Hi everyone,
It has been forever since I did any doll sewing and it actually felt a little strange. I felt like I was a first time sewer! I don’t know what that was all about, but I’m hoping I haven’t forgotten everything I know!
I have been looking at Felicity’s dress just draped on her shoulders, as she’s been standing on my cutting table. The dress isn’t fastened in the back, but everytime I’d look at it, I’d think, “Does the embroidery look like a mirror image on both sides? and “Does it look just slightly off center?” Well, today I answered those questions for myself. Yes, the embroidery was off slightly to the right and not quite in the center of the bodice. UGH! I knew what that meant… picking out three of those clusters of French knots and redoing them. I had to be very careful and not snip the white ruffled fabric around the neckline. I used a seam ripper and mostly worked from the back.
Once I had the middle cluster off, I matched up the shoulder seams, the side seams and put some pins up the front to make sure and get it right THIS time. I should have paid more attention to the center line the first time.
It was off about 1/4″ or just slightly less, but it was too much off to suit me… This is the before picture…
Here is a closeup of the cluster removed in the center. You can see where my pin is now and the tiny holes from where it was removed…
So when I moved it to the left (looking at it) it made the other 2 clusters too close and off, so I marked where they should be and added them back in the right place… Here it is fixed.
…and a close up shot…
That was pretty tedious work and took quite a while, so I only got the skirt gathered up, but not sewn on yet. It’s just pinned in the back.
So here it is coming right along… hopefully I won’t run into any other problems…
Bit by bit Felicity will have a new dress soon.
I received some pictures from Charlotte, and hope to show them tomorrow… and maybe an update on Felicity’s dress.
I’ll see you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, I’m so glad to see that you are back in the sewing room, Jeanne!! Doesn’t it feel GOOD?!! I have to admit, I haven’t spent much time in my sewing room lately myself. What with my fender-bender the beginning of the month, and then losing our Sarah (former daughter-in-law but as dear as a daughter to me) and later finding out our oldest grandson (who was Daniel’s stepson for a number of years) lost his father the same day Isaac and Lily lost their mom….it’s all just been rather a lot, you know? But today I got out a piece of batik cotton jersey that goes really well with my light green pedal pushers, and am going to try to cut out a summer top next week. And on Friday I take my car in for repairs, and start some chiropractic treatment on my neck, which may have been slightly injured in the accident, so I think things are looking up again.
You are so much like me, Jeanne! I, too, cannot stand having things a bit off-center or uneven, even if it’s only a little bit! (I used to drive my mother nuts when she would pin up my hems, and there would be one spot where it wasn’t quite right–off by only 1/8″ but it had to be perfectly even!!) I have undone and redone things to make sure they are well centered, and indeed, it is worth the extra time and effort, in my opinion. I tell people, I’m not really a fast sewer, but I am a Picky sewer, and that takes time!
Felicity’s dress is coming along nicely now, and I think it’s going to be lovely when it’s done.
Anne, I did reply to your comment on yesterday’s blog!