Veda's Blessing Dress - And Some Tips

As promised...I'm actually posting!! HOORAY!!

In our church, we bless our babies within a few months after they were born. It makes their membership on our church records official, and we're able to hear a wonderful blessing with it. It's similar to a Christening.

Veda was blessed in church the first week of September, and I was able to make her a little dress. I didn't make a tutorial for it, but I have listed some helpful tips when making a dress with no pattern, to let you know how I go about it, almost everytime I make something.

It was pretty simple, though it was my first major project in awhile, so I was a little intimidated. It felt good to spend a day at the sewing machine, and reap the reward of my labors!

 I went for a vintage feel with this dress. I was thrilled when someone at church asked me if the dress was handed down from a great grandmother or something. I said no, but that that was sure the look I was going for!

P.S. Our Camera is on the fritz...so sorry we have to take less-than-amazing pictures for a little bit (not that they were awesome before, but now they're "phone-quality")

The edge of the mesh fabric over top on the bottom is scalloped

Now for some TIPS!

1. When figuring out what you want to make ALWAYS draw it out exactly how you want it. Make notes as to where you want it to hit in the waist, length, and sleeves. Put all the little details on it.

2. Whenever doing laundary, shopping, etc. notice the way clothing is made. Study the lines, techniques, how they finish hems, where gathers are made, and how they are attached. This helps me to figure out how I'm going to accomplish a particular design.

3. Use clothing you already have as patterns. Always, ALWAYS use like fabric. If you are making something with a knit, use a knit as your pattern. That wasy you know the pattern you are using was made to stretch. If you are using a woven fabric in your project, use a woven as your pattern. That way, you know that the pattern wasn't made to stretch.

4. Always remember when tracing clothing to remember to add room for the hem.

5. Always reinforce hems. If you don't have a serger, use a zig zag stitch. Sometimes I like to use a faux-serge reinforcement, which I achieve by sewing another straight line next to the original (on th inside, toward the edge), then I do a really tall and close together zig zag stitch. Then I cut off any fabric that extends beyond the zig zag, so the zig zag is right at the edge. At first sight, it sort of looks like you used a serger!

6. When sewing with lace or mesh, without anything behind it, use toilet paper underneath as an interfacing, of sorts. You can then rip it off, and soak it in water, and the rest will dissolve out.

7. Arms and sleeves can always be tricky, so measure, and measure again! Look at lots of sleeves of different clothes you have and memorize how they are attached and shaped.

8. If you flop the first couple of times...KEEP TRYING!! You will only learn more and more the more you do, and you will then become that much more familiar with how clothing should be sewn. I can't even tell you how many pieces that I was excited about ended up in the trash. But - I'm always extra careful about those mistakes now!