First things first… Don’t forget my Little Darlings Aqua & White dress —> ends this evening on Ebay. You can click on the picture at the right, or click on this link… Toodle’s Escapes!
About 15 years ago a doctor friend of mine brought back some 100% silk from Japan and wanted me to make her mom a dress from it. It was the slipperiest fabric I’ve ever tried to work with. It literally would slide off the table and was a real challenge to sew. I finally ended up putting paper on the table and cut the dress out by pinning it to the paper and cutting them both out together. I was about as nervous as I’ve ever been making something because there was no room for error… It wasn’t possible to get any more fabric so I had to be perfect in my cutting out AND in my sewing. I can tell you I earned every dollar from that dress and was very glad when I stitched the last stitch for it.
I’ve sort of felt the same way with Molly’s new blue dress. I don’t want to mess up and I only have about 3/4 yard, or maybe a little less… and so I need to be positively sure about what I’m doing… before I start….
…which leads me to my next question… Can you all help me decide which pattern to use for her dress. I’ve debated and debated all day and haven’t cut out anything yet. I thought I’d ask you again… See… I need some help… look at my cutting table… can you tell I’ve been thinking?
I looked at some 1940’s pattern, looking for something out of the ordinary and found 2 patterns that I thought could be turned into something fun for Molly…
The first pattern is a darling dress with a cut out at the neck that I thought was interesting. I liked the tie at the opening too. I thought the sleeves were kind of unusual and fun. I would probably make the point of the dress just go straight across so I could cut the fabric the full width. Sometimes when you have dress with a point, your fabric is a little more stressed at the point and I can’t take any chances of it pulling a runner in it… so I would just do a straight across skirt and probably just a bit longer… I may put a row of two of rick rack on it, if you choose it…
The next pattern I saw wasn’t necessarily that different, but I thought with the polka dots it would be fun with different colored baby rick rack.
So, if you have an opinion and would like to voice it, I’m all ears!
Now, call me Super Sleuth Mom if you will. Rebecca’s bridal shower for her friend was today and she was in a hurry to get out the door. I asked her if I could take a picture of her and she said, “Not now mom… I’ve got to go…” so I did what any other mom would do, I took her picture without her knowing it… through the window blinds… as she was taking her present to the car. You can’t tell much, but it’s the best I could do… I felt a little bit like a detective… :o)
I guess that’s all from me,
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
I love the idea of you taking the pictures through the blinds. When Rebecca sees your blog tomorrow, we’ll see if she loves it too. It’s nice to see one of your trademarks, the eyelet trimmed hem, on a person-sized dress.
I like both of your pattern ideas. At the moment, I’m going for the second one because the fabric is so transparent that I think the cut-out would be difficult. I do really like the sleeves on the first one, but the row of rick rack on the sleeves of the second one is also very appealing. I like the V shaped waist on the first one, but I also like the scrunched sash on the second. How does the fabric look scrunched like that? It looks like a good place for a beautiful pre-tied sash-bow with snaps under it.
If you decide to go with the second pattern, hang on to the first one for Molly’s next dress. It would make a lovely back-to-school dress.
There’s a fire on the outskirts of a nearby town in the mountains. It’s too hot and too dry. I can smell the smoke and my eyes can definitely feel it. Fighting fire at night must be nearly as much fun as waiting to see if your house survives. We’ll see how it goes in the morning.
Hoping the fire is contained quickly. My thoughts are with the fire fighters and those living nearby.
I’m right there with you Joy… I hope it’s all over soon too!
HI Marilyn,
I’m not sure Rebecca would agree with me taking pictures of her through the blinds, so that’s OUR little secret, okay? She doesn’t read by blog everyday so I think I’m safe since she didn’t say anything to me today… *whew*
I got enough people liking the second dress with the rick rack that I’ve already started it, but I am going to do that other one another time… I think it’s so cute!
I saw the evening news tonight and they mentioned the fires near Boulder… I hope and pray they have them contained by now… that must be so scary just waiting on word about whether or not your house survived!
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi Jeanne
I think I would go with the second one, there is less that may possibly go wrong. That cut out could be difficult in such a sheer fabric. If you are a little short of fabric you could make the sash in a contrast fabric to match one of the rick rack colours.
HI Lorna,
Enough people had picked the second dress by this afternoon that I went ahead and started on it. I’m working on the bodice and the sleeves. I think I’ll have enough to make it like the pattern.
I think that cut out piece might be tricky with my fabric being so sheer too…I’ll save it for another time with some more substantial fabric….
Thank you Lorna,
Blessings, Jeanne
Basque waistlines are a little tricky, too, but that neckline on the first pattern has got to be the most complicated I’ve ever seen, especially since any lining would show through as a double layer even if it was very sheer. My vote would be for the second one but definitely make the first one with plenty of fabric on hand and a lot of patience to boot.
