Thanks everyone…SO MUCH, for all the kind comments you shared for Lauren, when she mentioned she was wanting to start sewing. I was SO proud of you for taking time to share your secrets and tidbits about how you learned to sew and what will make it easier for her to begin…
I couldn’t agree more about what you all said… and since I have been sewing this evening on Felicity’s dress, here’s my tip… press as you sew. Whenever I sew, my iron gets plugged in and stays on the whole time I’m sewing.
Felicity now has the skirt attached to her bodice and she is really starting to look lovely.
The more I sew this fabric, the more I like it. It is a very “friendly” fabric. It does what you want it to without any problems… it’s soft, but isn’t sheer, it gathers wonderfully because it’s so lightweight and because it’s so lightweight, there is no bulkiness to the dress anywhere.
It doesn’t look like I did much to it, but the skirt was cut out and gathered onto the bodice…
6 snap sets were sewn down the back, and the dress was then hemmed. All the places that needed to be handstitched on the inside, were.
The fabric looks like one of those that has enough body to stand out on its own…
…but I wanted to show you something. I took my hands and cupped them around Felicity’s waist and slid them down to her feet… this is what happened. It is so lightweight, I will DEFINITELY be making a petticoat to hold the skirt out…
That’s all I know for sure… but we can start tossing around some names for this, if you like…
Well, that’s it for today…
See you tomorrow!
Blessings, Jeanne
Felicity’s gown has turned out just beautiful, Jeanne. Yes, she definitely needs a petticoat–maybe something a bit heavier than batiste, but not much, and perhaps a flounce at the bottom to help hold out the skirt a bit more. Nothing stiff or “pouffy”, though.
As to name, even though it’s still winter, I think I’d call it Springtime Beauty, because it definitely looks “springy”!
Jeanne you have worked your magic again! It is a BEAUTIFUL 🤩 dress. To me it look something like a Springtime Garden Dress or a Springtime Apple 🍎 or berry picking dress.Maybe you can find a miniature basket 🧺 to go with it? However, I agree with Charlotte, it does need some poof to it! Also Charlotte thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤️ for offering your E-mail…I will probably take you up on that in the somewhat near future.
I am going to ask a neighbor if she knows how to use a sewing machine and if she does if she can teach me when she is free.
I hope your grandchildren REALLY cherish you all. I would give ANYTHING to have my grandparents back!
I want to thank ALL of you that gave me suggestions and stories on how you began to 🧵 sew! I am deeply grateful for all of you and your kindness!!!!
Just want to ask because I am going to Hobby Lobby with my Aunt on Thursday…what kind of needles do I need for the sewing machine?
Lastly, Linda? You live in St. Louis Missouri right? Do you like it there? My family might be moving there in fall of 2024. Not exactly St. Louis but somewhere in Missouri!
Here’s one of the “different” things from when I learned to sew in the late 1950s. There are so many fabric types these days that your needle depends on what you want to do with it. For most of what I do, including machine embroidery, I use a Universal Point 12/80 needle, but I have thinner needles, fatter needles, ballpoint needles and needles especially for knits and denim. I’m not fond of changing needles but often it’s necessary, especially when sewing lighter weight fabrics. But the one thing that’s really important is to not sew with a dull needle so make sure you have a supply on hand. I try to keep track of when I put in a new needle and what I’ve been sewing. All I can say is after a while all your concerned about now will become second nature. When I first bought my embroidery machine I referenced a lot of professionals and ended up being so overwhelmed that it took me a while to get started. Once I was “hands on” it kind of all fell into place.
Sorry Lauren. The Universal needles are 80/12. Don’t want to confuse you.
Hi Lauren, You would have to ask your Aunt what kind of needles are required for her sewing machine or have her show you how to take it out and then take it to a sewing place like JoAnn’s etc. They can be a great big help for you.
Thanks Jeanne for mentioning the iron and ironing board. I was thinking after I was done with that essay to Lauren, I forgot to mention the iron and ironing board because you will need to press as you go along. Lauren, don’t forget to let us know about your journey.
Lauren, before i forget to answer, yes, I love living in St. Louis! I was born and raised here, and have lived here all of my life, so all my friends and family are nearby. We have lived in our house for almost 51 years now, but it was new when we moved here and we had two toddlers who also grew up here. While I don’t live in St. Louis city, I live in the southern suburbs. Every place has it’s good and bad points, but yes, I love my hometown!
