Granddaughter's Dress--Fourth Finish 2nd Quarter 2021

In my head, I could see the knit fabric stitched into a simple empire waist dress with short sleeves and a fuller skirt with an asymmetrical hemline. I drew a sketch of what I was considering. I looked through my pattern stash. I found a T-Shirt pattern that featured an empire waistline. I looked at patterns on line. I considered going to Joann Craft and Fabric Store to purchase a pattern. Pattern prices ranged from $10 to $20. Since I didn't see THE pattern, I decided to save money and draft my own pattern.

I taped together pieces of newsprint until I had a piece that was large enough to draw the skirt. Using the T-Shirt pattern as a starting point, I extended the lines until I had drawn a skirt that would be the correct length. Next, I slashed the pattern at the waistline as if I included darts. Then, I slashed the pattern from the bottom of the pattern to the almost the dart slashes. 

View of the back and front at the side seam

Making the slashes in this manner, allowed me to gently pull the pieces apart to add more circumference to the skirt. The slashes at the top, allow the pieces to fit under each other so the pattern will like flat to allow me to cut out the pieces. I could have drawn another pattern that included the fullness; but, I chose to cut the fabric after I had added the circumference. I added an additional ten inches to the dress. At this point, I decided against the asymmetrical hemline.

The print seemed to be chaotic enough that trying to match the design didn't seem important. Although I did try to match the pink and green strip that was in the fabric. I stitched the seam lines and then serged the seams. The knit fabric won't ravel. I serged to clean finish the seams. I used the bulky overlock threads that I have a lot of in the stash.

It was a simple dress to sew. It pulls over the head so there was no need for a zipper. I tried changing the differential feed on the serger so that the seams would lie flatter. I tried gently stretching the seam as I stitched it on

Finished Dress

my sewing machine; but, I wasn't able to stitch a seam without it puckering. I also thought that the fullness that I added would drape away from the center back and center front seams. It didn't. Perhaps, had I stitched darts in the skirt it would have draped the way I had envisioned.

I topstitched the empire waistline seam. I added a fabric binding to finish the next edge. I stitched a blind hem on the machine at the hemline. I topstitched the sleeve hem. It is a finished dress. My granddaughter's birthday is tomorrow and I image that she will like it.

I used about one and one quarter yards of fabric for the dress. But, I've purchased six and a quarter yards of fabric this month so my over all stash usage this years is three and one quarter yards. 

This is fabric from my friend Marla's sister. There is at least an additional two yards of fabric remaining. I don't know what else I will make out of the fabric. This was goal number eight on my May list. I didn't list it on my 2nd Quarter list!