Rose Dress for miss Bug - McCalls 6919

http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m6919-products-48265.php?page_id=486

A few months ago, on a trip into Fabricland - miss Bug saw this pattern and fell in love with it.
At the time, McCalls was on sale, so we picked it up, and I held on to it.

A while later, the quilting cotton was on sale, and didn't we find a fabric that was all but identical to the one on the pattern envelope !

So, of COURSE the little miss wanted that.  She still has a hard time with seeing a pattern with anything other than the fabric on the envelope, though she is getting better.

A couple of days ago, I dug out the Rose Dress pattern again (I've been away from sewing for a few weeks due to injuries from a fall) - and the umpteen yards of fabric that needed ironing before I even started.

The pattern claims "easy" - so I figured it would be a quick sew.

In reality, it probably would have been but I made a few alterations to it that made it take a wee bit longer.

The bodice is already lined, which was good.  And there was interfacing on the front placket.  Again - good.

The skirt and ruffle though, left exposed seams at the sides, so I opted for french seams instead.

And I serged the raw edges where the ruffle attached to the skirt, as well as a line of straight stitching.

Sharing and old video - just because

I have nothing sewing or crafting related to share today, so I am opting instead to share a video my husband took a couple of years back when Miss Bug got to meet her favourite celebrity - one JOEY MCINTYRE of New Kids On The Block !

It's short, not even one minute, but well worth the watch, especially if you have your sound up.
The crowd's reaction to Joey's reaction is utterly priceless.

Craft related, but not sewing

Miss Bug roped me into helping her build her first big woodworking project over the last week.
She decided that she wanted a bunk bed for her dolls.

So we logged onto Ana White's site and downloaded the doll bunk bed plans and went shopping.

Now, while miss Bug is a girl who loves pink, wears dresses, and loves to dance and do gymnastics, she is NOT a girly girl who is afraid of getting dirty or of hard work.

She is 10 (and a half, she reminds me), and so - with some supervision and guidance, and VERY little in the terms or helping hands, we set to work on building a bunk bed.

She is going to build a trundle for under the bed, and then paint the pieces.

I'm damn proud of my little girl !

Pants for miss Bug

After doing some re-vamping of my sewing area, and making a pathetic excuse for a doll-sized quilt, I was ready to get back to the real sewing!

I pulled out the Maxxine Pants from Love Notions (go figure, right?) and some old black stretchy fabric that I got out of my Mom's stash.

The Maxxine pants have full-length or capri length options.
There is a skirt option.
Zip legs or plain legs.

Lots of options, and I can see making these for miss Bug again and again using the differences.

Today - I made full length pants, with the Zip sides.

As miss Bug does not like skinny pants, I cut a size larger than she fits according to the size chart, and then shortened the legs and the rise for her.

This is the final product.

No sewing - because renovating my sewing area !

I only have a tiny area for sewing. It's a 6-ft by 6-ft area in my kitchen.

We put it together about a year ago, but I found out that I really did not give myself anywhere near enough space for cutting / ironing. 

And my storage was a mess.

A trip to Ikea, and some elbow grease, and I am *almost* done what I want to do wink emoticon Not quite, but getting close.

I'm going to add a small bar to hang things between the wall and the cupboards, and will likely rearrange things as I get used to the new layout.

Sneek peek pics below !

Sometimes it works using no patterns at all, kind of.

I finished up a shirt for my younger son today, and felt like doing more crafty something than another piece of clothing.

So - cue the 1/4" plywood, the Exacto knife, and a load of my best creativity !

I took the frame of a doll bed that had long ago lost it's mattress support, and cut a new base for it using the Exacto knife.  Not a method I would recommend - please, use a saw !  Even a hand saw would be better than an Exacto !

Some finessing, and the base fits, and is ready for the new mattress.

Then I took an iron-on of the letter "K" (for Ken, which is what my Bear calls his doll) and ironed it on to the footboard of the bed.

Grab a chunk of 2 1/2" high memory foam that was an old mattress topper, and cut it down to size.

Okay - that works, but now it needs sheets !

And I do NOT have a pattern for doll sheets.

Bah - who needs a pattern for SHEETS I say to myself, as I measure and cut, as I sew and I hope.

It turned out, but not perfect.  The fitted sheet needed more length and width to really go under the foam, at least a couple extra inches.  And my fitted corners were - let's just say - NOT good !!  

The flat sheet and pillow case worked out nicely though.

And to top it off with the best part - my little boy is thrilled with the new bed for his doll !!

Miss Mary Mack tunic pattern review

Love Notions released a new girls tunic pattern this morning.
It's a lovely pattern with many options that sewed up quick and easy for me.
It's called the "Miss Mary Mack Tunic".

I sewed it up today, here is my review




Pattern Description: 

A classic and simple tunic length top meant for knit fabrics. 
The tunic features two bodice styles, a straight bodice and a curved bodice. Four sleeve lengths are included- gathered cap, regular cap, flutter and long sleeve. 


Pattern Sizing:

12m through 14 y


For Miss Bug, I sewed up the size 10.





Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

Not exactly, as I used a heavier weight matieral than is shown.
The style is the same, and it turned out wonderful.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Immensely so ! I have never had a problem with Love Notions tutorials, they are clear, concise, and very thorough.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I love the options, it will be easy to make several shirts from this for my little girl for the entire year, and not have them look like cookie cutters of one another.

I'm not super keen on the maternity-like look the heavier material gave this, but that was my fabric choice, not an issue with the pattern.



Fabric Used:

I used a sweater knit / sweatshirt fleece that I found at a local thrift store for the main parts of the tunic.

The neck band is done in a jersey knit.

I use Pellon Knit & Stable on the hemline.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

None. If I made this again from a material like this, one with little stretch, I would probably go up a size in the arms, and blend that in with the size 10 armscye. It's kind of narrow around her arms, but not uncomfortably so.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes, yes, and yes !!

Conclusion: 

A wonderful pattern that you could base a wardrobe around easily.
It's a relatively quick sew, and has some very cute details.
It's cute, modern, and yet modest - perfect for today's preteens.