Baby Girl Gingham Smocked Dress

Last week, I spent the weekend with my siblings at a family reunion on the Oregon Coast. It was so much fun!  I also got to spend a day with this beauty: my 7 month old granddaughter who is one of the happiest babies I know!

For this dress, I started with more of that yellow & white gingham fabric which I inherited from my mother. It just never seems to run out.  I smocked this dress using white embroidery floss and accenting with purple floss that I stitched into flowers with soft green floss for leaves.  Smocking is tough!  Anyone have any smocking advice?  I've read that if you smock using gingham, it's easier.  My older sister suggested making the dress first and then smocking it afterward.  Here's my thoughts on the matter- maybe it's easier for some people but for me, NO, it was not.  So, this is it, I'm not smocking another thing ever or at least not again until I loose my memory and forget that I made this vow. Despite my smocking woes, this dress still turned out pretty cute... especially on this sweet little girl! 

In one week's time this little trooper flew internationally, crossed the country, made several 3 1/2 hour drives and through it all, she kept smiling.  By this time, I'm guessing this cutie was thinking "Yea, they let me out of my car seat!"

Yes, that's me getting a little loving before this granddaughter had to get back into her car seat and drive over three hours again back to her home. So grateful for family! - xoxo Grandma

Pattern: Simplicity #7239 - cira 1975

Fabric:   yellow & white cotton gingham, white cotton for the collar and the interfacing.

Linked:  The Dedicated House, Nap Time Creations

Smocked Dress for a Toddler

I know this is a busy time of year, so today I've just got a couple of photos of my granddaughter in the smocked dress I made back in October to share with you.  These were taken while I was in Knoxville for Thanksgiving.  I think it looks pretty cute on her! Though she was much too busy to let me take too many photos.

Enjoy spending time with family this holiday season, I've enjoyed spending time with mine and am excited to meet my newest granddaughter.

xoxo Grandma

Fall Ensemble

For the final sew along signature project for Project Run and Play, this is the ensemble I've been really excited to share. About four weeks ago, I started with the jacket, then I moved onto the smocked dress and finally the neutral top and leggings. I just didn't think I'd get it finished since I went out of town over the weekend & I still had quite a few details to complete. Finally, late last night, after work I finished everything - seriously, what a relief!

My signature style is to make outfits from upcycled items whenever possible. For a girl I like to create a soft, feminine look, plus I always like to include a toy or some kind of play thing.

With this introduction, I'm excited to show you my Fall Ensemble:

The cream fabric used for the top and leggings was upcycled from a woman's, medium top. The pattern was self-drafted. For the top, I used the original ribbing along the neckline, two rows of ruffled ribbon accent, the front and the pocket, have a little ruffled ribbon too.  The pocket and ribbing fabric inserted into the bell sleeves was leftover from the smocked dress. The fur for the leggings is removable. My idea was to create a warm cuff that could be worn with any leggings...low with shoes or higher with boots. Since it was a warm evening when these photos were taken I was not going to even ask a 22 month old to try these on. I honestly felt lucky to get the below photos.

Notice the giraffe in her hand - of course, this homemade toy coordinates with the outfit.

The dress was created using a vintage, 1952 pattern. For the fabric, I purchased this small houndstooth cotton print. It was hard finding a soft fabric that would work with the coral wool but this fabric was a perfect compliment. The hand smocking was created with the same color floss as the wool jacket. Pearl and silver buttons accent the back and the cuffs have handmade cufflinks. Now that I know how easy cufflinks are to make, I'll be incorporating more in future outfits. To make your cufflinks go to this post.  

Here's my model - bless her heart. She & her mother are now my favorite neighbors!

The fabric for the lined jacket is from a beautiful, well worn, J.crew coral, wool skirt & lining my daughter brought home to have me fix. "Sure, I'll fixed it," I told her.  And fix it I did, into something completely different. The collar and lower sleeves are a peachy-cream fake fur that's super soft. I didn't have enough fabric from the skirt to make proper long sleeves so when I found the fur, I knew just what to do. I created a cuff that can be folded up or unrolled allowing for a child's growth through the winter...or instant hand warmers. You know how toddlers are. There's a ruffle on the pocket made from the dress fabric. 

I didn't get a great shot of the jacket on my model but at least I feel pretty confident it'll fit my granddaughter. 

The final piece to this ensemble was the hair piece.  I created four wool flowers from the scraps and used upcycled glass beads as the stamen. Three flowers were used on the head piece and one flower was pinned to the jacket. (I pinned it so that it could be removed when laundered.)

I hope you like my soft, feminine, versatile outfit and the toy giraffe is a perfect toy for this ensemble.  Happy creating!

xoxo Grandma

Sweet Cotton Candy Dress

We're onto Week 2 of Project Run and Play - Sew Along. This week's goal: Candy-Inspired Outfits. My inspiration for this project was cotton candy. To see more pink ideas go to The Dedicated House.

For this project, I made a size 12 month dress for my next granddaughter, who is due in a few months. The mother-to-be, who lives on the opposite end of the country, has always loved smocking. So to show my love long-distance, I learned to hand smock. I used a soft pink, cotton-poly, which is a bonus for a busy mom because the fabric doesn't require ironing. This is the pattern I used - a 1955 classic. 

Introducing the Sweet Cotton Candy Dress:

This dress has all the finishing touches: French seams, white piping, tuck pleats and hand smocking! 

A huge thank you to a dear friend for letting me try this candy-inspired dress on her adorable 1 year old, so I could check the sizing and snap a few photos. This cute model really just wanted someone to open a bag of candy for her. 

Below are a few photos from this dress making process.

If you've never smocked (you're in for a treat), you'll first need to get a transfer pattern like the one below. This transfer is from 1952 and due to it's age, it's done transferring... so to get it onto my fabric, I made a copy of it and then pocked a hole through each dot using a really fat needle, then I used a fabric pen and pocked the tip of the pen through the holes onto the fabric.

Tip: use a fabric pen that has to be removed with water.

Using white embroidery thread, I stitched the smocking, then unpicked the smocking, stitched, unpicked, stitched & finally on the third try, I got the stitches to look even.   

These little pink flowers are called bullion roses.  This was a new technique for me, which I learned using this tutorial. It was quite helpful...just in case you want to try it too.

I also made a ruffled diaper cover to go under the dress. Back in the 1950's a baby would wear a ruffly slip under her dress ,but that just didn't seem like something today's mother would put on her wee one. 

On the back pattern piece, I added three layers of ruffles, evenly spaced. Then I sewed the diaper cover together.

I hope the owner of this new dress likes smocking (and candy) just as much as her mother. Happy sewing! xoxo Grandma

Vintage Smocking Patterns

Two weeks ago, I hosted a family get together with my sisters, spouses, a sister-in-law and a few nieces. I mentioned to my oldest sister that I wanted to make a smocked dress for my newest granddaughter whose due in December.  (This sister is an amazing seamstress and has sewn for probably 60 plus years.) I asked her if she had a pattern or tips for hand smocking and she said she had a few patterns she'd send to me. The next week, in the mail, look what arrived! 
Talk about a vintage find...

1954

1952

Pretty great having a sister like that, don't you think? Luckily, the pattern pieces were in great shape. I've made copies so I don't ruin her originals. It looks like the top pattern will be my next project.

Has anyone done any hand smocking?  
Does anyone have any tips you'd like to pass along to this novice?