky,
My life certainly has plenty of variety in it…as I bet most people’s does too!
I couldn’t get to sleep last night as I was trying to figure out in my mind what to do to the dress next… I was hoping when I got up this morning, I’d have a clear head, but not so far…
oh well, I guess I’ll just try something…
Thanks Becky,
Blessings, Jeanne
I’m glad to hear you, too, have more time invested in which fabric to use than actually doing the sewing. So glad when the decision is finally made and it turns out fine.
What is the order of the steps to sewing the lace and the bands to the sleeve. Band to sleeve and then lace or sandwich the lace first to the band? The sleeves are beautifully finished. Love the white embroidered fabric.
Thanks Susette,
I figured I’d have a few ladies who could relate to my “time” spent figuring out, instead of sewing the actual dress…. sometimes it comes together like clockwork and other times… well…it doesn’t!
As far as the sleeves go, on this particular sleeve, I wanted it to be super delicate and not bulky at all, so I’ll do my best to explain how I did it…
I gathered up the cuff edge of the sleeve with 2 rows of basting just like I always do. Then I took a very fine piece of batiste and measured around Kirsten’s arm allowing 1/4″ seam on each end… and about 1 1/4″ wide. I stitched the batiste to the gathered edge..with the batiste on the bottom and the gathers on top so I could make sure they were gathering evenly. When I got to the end, I pressed that seam flat… then I trimmed the gathered edge to about 1/8″ wide and folded the batiste around it. I took my heirloom lace and pulled the thread on the edge of it and gathered it up evenly. I then carefully stitched it just the right of the fold in the batiste. This way it would be hidden, but not have an extra layer of bulk in the cuff. Then I pressed that fold down again and snipped off the excess batiste fabric. I then folded it under and hand stitched it in place.
I don’t know if you can understand how I did it, if not, I may have to do a tutorial on it…
Thanks for asking though…
Blessings, Jeanne
I think I understand. Since the lace is finished on the edge, it doesn’t need to be enclosed in the seam and is just added what will be the inside of the band before doing the final hand stitching of the turned-under band to the sleeve. Right?
HI Susette,
Exactly! You’re a good learner!!!
Blessings, Jeanne
This is going to be so nice. I love your Kirsten dresses. I vote for the pink bias trim on the embroidered piece. I would love to see the flowers just outlined in a lazy day stitch with only one strand of floss and maybe the leaves outlined in a stem or backstitched again with just one strand. I think this would be very delicate. Maybe or maybe not. I never know until I try something.
Thank you Ann,
I’m still not positive what I’m going to do, but your idea of outlining the flowers and stems sound really pretty… if not this time, maybe another time… :o)
Thanks for the idea…
Blessings, Jeanne
Wish you had pictures of the chicken round up! What do you do, stuff them in dog crates? Know your smaller flock will do well.
I recently purchased a dress made of fabric similar to Kirsten’s blouse. Not my style or size, but the fabric will become something for a doll. Cost $1.00 🙂
HI Joy,
I wish I had had a camera when we were rounding up the hens and 2 roosters too. It was pretty comical. We used cardboard to corral them into a corner and they were flying everywhere they could get to. Then we put the ones we were selling in the coop and closed the door. My hubby put a fan in the window for them since it was so hot yesterday.
You sound like me…if it won’t work for me, it might be perfect for a doll dress. I do this all the time! Love it!
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh yes, Jeanne, the “creative” process! That takes time, I know, and even when you have spent time and have nothing to show for it, it’s just the way it goes when making something. I do that with my scrapbook pages too. I lay things out and change it up several times, and sometimes days, before I finally attach things permanently. I see that’s what you are doing with Kirsten’s dress too!
I love those Swedish outfits! Do you work with a pattern at all? They seem so intricate and not easy to do at all! Is she going to have an apron or dirndl with this dress? I like the pink checked edging best. The lavender doesn’t show up as much. The top is just adorable, and I can’t wait to see the finished dress!
Boy, is it a hot one today! I got out early, did my walk, watered my flowers and now am inside for the day! I guess it’s hot there too in Carbondale.
HI Linda,
Yes, it’s hot here too… 90 degrees right now. I don’t know what the heat index is, but it’s pretty outside. I’m sitting at a window and see the Japanese Beetles are flying all around my Christmas tree bush… It’s JUNE!
I have a basic bodice that I’ve been using for my dirndl’s but I drafted a new blouse and so I need to make the dress part fit together with the new blouse pattern. I do a lot of playing around like you do with your scrapbooking before I get it just right.
I have a few white vintage hankies that I may use as her apron, but the pink and white checked fabric is very lightweight and almost sheer, so I may try that. It’s something I can add last so it won’t matter as much. I saw quite a few checked aprons on Pinterest when I googled dirndl’s.
Well, my hubby has been working in the garage and now he’s come in for a haircut… so I better go…
Have a nice rest of your day…
Blessings, Jeanne
That blouse is just beautiful. So is the embroidered inset on the bodice.
If you want a very expensive and time-consuming idea, consider using Ann’s idea of outlining the embroidery and making the embroidery an inset all the way around a full skirt.
I’m with Ann on the pink bias trim too.
Once again, I’m looking forward to tomorrow to see what happens next.
I don’t want pictures of the chicken round-up. Only film could do it justice.
Hi Marilyn,
No, the lace inset is on the pink bodice part and wait till you see what I did… I did take Ann’s idea and ran with it…somewhat…
Yes, a video would have been better… there were feathers flying everywhere! :o)
Thanks so much,
Blessings, Jeanne