As I wait to go to Houston to meet my new granddaughter, I have made another smocked dress. This one is from the Children's Corner and is their Bishop's Dress, Gwen view. A coworker gave me her pattern. (Thanks Wendy!) I really like this pattern and know I will use it over and over. It is multisized, so I hope I can use it until Lydia is at least three or four years old.
This was the first Bishop's dress I have made and it wasn't as hard to pleat as I thought it would be. I held my breath but that fabric went through my Amanda Jane Pleater like butter. That is, until I got to the seams. I only broke two needles! Next time, I will trim the seams more and use a zig zag stitch. Hopefully, there will be no more broken needles.
The smocking was a lot of fun. This was a free design in this month's Sew Beautiful Magazine. I love that magazine and am proud that Martha Pullen is from Alabama.
Hopefully, I can get one more dress made before I leave for Houston in a week and a half. This one will not be pleated, so I should have plenty of time to complete it.
Soo sweet, Carolyn. I have such fond memories of the gazillion smocked
ReplyDeletedresses I made for my granddaughter (who is 14 now and wants nothing to do with "Mimi-made". :-) Enjoy this new bundle and be sure and sew
for her to your heart's content. I look forward to the day when mine becomes old enough to appreciate "Mimi-made" again.
Joan R.
What a sweet little dress! Oh, you will love being with your grand-daughter and spoiling her!
ReplyDeleteLovely smocked dress! Congratulation on your new granddaughter!
ReplyDeletethat dress is so cute - I have never tried smocking
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your first bishop's. Maybe you have made another by now. I never overcast the seams where they are pleated. The angle of the cut is usually off grain - not really bias but better than grain and if they are trimmed a bit they are usually so tight in the pleating that they will not fray. If the fabric is something loose that does fray then they could be fray-checked after pleating. Good luck with your future smocking. I am an addict.
ReplyDelete