O + S Fairy Tale Dress

J. decided in August that she wanted to be Hedwig but K. flipped and flopped.  Every day she would tell me something different but there was one theme that was consistent -- pink!   So I decided to make a full length pink satin dress and then decide on accessories later.  After all when you're four, a pink dress would work for being a pig, a princess, Hello Kitty or a butterfly, right?

Hehehe, I know butterflies don't generally wear pink satin dresses but K. couldn't be more pleased with her ensemble. (Well, except that she's decided it may need a touch of purple.  Maybe the bow that I haven't made yet can be purple or the antenna).

This is a size 4 with 8 1/2 inches of extra length.  She's 3T according to her measurements so I thought it would be big enough to wear a fleece underneath.  Yeah, no.  As it is she might be able to wear a long sleeved shirt so here's hoping it's warm this Halloween!  Should have made a muslin, I guess!  I think it's actually better that it fits anyway -- we can improvise if it's cold and the dress will work well for the party she's going to the week before, the party at school, as well as the princess birthday party she's been invited to in November.

This dress came together fairly easily but it was a hefty a time commitment.   I think it took me longer than it did to cut and sew 5 yards of harem cloth feathers!   Must think of some other occasions that call for a full length pink satin dress :)

The only change I made (besides lengthening the skirt) was to lower the neckline by 1/2".   I lined it but didn't include the tulle skirt, which I kind of regret.  I did make a petticoat last year that she could wear if she wants more poof.  I love the style and the fit and I adore the sleeves.  I think this would be great in anything from cotton to silk.  And my girl is happy, which is all that matters!

O + S Class Picnic Blouse

I wear my Lisette Souvenir blouse all the time and, as this pattern is so similar, I thought my daughter would like it, too.   I made a size 5 with lots of extra length for my tall skinny 7 year old.  I wish I had gone with a 6 though because when she went to put it on she got "stuck" and a couple of stitches ripped.  She panicked and, although she wore it for the evening quite happily, I'm not sure she will try again.    I didn't end up adding the elastic to the neckline as it fit her well enough without it.  Hopefully she will wear it again and, if she does, I'll get some pictures because it's really cute. 

The fabric is a super soft lightweight rayon blend that was on sale for $3/m.  When I spotted it, I immediately thought of a top for myself but it was the end of the bolt and there was only just over a metre left.  It was too cute to pass up though and I had more than enough to make this top.

Its getting cooler but I wanted her to be able to wear it now so I lined it with a lightweight cotton.  (and then proceeded to hem one side of the lining backwards, oops).  I sewed the lining to the sides of the shirt but I think if I were to do it again, I would sew the side seams of the lining and the shirt separately.  It probably would hang better.

Because I made it extra long, it actually is more like a tunic length.  I still wanted it to be comfortable so I added slits on the side.  

It's a great pattern and comes together fairly quickly. The only thing I will do differently next time is pay more attention to the neckline -- mine didn't line up perfectly but that's my definitely my fault, not the instructions.

When she saw the pattern cover, J. said absolutely no to the shorts.  Bummer! 

Pinterest Etiquette

I do love pinterest -- it's a great place for inspiration and for organizing ideas for future projects.

I first became aware of it several months ago when someone "pinned" a photo of one of my projects and the link showed up in my stats.   Now I love it when someone pins something -- it's an extra pat on the back for something that I've usually worked hard on.  And I usually click through to check if they made a comment or if someone else repinned it just 'cus it's a nice ego boost.

Tonight though I noticed that someone had pinned a photo of something I had made and added a link underneath advertising a workshop to make that same pattern.  I don't know what the etiquette is for this type of situation but it bothered me enough to send them an email asking them to remove the link.  

I get using other people's images for inspiration and I think that's awesome but is this situation crossing the line?  What do you think?

edited: I received a reply almost immediately and the pinner agreed that adding the link underneath was crossing the line.  I hate confrontation but I'm glad I said something.  I still would like other opinions though . . . I get that I'm putting things out there for the public but where is the line?

Hedwig Costume

My husband and eldest have been working their way through the Harry Potter series over the last few months and they are both loving it.  (I haven't read them yet but they've just finished book five.  They're going to take a break for a couple of years as apparently they get quite dark.  Not so great for a very imaginative seven year old just before bed!). 

I was very glad that J. chose Hedwig for Halloween this year because this was a fun costume to make (and it didn't involve satin, woo hoo!). 

The base is the red riding hood cape and the cozy winter hood, both from the Oliver and S Little Things to Sew Book.  The hood and cape are made out of flannel and covered with "feathers" of bleached harem cloth.  I love that they are floaty and textured and kind of starting to fray (hopefully they don't fray too much more!).  I used a pental pastel dye stick to add a bit of brown.  I agonized over how much and where but I think right now it's a bit too subtle.

J. is happy with it (whew!) and I think it will work well for Halloween -- it's pretty warm on it's own but she should be able to wear it at school with just a t-shirt and leggings. Then she can put on another couple of extra layers for trick-or-treating.   She did request a full length white dress to wear underneath but I don't see that happening, lol.