Pictures of DGD's finished dress

Every flavour of win there!

She's a gorgeous lass, very talented, the dress is adorable, and she has chosen a style eminently suitable to her years.

Oh, and I also love the colour.

Give her a big hug from me when you next see her.

she looks gorgeous!!! What a wonderful job she did---she should be so proud of herself!

Magnificent..... The dress and the young woman wearing it. She did a great jog. Juno

Thanks, and I agree about being suitable to her years. You would not believe what some of the kids wore. Where are their parents???

Me too. Green (all shades) has been her favorite color for several years now, and this is a lovely teal.

Will do, Sunday we are all going to see Toy Story 3, and then have a BBQ to celebrate DGS's 20th(!!!) birthday and Father's Day for DSIL

I have added three more pictures, two with close-ups of the neckline trim.

Thanks.

I think all the ooohs and aaahs and "YOU MADE THAT?!" from her peers were a big confidence boost! ;-)

Thanks Juno. I am really pleased, she is coming right along. I hope our next project we can tackle a pattern without any alterations, so she can learn to read pattern instructions. Not that I mind in the least helping her, but she also needs to learn that skill.

I put three more pictures up showing that neckline detail.

Beverly, the dress is SPLENDID. The colors complement her complexion and hair so nicely, and it fits her so wonderfully. She did an exceptional job it's hard to believe that it is her first go with a zipper - it's perfect!

That the two of you were able to re-create a 'look' she wanted has got to be amazingly satisfying for you both. Well done!

-Irene

Thanks! And for those who wonder, her extremely curly hair was subjected to a long session with a straightening iron. Like (probably) most people with very curly hair, she loves it straight. I on the other hand, with very straight hair, used to punish my hair with perms. ;-}

We tackled that zipper twice. I am so happy that she is willing to un-pick errors and re-do, rather than "settle".

Thanks again. She was very pleased with the result and I am thrilled that she wants to sew well. It was a very fun project.

Every time I look at the picture of Blair in her dress I'm struck by how much better hers looks on her than the one on the runway model. She made and excellent choice in style and color. Juno

On Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:22:56 -0400, Juno B wrote (in message ):

I usually just lurk here, but I was going to post to say the very same thing. The inspriation dress looked rather messy, but hers is lovely!

I am blessed with a young neighbor who is delighted with stitching. It is such a joy to teach and share with her. Our daughters' and granddaughters' interest in sewing only appears now and then. We have become very creative in raising necklines lately but that's about it. Maybe one day. I notice that you ( you all, we'd say in Mississippi) did an exquisite bit of hemming. Just how did you manage such a perfect feat? Polly

Thanks, Juno. It may be that Blair's was custom made just for her, while the models was an off-the-rack $1,200.00 creation made for, well... anyone who fit a size 0. ;-)

I also liked her color choices, and those were made independent of me, so it reflects her growing sense of her own style.

Thank you! The inspiration dress was a filmy silk and lined in black, or at any rate the skirt looks to be lined in black. Poor choice IMHO.

We marked the hem length evenly all around, with my mother's antique hem marker ;-). It's exactly like this:

is, It was made for an era when skirts were worn mid-calf, I had to elevate it a bit to mark DGD's hem, and even then pinned well below where her hem would lie, so we had to mark the cutting line *above* the pins. I always intended to see if DH could modify it with a yardstick. I like this one because the ones which puff chalk are not very accurate, in my experience. Chalked a cutting line for a 1" hem allowance, increasing the length at the center back about 1/4", tapering from side seam to side seam. Then cut off the excess, and since the skirt was slightly flared, ran a gathering stitch at the

3/8" mark, pulled up the excess, and pressed the hem up a scant 1", steaming in the ease. Then pressed the 3/8" allowance under, pin-basted, and machine stitched from the wrong side, using a walking foot. There are pictures of the process on the site, about 3/4 of the way down.

I have to agree with this. She did a great job.

--Betsy

Except for sewing classes in 4th and 6th grade, I don't think I ever tackled a pattern without alterations when I was growing up. I could never find a pattern that exactly matched my vision of what I wanted to make.

--Betsy

That looks gorgeous on, is well made and fits nicely. A win all around.

Well done to both of you.

Lizzy

Beverly, In you explanation of the hem marking you said you increased the center back of the hem about 1/4 inch. Was this to allow for body contour? Juno

I wondered the same thing, Juno.

Blair is a beautiful person to begin with, then wearing the perfect color and style dress just adds to it. The dress is "drop-dead" gorgeous and perfect for her.

I know what you mean, Beverly, about the outfits some teens wear today.

Emily