Holiday dress of tears
Yesterday was also a day of frustration on my part. After spending several hours of sewing like mad (over a few days) to get Maurelle's dress done... the zipper went *missing* which was the last piece I needed to finish it. Everything else was done on it, including hand sewing the hem (with really big, huge stitches).
We tried to get the dress on over her head, but while the head would fit just fine, the sleeves did not want to go on easily, and it was like dressing a cat; a loud, hissing, crying, screaming, squirming cat... so we gave up, and put her in a pretty outfit her Aunt had bought her (pink sweats with leopard print kitties). So, no holiday dress this year. If I find that zipper, she may wear it on Saturday when we have guests, and we will get photos of her in it. And it is big enough to fit her for next year, but not for this Christmas.
I learned a big lesson with this... holiday dresses should be made and completed early in the holiday season. Then they can be worn as often as possible for all the photo ops, parties, outings, etc.
And I learned that such outfits really should be made for the one size of the season. I made hers with wide seam allowances thinking of future refittings, and now I can't snip into the armpit area or it won't work for resizing for next year. The skirts will be ok (there's a 6" hem to let down), but I should have 1) serged the upper part of the skirt, and 2) measured the skirt pattern before I cut into the fabric, as it was waaaaay too long, so I ended up cutting off 5".
I also found out that she's a 2 yo, wearing a size 4 in simplicity pattern sizes because of her tummy size which is larger than her chest size. Simplicity Butterick presumes the tummy of a toddler is smaller than the chest. I don't think any of my kid's tummies were ever smaller than their chest size.
And, I think when I do make her period garb, made in a period manner, her outfits may just fit better and longer... modern sewing techniques and modern patterns by the Big 3 make for lousy fitting garments. As an example, the sleeves on this pattern has such a high sleeve cap, she won't be able to lift her arms without lifting the dress, too! This is why the outfit won't fit her without issues. With separate sleeves of a period outfit, that will be easier to put on and take off, without long zippers in the back required (and while I could lace her into it... try lacing a cat into an outfit... not going to happen.
While I could have let this setback upset me for the rest of the night, I realized that spending the holiday time with the kids, not how they are dressed, is what mattered. And Christmas Eve was a good night for them, and for us all.
And I took the dress to show it off.. and everyone thought it was adorable. And Cam... he wanted to wear the dress himself. {grin} Yeah, I gotta make him something to wear, something he chooses.
We tried to get the dress on over her head, but while the head would fit just fine, the sleeves did not want to go on easily, and it was like dressing a cat; a loud, hissing, crying, screaming, squirming cat... so we gave up, and put her in a pretty outfit her Aunt had bought her (pink sweats with leopard print kitties). So, no holiday dress this year. If I find that zipper, she may wear it on Saturday when we have guests, and we will get photos of her in it. And it is big enough to fit her for next year, but not for this Christmas.
I learned a big lesson with this... holiday dresses should be made and completed early in the holiday season. Then they can be worn as often as possible for all the photo ops, parties, outings, etc.
And I learned that such outfits really should be made for the one size of the season. I made hers with wide seam allowances thinking of future refittings, and now I can't snip into the armpit area or it won't work for resizing for next year. The skirts will be ok (there's a 6" hem to let down), but I should have 1) serged the upper part of the skirt, and 2) measured the skirt pattern before I cut into the fabric, as it was waaaaay too long, so I ended up cutting off 5".
I also found out that she's a 2 yo, wearing a size 4 in simplicity pattern sizes because of her tummy size which is larger than her chest size. Simplicity Butterick presumes the tummy of a toddler is smaller than the chest. I don't think any of my kid's tummies were ever smaller than their chest size.
And, I think when I do make her period garb, made in a period manner, her outfits may just fit better and longer... modern sewing techniques and modern patterns by the Big 3 make for lousy fitting garments. As an example, the sleeves on this pattern has such a high sleeve cap, she won't be able to lift her arms without lifting the dress, too! This is why the outfit won't fit her without issues. With separate sleeves of a period outfit, that will be easier to put on and take off, without long zippers in the back required (and while I could lace her into it... try lacing a cat into an outfit... not going to happen.
While I could have let this setback upset me for the rest of the night, I realized that spending the holiday time with the kids, not how they are dressed, is what mattered. And Christmas Eve was a good night for them, and for us all.
And I took the dress to show it off.. and everyone thought it was adorable. And Cam... he wanted to wear the dress himself. {grin} Yeah, I gotta make him something to wear, something he chooses.