Jeanne, this dress is just beatuful and coming along nicely! yes, it doesn need a petticoat, but something with just enough body to hold it out softly. I love the color combination of blue and green, and your pictures show how beautiful Felicity’s red hair goes with it. That is a PC Felicity, isn’t she?
A good name for the dress would be Springtime Sweetness!
And I second your tip on ironing after every seam you stitch!
I love Felicity’s new dress. My name for her new dress is Springtime Promise.
Felicity’s dress is looking wonderful. It’s such a pretty print.
So glad you have this pattern now Jeanne. I can see many more dresses in this style. So classic.
My title is: A New Beginning, the Freshness of Spring.
For Lauren, knowing the make and model of your machine is very important before buying needles because there are so many available. For an older machine, there may be some universals that fit. I would check out the availability of the needle number/type online as well. Sounds like your aunt and neighbor will be a great helpers. 🙂
Good idea, Joy. I forgot to mention that. My Singer embroidery machine and my Husqvarna/Viking machine recommend different kinds of needles. Since I don’t use my Singer any longer, I didn’t think of this.
This dress is lovely. It brings out a blue-green in her eyes, and complements her complexion and hair. For a title I’d like to see “posey” in it, like picking posies, pretty in posies, springtime posies . . .
This dress has way more personality than the one you took apart. The skirt is better and the fit of the bodice is perfect. The fabric design reminds me so much of the wallpaper on one wall of my bedroom when I was in grade school😉. Maybe something like “Blooming Blue Rosebuds”? Not feeling very clever🥴 this morning🤭
Felicity’s dress is coming along beautifully. The fabric definitely says springtime and some variation of spring needs to be in the title.
I totally agree on the ironing thing. At the moment I am hamstrung in the sewing department until I get to Wal-Mart today. I was preparing to iron my shirt this morning and found my iron was no longer among the living. I’m lost without it. I need to make a change to the neckline of Jaiden’s Christmas dress, and I must have an iron. I will remedy the situation after lunch today.
This morning I have to mend a Coco Melon pillow. If you’re curious what that is, you can find it online. I didn’t know what it was either until it was on Azure’s wish list. It is Azure’s favorite Christmas gift and his older sister and brother decided to play tug-of-war with it yesterday and pulled his antenna loose. That stuff is always sewn on inside out before the thing is stuffed but I have to repair it from the topside. The other day I had to repair two Huddles dolls (plush NFL mascots). One of them (a Viking) had lost his football and the other his face. I glued his face back on, glued his helmet back on, and, since he was a Pirate I noticed he’d lost his eyepatch, so I made him a new one. Considering these dolls once belonged to Sean when he was still a toddler, I’d say they’ve held up well over the years. They now belong to Skyy. One of the reasons I have trouble getting to sewing is because I keep having to repair grandkid’s toys. I have not succeeded in convincing my family that most of the repairs don’t involve machine sewing and they could actually do it without my involvement. Not to mention that if I don’t get to it soonest I get reminded often. I will definitely do Azure’s Coco Melon today though because he sleeps with it and wouldn’t understand Nanna’s not returning it post haste.
What a wonderful GM. Those toys are special friends for your grands. 🙂
Jeanne, Felicity’s dress is very pretty. The dainty print and color looks great on her! What will be next as well as your choice of a name for it?!
Jeanne, I love the dress you created from Felicity’s old dress as a pattern. Just beautiful. I think the Title of the dress should be named “Lilly of the Valley”!
Hi Jeanne,
What a wonderful idea to take apart that dress. Your version of Felicitys dress is lovely. I can’t wait to see what all you include.
Before I forget my tip for Lauren is to check out youtube. Lauren you’ll find posts related to sewing from the basics to special techniques. Everything you might want to know can be found there and it’s FREE, Big bonus! This post is a very good one. It’s by Gretchen Hirsch, I think it’s pretty good. It has everything you need to know to get started sewing. Good luck and let us know how you’re getting along.
I have another Title for the Dress for Felicity: “Springtime in the Rockies” because it looks like Spring, but we will be getting snow a few more times before actual Spring comes.