May 26, 2011

trying new things

Since March 2010, I've completed many quilting projects. I've lost track of the exact count, but it is well over 30. I love the process of it and it definitely satisfies both sides of my brain. But, over the course of the past month, I've started branching out a bit. I think it's good for the creative process to dabble.
I have always loved the look of pillowcase dresses and I've been wanting to make some for several years. Last week, I stumbled across some fabric I purchased a few years ago along with the intention of making some sweet baby outfits for my niece, Josie. Seeing as how the dozen or so patterns I purchased are no longer suitable for her soon-to-be-five body, I scoured the internet for tips on making a pillowcase dress.






The result is four sweet little dresses. I enjoyed the simple construction, learned a few lessons, gave my embroidery machine a workout and had fun with ribbon and ric-rac. What's not to love about that? These should keep her cool during the hot Nashville Summer.

I just adored this print. The little roses are so sweet.

Jumbo ric-rac and polka dots were perfect for this dress!

Another sweet dress with a tiny floral print.

Can't forget the monograms!!

Pleating this ribbon by hand took quite a while, but I'm so glad I did it, it really added so much to the finished look of this dress.

As soon as her bloomers come in, I'll get those monogrammed (of course) and these pretty little dresses will be off to Miss Josie. Now that the dresses are done, I've got a bit more dabbling to do. Tomorrow, I'll be helping Royce make some baby hats and I just might make a few more pouches out of some great fabrics, I picked up yesterday.


Edited to add: I'm going to attempt to provide links to the sites I visited to get tips on making these simple dresses. Please note that I ultimately created my own method for making these, but I did use these sites as a guideline for sizing, etc.

Naptime Crafts - I liked that she included sizing for smaller tots.
Nancy's Notions - This downloadable PDF has instructions for making the dresses and a basic template for cutting the arm holes. This also offers larger size ranges.

6 comments:

  1. Was hoping you had listed the internet site(s) where you got your help from. The dresses are adorable and I can see making some for Bailey too. Love how you have embellished them! And adding bloomers is a perfect touch!

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  2. I will post an update with a few links where I got info. Ultimately I kind of did my own thing, just taking pointers from each site.

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  3. They look so pretty Stefanie. The finishing touches make all the difference.

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  4. Thanks so much for helping me make the oh so cute little hat for Ava. Hubby said it looked store bought which is his way of saying - great job. It was a fun day!

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  5. What a lucky niece! These are precious.

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