Rebecca is just darling. Her hair is amazing, such a lovely color, so thick and styled so beautifully. What model is that hot car? I had an 88 Fiero for years that had a front end that looked a lot like that.
HI Susette,
Well, you guessed right as I’ve already started on the second one. Most people wanted it… so by this afternoon I decided to go ahead and do it. I’m glad I did too, as the sheer fabric is very delicate… that cut out may have been trickier than I thought… I’ll do it another time…
Rebecca does have beautiful hair, Susette… long and thick and very pretty!
Her “hot car” is a 92 Nissan 240 XS. She loves it!
Thanks Susette,
Blessings, Jeanne
First dress, ditch the rick rack. The design would hold it. Then use something like a cute flower band for the hair that is the blue of the dress with flowers picking up the dot colors. If doing the second one, only the red and yellow rick rack. A full slip peeking out from the hem in a bright white with LOTS of fullness. Got some saddle shoes? I am waiting impatiently to see what you come up with.
HI April,
Well, you must have read my mind… I did pick the 2nd one and I’m only using the red and yellow rick rack. I’ll do the first dress maybe the next time. More people had picked the 2nd dress by this afternoon so I went ahead and started on it.
I may do a slip that peeks out from under her dress… I do have some saddle shoes but I have navy ones too..
I’ll hopefully have something to show tomorrow… so you won’t have to wait long…
Thank you April,
Blessings, Jeanne
Both patterns are very cute, but are they truly from the 1940s? It was a time of war and rations were everywhere, even with clothing. I remember reading somewhere that a skirt’s circumference could only measure so much. That’s when a lot of princess lined and gored dress patterns became popular.
I agree that even though pattern 1 is so very cute, due to the sheerness of your fabric, it probably wouldn’t be the best choice. I’m sure whatever pattern you use, there will probably have to be some sort of an underlining.
Rebecca looks very pretty and summery in her re-made dress. I hope she had a great time at the shower.
HI Karen,
Yes, both of these patterns are from the 40’s. I think the toddler dresses got away with fuller skirted dresses for some reason. The pictures seem to be of younger girls but I just adapted my dress to a 10 year old… I’ve read that too about the distance around the hems having to be a certain width, but I don’t know it off hand.
Well, I went with dress #2 because by this afternoon more people had chosen it. I did have to underline it and then there is a thin lining too… leaving the sleeves sheer though.
Rebecca did have a great time and she told me all about her games and how they went over… She liked her “new” dress much better than the original version. I think she’ll wear this one again…
Thanks so much Karen,
Blessings, Jeanne
Both patterns are cute. I really like the second dress for the polka dot material. The yellow trim is more noticeable too.. I like the color yellow anyway.
Rebecca looks so pretty in her re-made dress. It looks brand new!
Rebecca looks to be tall- is she?
Have a great day!
HI Paula,
Well, the 2nd dress was the winner by this afternoon so I’ve already started on it. I did pick the yellow rick rack as one of the colors. I remember you liked yellow… didn’t you send me a picture of your bridesmaid dresses in yellow?
Rebecca is 5’9″ I believe… and has the flattest tummy… she’s a health food nut and exercises everyday… doing lots of Cross Fit things…
I did have a great day and hope you did too…
Thanks Paula,
Blessings, Jeanne
One hot chick! Love the car. Good job Super Sleuth! Dress came out perfect. Bet the shower was wonderful.
I’m for the 2nd pattern. It is so sweet, short, and girlie. I like the sleeves and everything about the first one except the cut out. Don’t know why.
Happy Sunday.
Thanks so much Joy! Shhhh…she still doesn’t know I snapped her picture through the window… and I’m not going to tell…. Her car is her pride and joy…a 92 Nissan 240 XS.
She really likes her “new” dress now… much better than before.
Well, you guessed the right dress because I’ve already started on it. This afternoon I had more than enough people who liked it that I just went ahead and started on it.
I’ll do that first one another time… maybe you’ll like cut out when I do it in something else…
I had a nice Sunday and hope you did too!
Thanks so much Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Lots of comments, lots of thoughts!
Rebecca looked beautiful in her dress, no doubt she’s beautiful all of the time too.
The first pattern is interesting but would seem to have it’s challenges with minimal fabric and that cut-out at the neck seems too much for the dotted material.
I think the second pattern looks more suitable for the dotted material…might bias tape work for a border or two nearer the bottom of the skirt? Dots are jumping all around on the material, zig-zagging ric-rac would just add to the “jumpiness”…bias tape or ribbon (I’m not old enough to know the rationing of the ’40s to know if they had an option with ribbon) might help “calm” the dots and add a serenity to an already bouncy dress. Just my thoughts. Thanks for the honoring of letting us speak out!
