Marie Grace Designs

Smock it, you know you want to...

Okay. I've gotten enough questions about that smocked Ice Cream dress that it warrants a few details. So here ya go.

First, if you haven't already, check out the tutorials I did a while back on marking and pleating by hand and smocking. That's where you'll find how to mark and pleat the fabric and some basics on smocking stitches.

Now let's figure out how to adapt the dress front pattern piece from a gathered piece to a smocked piece. Generally speaking a piece of fabric that will be English smocked needs to be 3 times as wide as the planned finished piece. For example, if I wanted to make a smocked panel of some sort that would be 12" wide when complete I'd start with a piece of fabric 36" wide.

Here's an Ice Cream dress front piece that I have pleated and ready to smock:

Sorry about the crappy picture.

This is the back of the dress front. Its already marked and pleated and the pleat threads are tied off. You can see that I didn't pleat the whole way across because this particular pattern piece has sleeve portions at the sides (the blue lines traced at each side). I don't want to smock there so I left it alone and also left a healthy inch plain beside the sleeve portion. That way I don't have to worry about the smocking and the sleeves messing with each other. 

So, to figure out how much fabric to begin with I measured the pattern piece for the dress front, decided how much of it I wanted to smock, and multiplied that part by 3. Like this:

Now add your measurements together: sleeve + pleat section + sleeve = fabric width to cut.

Once your fabric is cut mark the sleeve shaping but don't cut it out until the smocking is done. Just mark and pleat the center section as shown in the other tutorial and your dress front is ready to smock.

I need to decide on a smocking design for this one and get it finished. Once the smocking is done the pleat threads will need to be removed and the piece will need to be steam blocked to its final width. Then the rest of the dress can be constructed as usual.

 

Let the fall sewing begin...

Ha! I started my fall sewing projects and its only August! Go me!

Long sleeve shirts for Bubba out of some comfy cotton jersey. 

Just a quick note... if you know of a place online that has a nice selection of jersey/interlock in cute prints I want to hear about it!

I decided on these because my usual favorite pajama pattern has buttons on the shirt and Bubba is at that button-eating stage so that's a big no for now.

Pattern is the Envelope T-shirt from the book Growing Up Sew Liberated by Meg McElwee. This is the first time I've used this pattern and its the first time I've made an envelope style t-shirt.

This is a great pattern if you have wee ones. I really wish I had had this when I was still pregnant with Bubba. It would have been so nice to make my own t-shirts for him.

The pattern is a breeze if you've had some experience sewing knits and if not its a great place to start. I added 2 inches of length to the body as my kids are all on the tall side and a little extra length never hurt anything. 

Planning for a little growing room I chose the size 12-18 months. I'm hoping that with the added length they'll fit the whole way through winter. As soon as I get a little more sewing time in these shirts will be paired up with some flannel pajama pants from my favorite pajama pattern.

I really am happy about the fact that I started on some seasonal things for the kids already. I usually wait too long to get started and then don't get as many things done as I'd like to. I'm hoping to set aside a little time each week to work on only seasonal necessities for the kids like warm pajamas. I made these 5 shirts for Bubba Saturday afternoon assembly line style and it worked great. Maybe if I do that once or twice a week I'll get a good chunk of stuff done in a reasonable amount of time. Next is pants to go with the shirts, then pajamas for Tater, then flannel pajama pants for the older kids (they prefer to just wear t-shirts). 

What's on your fall sewing list? Do you have a plan or a list of things you'd like to get done?

Friday...

A little Tater love...

Ya know Tater gets an awful lot of attention around here and by here I mean at home and here on the blog. She's so cute. So sweet. So precious. Oh yes, she is.

Its all because of a little sweater I knit for her, what seems like a million years ago, that started me on the road to designing and she practically grew up right here on this blog. 

She's worn countless sweaters and hats and dresses and anything else I've ever presented her with. She loves having her picture taken and she loves the things I make for her.

But let me tell ya... that girl... the one in that photo... do you see the devil in her eye? Oh yes, I see it.

Don't think for one moment that she's sitting here wearing dreses with her pale little hands in her lap reading some poetry. 

She wears those dresses like a superhero cape. Her favorite outfit is a pretty dress and a pair of boots. She never met a hair brush that she didn't hate. She'll go fishing and wipe her hands on that dress right after she baits her own hook.

And about those dresses and sweaters and hats... I love that she loves them and that she wears them. We don't save them for special occasions. I don't care if they get dirty. I don't worry about saving them for future generations. I just want her to love them and wear them until they are falling to pieces if she wants to. 

She can wear them fishing. She can wear them in the garden. She can wear them on the tire swing. Watching her wearing them and growing and doing and being her, is all I need.

A dress with a facing...

Okay, here's how I added a little facing to the back of the Oliver and S Ice Cream Dress. Sorry about the weird colors and lighting, it was a rainy dreary day when I did this.

This is what the facing does... it allows for a split at the back of the dress to match the split at the back of the bodice with a nice stable finish. 

I planned a 2 inch opening at the back so my facing piece was about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide. The top is going to be in the seam that attaches the back of the dress to the back of the bodice so I left it straight. The bottom is rounded just because I think it looks nicer that way. To finish the raw edge just zigzag around it.

On the back of the facing mark the center with a line that marks the depth for the planned opening. You'll cut on this line to form the opening after you stitch around it.

You'll want to attach the facing before you gather the edge of the back of the dress. Find the center of the top edge and with right sides together line up the center line of the facing with the center of the dress back. Pin in place.

Carefully stitch from the top edge down around the center line and back up to the top edge again staying about 1/8" away from the line the entire time. Don't stitch on the line and don't stitch around the edge of the facing.  

