Hi everyone,
Well, it’s Friday again… where did this week go? But stay tuned for next week… we’ve got Barbie dresses extraordinaire from Elizabeth and my sister Cindy, sent me some more dolly pictures from Yesteryear, the Antique store where she has her booth. You won’t want to miss either of these days.
I doesn’t matter if I share 1940’s candy bars, making dolly hats from tea cups, or searching for a suitable picnic basket for Molly, you ALL have things to say about everything. I think I’m going to have to go back to the candy post and add a few comments… I enjoyed so much what you all commented on.
I’m not sure HOW what I’m about to show you took me all day to make… I must be off on my sewing game… but it did… I think I spent 4 hours alone, trying to get the ruffles for Ten Ping’s dress fixed to suit me. This was try number 2… number 1 is in the trash… I cut it up…
I didn’t like it because the flutter ruffles weren’t even and they weren’t gathered to suit me… they were more like pleats…
I tried basting them in by hand, then basting them on the machine, then using pins, and the gathers would just not stay the way I wanted them…
When I folded it over it looked too thick and not at all what I had in mind…
So I started over and decided to use my scalloped scissors and just use one layer of tulle and see if that worked better….
It was better, but not exactly how I had the sleeves pictured…
I might have to put some tiny silk ribbon bows up on the shoulder to draw your attention to them instead of the ruffles… we’ll see…
The hearts being flocked seemed to be the problem on the sleeves, but it was such a small space…only about 1 1/2″ long… The skirt fabric and the tulle were sewn together and then gathered with 3 rows of basting… (same as the sleeve ruffles), and the skirt looks very nice.
So anyway, here is what I have done so far… the back doesn’t have any snaps yet…
I had to try the hat on just to see if it was going to work… of course it’s hard to tell without any flowers yet.
I’ll see if I can find time this weekend to do more on it… and I’ll see you Monday…
Oh one more thing… Joy sent me this fun picture of some hens looking in a mirror. She said someone told her chickens loved looking in a mirror, but she had no idea they’d wait in line to do it…
I showed my hubby the picture and this was his response… “They aren’t looking at themselves, they think it’s a door.”
Have a wonderful weekend, and see you next week.
Blessings, Jeanne
First of all, I replied to comments by Rosemary, Laura, Sissy, Linda, and Elizabeth yesterday, if you want to take a look.
As I read about your sleeve attempts, and scrolled thru the pictures, my first thought was, “why doesn’t she just use one layer of tulle?” and then of course that was your next comment!! Great minds and all that, huh?!!
I am really loving how this dress is coming along. It is so pretty!! She could be a flower girl in her aunt’s wedding, or something like that! I need to see if I can find some of that tulle around here somewhere. I just love it!
Well, so much for the idea of the hens looking at themselves!! I can see how they might think it’s a door–a door with more hens on the other side!! LOL
Looking forward to next week’s pictures!!
Friday already, I hope all of you are enjoying a sunshine filled morning. Here it is drab, and we might get one rain drop – as the weather app shows. It is going to be very warm and humid.
This dress, it is super adorable. those sleeve ruffles are tricky. I truly believe you Jeanne when you said they were. tulle is difficult to struggle with, and if you got one sleeve perfect, then the other has to match!!! Tweezers are not even effective.
It is just what I call “fiddly” requiring nimble fingers and super measured sewing. The result you have is well done. I know you think and see those little struggles but the result is really really perfect
Both of your sleeves turned out nicely, sewing over the seam is a good way to tame it.
Today, I will stuff my car to the brim with all of my sewing materials and boxes and boxes (think Beverly Hillbillies). and maybe a quilt to display on the down stairs floor for someone to peek inside and see. Then hubbs and I will goof around in the house and perhaps make a list of stuff to do, like “seal the grout” that sounds tedious.
