Learning in Wonderland

It's pretty sad that I'm writing about a Halloween costume two weeks before Christmas.  We've been insanely busy around here these days, but I had to write about first solo sewing project before it's too late.
It definitely is not my best work, and if you look close you can see a zillion mistakes (the perfectionist in me cringes knowing that I didn't fix them).  From far away, however, it's pretty darn cute (the adorable wearer of the dress doesn't hurt either!).  Sewing a Halloween costume is a great way to do some low-risk learning. 


 Here's my little Alice in Wonderland!  (And our store bought version of a "Cheshire Cat")

Stealing a cue from one of my favorite sewing bloggers, Twelve Dresses, here are the details:

***Alice in Wonderland Dress Report Card***

PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS:  
I'm a novice when it comes to sewing dresses.  This pattern presented quite a few challenges for me from the moment I tried laying out the pattern pieces on the fabric.  (Good thing my mom lives close and doesn't mind harassment phone calls).   Thanks to some extra support from youtube videos, I learned how to:

1. Gather  (and did lots of it!)

2. Install a zipper 

 I ended up having to do this TWICE! The first attempt looked good, but I sewed so close to the zipper that I couldn't pull it down all the way.  The second attempt looked bad, but was functional, so I left it.  Good thing there's an apron covering it!

3. Make a collar  

<insert pat on the back>

PATTERN SIZING: I made a size 3 so that my little one could wear it to play for the next year or so.  A three was BIG.  Again, this was a Halloween costume, so it really didn't matter too much.

FABRIC CHOICE: If I was sewing something for daily wear, I would have been super disappointed in this fabric. The bolt of fabric didn't tell me what kind it was, but by the feel of it, I'm guessing it's some kind of silk blend.   Not only does it wrinkle at a drop of a hat, but the edges frayed super easily.  Finishing small the small seams along the sleeves (with the elastic) was almost impossible.  But, I couldn't beat it for the 40% off price tag and the perfect Alice in Wonderland color.



FINANCIALS 
Pattern, $3.99 (on sale!)
Fabric and notions $18.00  (approx - I bought everything back in September and can't find my receipt) 
Total $21.99


WOULD I MAKE THIS DRESS AGAIN?: Possibly.  It's pretty darn cute for kids.  


THINGS TO LEARN FOR NEXT TIME:

• Matching Seams: No matter how hard I tried, my seams didn't match up.  It makes me a little nervous for my next project (since I plan on making something that I'll wear).  Hopefully some Google searches will lead me to some helpful tips.
• Finishing:  I don't have a surger and don't plan on buying one, but I've read about using a zig zag stictch at the end of the fabric to create the same effect.  Worth a shot!

If you thought fabric was just fabric...

I'm a little behind... but that's what happens with the start of the school year!   So, to update, I did end up going to Fabric Depot by myself with my two little ones in tow.  (I deserve some kind of award for that one).  Thanks to the sweet ladies who work there, I made it out with everything I need to make Payton's Halloween costume.

But, what about finding fabric for all of the awesome patterns I have??? Well, I deserve an A for effort and a F for follow through.  Being the beginner apparel-sewer I am, I had absolutely no clue what kind of fabric to look for.  Most of the labels above the fabric sections, didn't quite match the fabric recommendations on the back of the pattern.  Then some bolts of fabric labeled the fabric type as "unknown."  This definitely wasn't a confidence building exercise. In the end I wandered through the bolts of fabric simply looking for something that I really liked and found nothing.  While Fabric Depot has loads upon loads of quilting fabric, their apparel stash is rather limited.

Now I'm looking for other fabric options.  It seems like most of the sewing bloggers buy a lot of their fabric online.  Fabric.com seems to carry everything, but I'm a little bit nervous buying yards of fabric that I can't touch and see in person.  But they do have some pretty things.  Here are a couple that caught my eye:

(I love Polka dots!)




I've heard that there are some little mom and pop fabric shops in Portland - I think I'll try them before resorting to online purchases (and maybe even check out JoAnns while I'm in super-beginner mode).

This month, I'll have to put fabric shopping on the back burner while I focus on Halloween costumes... I've cut out the pattern. This weekend I plan to cut out the fabric and start sewing during nap time!

I love this time of year! Halloween is my all-time favorite holiday!

They're here!

Guess what arrived in my mail box today?!?  My patterns!  Whoo hoo!  Today is just getting better and better!  (A little off topic, but my day started out with the Warrior Dash. Oh my goodness, if you haven't been, you've gotta go!  Tops my list as one of the most fun things I've ever done!)

So here are my patterns:

Vogue 1236

Vogue 8723

Vogue 8633

Vogue 8755

Vogue 8728

Butterick 4446

And for my daughter's Halloween Costume...

Butterick 4054  

She's going to be Alice, from Alice in Wonderland this year - I thought this was the perfect pattern!

Over labor day weekend, Vogue, McCalls, and Butterick were selling ALL of their patterns for $3.99, so with shipping, I got all of them for about $34.00!  Isn't that such a deal!!

I'm torn about which dress to sew first (besides the Halloween costume.  I gotta get on that one ASAP!)..  I'm thinking about going for the Butterrick wrap dress.  There's no zippers to mess with, so that might be a good thing since it's my first second dress.  (I'd like to call it my first dress, but that's not entirely true.  My first dress was another Halloween costume.  Back in my college days, I was Elle Woods from Legally Blonde.  I've gotta dig out pictures!  Let's just say this will be my first dress that I'll try to wear on a regular basis!).

Now the question is, do I brave Fabric Depot on my own with a crazy toddler and a baby??  Under normal circumstances, I would say "Heck no!"  ...but this weekend, all fabric is 35% off!!  I'm not sure if I can pass that up!

So it begins...

I should probably start this blog with a little introduction and some reasoning behind my whole endeavor.  My name's Kori.  I'm an early thirties mother of two beautiful girls, ages two and five months.  My husband and I have been together since meeting in high school in1996 and married in 2005.

My rather obsessive personality, desire to look and dress more girly, and crafty inclinations, have lead me to beginning a journey to sew my own vintage inspired wardrobe and learn to quilt.  With a new baby, I had a lot of time to search through some amazing blogs this summer.  Armed with lots of inspiration and a slew of sewing patterns on the way, I'm ready to make things happen!

I'm ridiculously excited! <insert happy hop here>