Now cut straight down the line but don't clip through the stitching. Clip the base of the main cut again just like clipping any other inner corner.

Turn the facing to the inside of the dress back and finger press to neaten, then press with an iron.

It will look like this from the outside...

And like this on the inside...

To keep the facing in place simply topstitch around the edge. I'm a little picky about topstitching so I mark on the right side of the fabric with a water soluble pen by feeling the edge of the facing with my fingers and then stitch on the line. Maybe overkill, but that's how I do it.

There ya go... a nice little faced opening that will fit nicely into either side of that back bodice.

I skipped the part of the patten that says to tack the back edges of the bodice together. The back of the dress needs to be gathered to fit the back bodice so I just gathered the fabric to each side of the facing separately and then sewed it all together.

I have 2 more smocked ICDs in progress so if there's any questions about the facing or anything else let me know and I'll try to answer them as I go.

(Smocked) Oliver and S Ice Cream dress...

I love the Oliver and S Ice Cream Dress pattern but really... who doesn't?

Tater has been growing like a weed (get it... weed... Tater.....Ha!) and she has outgrown the last 2 ICDs I made for her so it was time for a new one or 2 or 10.

When I was getting ready to cut out a new set of pattern pieces it dawned on my that the ICD, with its gathered front, is a perfect dress to smock. So I did!

I couldn't be happier with how it turned out and Tater loves it.

Simply because I can't leave anything well enough alone I had to make a few minor changes like making a narrower hem band and leaving off the pockets. Honestly, the only reason I left the pockets off was because I was so excited to see how the smocking turned out that I didn't want to take the time to deal with the pockets. Sad but true.

The one thing I did that I'm really happy with is making a change to the back where the bodice comes together. If you've ever made one you know what I mean about that spot at the back that needs to be clipped and tucked up into the bodice and lining. I always fiddle with it to the point that it makes me a bit crazy so I figured I'd just do it differently this time. I made a little facing and it worked out perfectly. I remembered to take some pictures as I went so as soon as I get a chance I'll share how I did it. Its super easy.

Also made a fabric covered button.

Have I mentioned how much I love covered buttons? 

I really think this is one of my favorite dress patterns of all time and now that I know I can smock it I love it even more. 

 

Make buttons...

Fabric covered buttons.

Tiny addiction.

You've been warned.

I love Etsy shops and I get all my button making supplies right HERE. Super nice, super quick, and always stocked!

 

About those diapers...

So...  a dear reader had a question about Bubba's diapers yesterday. 

Adrianne asked what pattern I used to make Bubba's diapers. Truth is I didn't make them. I bought them. Sigh.

I did sew a batch while I was pregnant as well as collect a few different styles of purchased cloth diapers to see what we would like the best. Between the fact that the diapers I made were little and Bubba turned out to be the biggest baby by far, the diapers I made just didn't fit well. I used the diapers we bought, mostly prefolds and covers, and found that we liked bumGenius pocket diapers best.

When he got big enough that he was outgrowing his covers and the variety of other smaller diapers we had collected and was big enough for the 2nd size of bGs I just bought all bGs. The second size should fit until he's potty trained.

I really had intended to sew him some diapers at some point but I've just been too busy with other things. Plus I really like the BG4s. They wash well, fit great, and keep him dry even at night (with an extra liner in them). 

So there you have it. For me... sewing diaper fail. But big win for cloth diapers all around.

Oh, and congratulations to Adrianne... she's expecting Baby #3!

I'm in trouble...

He has finally figured out how to go forward... with purpose!

Its been a long time since I had to baby proof and he is really fascinated with all manner of yarn and thread and fuzzy things. Guess I have to stop throwing thread trimmings and fabric snippets on the floor. 

 Also, he likes the sound of pulling velcro which includes the velcro on his diapers...

Oh my.

 

 

Make your own vanilla...

My garden is overrun with pumpkins (that I didn't plant).

I have never canned a tomato in my life (and don't really want to).

But I've got bottles of homemade vanilla in my fridge, yes I do.

If you like to bake like I do you're probably aware of how expensive vanilla is. Even the little bottles of artificial vanilla are expensive and who wants artificial vanilla anyway? 

Real vanilla is not only easy to make but its actually pretty cheap, too. All you need are some jars or bottles with either screw on caps or corks, some vanilla beans, and Vodka. Yes, Vodka.

I get my vanilla beans and some of my bottles from Beanilla. I like 6oz bottles best.

Simply cut the beans in half lengthwise to expose the wee tiny vanilla bean innards and drop the entire bean into a bottle. Sometimes when I'm feeling really adventurous I put 2 beans in a bottle.

Fill the bottle with Vodka, put on the cap, and put your vanilla-wanna-be in a DARK place, like in a kitchen cabinet behind the vinegar and soy sauce, for 6-8 weeks. Yes, weeks. I actually put a reminder on my calendar on my laptop so I get a message when the vanilla is done. It takes that long to get a really good flavor and its totally worth it. I have a few bottles in my vanilla bottle rotation so when I have an empty bottle or two I just refill them and put them in the cabinet. That way I never totally run out and there's always more brewing.

After 6-8 weeks take the bottles out of the cabinet and pour the contents through a very fine strainer or some cheese cloth into a glass measuring cup. Discard the beans, rinse out the bottle, and pour the vanilla back in. Your vanilla is now ready to use. I've heard that it keeps in the fridge for up to a year but ours never lasts that long.

Homemade vanilla makes a great gift. If you start a bunch of batches in some really pretty bottles in October you'll have some spiffy gifts to give come holiday season. All you need is  pretty ribbon and a tag... viola!