Yesterday the walk through went perfectly, Oh, I need to bring my vacuum cleaner. Really, My daughter suggested I get the house professionally cleaned, but I think I can manage. Yes it will be work. They did build the storage space in the upstairs, but no flooring and did not even paint the floor in a cheerful color. I have so. much. to. do.
I hope all of you have a very nice week-end. Stay hydrated. It is truly getting into the warm and humid days.
I am thankful for all of your encouragement, and thankful that the house is only 4 miles away!! 😀 😀
yikes, I mean they did not paint the walls of the storage space a cheerful color!
Ha ha. Loved George’s response to the chicken pic. Of course, chickens would think that the mirror was a door. 🙂
Little Ten’s new dress is just perfectly adorable. So sorry about the attempts with the tulle, but I do like the final ruffles. It’s a perfect little dress for almost any occasion and the shoes are so sweet. I like the idea of the shoulder bows too. Ten can wear the outfit now or in the summer months. Maybe she’ll get in a stroll in Jeanne’s backyard or like in days past, enjoying a box supper in the park while listening to music from the bandstand.
Well, we did get the tomatoes planted yesterday. Other person did that while I tackled more weeds. This is getting so old, but there are so many weeds this year. Ugh Now, I need to get some zinnias planted myself and some other things. Sun’s out, going to warm up quickly today.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Responding to your comment yesterday on Kathy’s patterns. They are pretty simple so they probably would reduce fairly easily. Things like a simple dress, t-shirt, pants. It’s how you embellish them that makes them look more detailed. The pinafore dress I just made was a Kathy’s pattern but the complications were mine alone and now that I’ve done two of them I don’t think I’ll make the same mistakes again. Her instructions were right on, my brain not so much.
Thanks for yesterday’s info. I did take another look at Kathy Anne’s patterns, but can’t decide which I might use. I found a couple of others that would be cute too from another source. Have to figure out how much to reduce or just wing it. 🙂 Not quite ready yet to get on Dazzle’s dress yet. More weed pulling this morning and pruning. Got in a walk and now it’s too hot to be in the sun until later when we get some shade. I want to see the dresses with pinafores. 🙂
“I doesn’t matter if I share 1940’s candy bars, making dolly hats from tea cups, or searching for a suitable picnic basket for Molly, you ALL have things to say about everything.” I did have to laugh at this quote because it is most definitely true. Most everything seems to jog a memory of one sort or another.
The flutter sleeves are so cute. I had them added to nearly every dress, sundress, or jumper my mom made for my daughter as a toddler and preschooler.
Haha, Joy. The chicken picture is funny. Some animals do admire themselves in the mirror. Our dogs did and some of the kitties do, even turning from side to side as we would. The do recognize themselves.
Ten Ping’s dress is really going to be cute. Love the material used for the skirt with the netting of hearts. It’s certainly a sweet dress for spring or summer. Wish I had a Ten Ping!
The picture of the chickens is cute! Perhaps they’re curious about the possible friends they see?
Up close, that heart-flocked netting does look like it would be frustrating to do as a flutter sleeve. I probably would have given up after a couple of tries and just added an eyelet lace flutter sleeve! Loved the photo of the chickens either looking at themselves in the mirror or thinking it was a door out of their caged area!
Are you saying we Sofa Sisters are opinionated? LOL Probably very true. Wouldn’t you love to get us all together in person. Could prove interesting.
I love this little dress. It is really adorable and so perfect for Ten Ping. I can totally sympathize with your problem getting the flutter sleeves just right. After going through what I did with the pinafores I just made, I can totally relate to your frustration.
I love the chicken picture and George’s comment. People put mirrors in bird cages so the birds can admire themselves and chickens are birds so I guess that would work for them also.
Getting too hot here to my liking and will be getting hotter still. I need to go to Walmart this afternoon and am dreading the trip. Even the short walk from the car to the building is difficult once it reaches 90 here.
Good luck at Walmart. I hear that prices are set to go up in a couple of weeks there, like everywhere else. 🙁