Blessings!
HI Becky,
Well, I like lots of comments and lots of thoughts…
Rebecca is a beautiful girl… and hardly ever wears makeup… she just does her eyes… usually.
I’m going to save the first dress for another time and have already started on the 2nd one… by this afternoon, there were plenty of ladies who liked #2 enough that I went ahead and started on it.
I know what you are saying about the busy-ness of the dress but I’m going to go ahead and see what happens with the rick rack. I’m hoping it looks okay… I think the bias tape would have been too heavy for this fabric… it’s about like a voile.
We’ll see what happens… thanks for your thoughts Becky,
Blessings, Jeanne
Good afternoon, Jeanne! I agree with Marilyn’s reasoning and will place my vote for the second pattern. I think the design will be more suitable for the sheer/delicate fabric, and the baby rick-rack will pull out the colors of the polka dots and add just the right amount of embellishment for a little girl of the 1940s. I do, however, like the fitted basque waist and unusual sleeves on the first pattern and think you should keep it in mind for a future dress for Molly.
Oooh, Jeanne, you were such a super sneaky secret “snapper” (of pictures, that is!). Rebecca looks lovely in her “new” dress! The wider ribbon highlights Rebecca’s slim waist, and the eye then follows the pleats down to your signature eyelet hem for the perfect finishing touch. The simple but sweet style is just right for a summer bridal shower, and I’m sure the re-made beaded necklace looked lovely against the colors of the dress, too. Pretty girl, pretty dress, pretty picture — perfection!
Keeping George in prayer and adding intercessions for all those in the fire’s path. Wishing you and your readers a blessed Sunday!
HI Anne,
I am going to keep that first pattern in mind for another dress for Molly sometime… but I went ahead and started on the 2nd dress this afternoon. I’ve used the red and yellow baby rick rack and we’ll see what it looks like.
Rebecca told me she liked her “new” dress much better this way. I have to agree I do too… It’s much more slimming than the way it was before. She picked the design the first time and then she had made up her mind about taking all that darker trim off. I think she made a good decision.
She said they took some pictures of her at the shower, so maybe she’ll send some to my computer and I can share them with everyone… :o)
Thanks for your prayers for my hubby and the people in harms way with the fires…
Thank you Anne,
blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, you have me totally mixed up on what I would suggest for the dress! I do love the first one, I think the sleeves would be cute puffed out like that with some rick rack in the middle like they have in the illustration. You would not necessarily have to have a triangle cut=out in the front, it could be round too, but yes, if you are worried about having enough material, the second dress would be best and having the scrunched waistband would look pretty with that material, and then the full puffed sleeves and rick rack trim. Like someone said, maybe a cute hairband for Molly echoing the colors of the dress. Maybe a ribbon with little flowers glued on to match the polka dots?
Did Rebecca see that you snapped her anyway? She is a lovely girl, and wow, what a car she drives! She looks pretty tall too, taller than you? Her dress turned out just lovely!.
HI Linda,
I made the decision this afternoon to go ahead and start on the 2nd dress. More ladies had picked it than the first one. I will save the first pattern for another time with a more subtle fabric than polka dots. I’ll have to see how much fabric I have left over to decide what to do for her hair…
No, Rebecca doesn’t know I snapped her picture… it’s our little secret… hopefully she won’t see this blog post…
She loves her car…a 92 Nissan 240 SX… it fits her! She is 5’9″…I’m a puny 5’4″ so she’s a giant to me… She likes her “new” dress very much! I think she’ll wear this one again…
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi Jeanne
I am compromising…I like the first one with the sleeves from the second one. The double poofy sleeves seem odd on that dress( can you imagine trying to iron them?
Rebecca looked darling,hope the shower was fun!
Hugs,
Kathie you made it through with your comments. I was just thinking of you yesterday. Are you still having trouble with your comments going through…or with getting my posts? I told Sarah about it, but she’s just gotten back in the states and I’m not wanting to bombard her with “quirky” questions about my blog just yet…
I did think the same thing about those sleeves…and ironing them… what a pain that must have been…
Rebecca did have a good time at the shower.
Thank you Kathie,
Blessings, Jeanne
I like #2 with both colors of ricrac..that fits’ Molly’s period so well:)
Well, Shara,
That is just what I picked, so hopefully you’ll like it…
Thanks so much,
Blessings, Jeanne
5 ft 9 is the new 5 ft 4! Tall is outstanding and your daughter is beautiful! Both our daughters are much taller than I am. So glad.
Joy 🙂
HI Joy,
I’m 5’4″ and my hubby is 6’4″ so you can see who my daughter took after… She would have been taller but she had surgery for scoliosis so that stunted her growth somewhat. The doctors told us she probably would have been 6’1″ or so. 5’9″ is probably better!
Thank you Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne