Sunday 13 November 2011

Niece November #1 _ 128 Chery Williams Basic Square Yoke, lap 2 of endurance gift sewing

The birthday dress (niece turning 7) is finished in the nick of time.
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I used, Chery Williams Basic Square Yoke #128, copyright 1994, updated from a mid 80's version, which I own in both the small and large versions.
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There are 10 variations of the pattern on the instruction sheet, but I have used a different variation of my own devising.
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This is a very simple dress, with a lined bodice, darted at the waist, and the neckline and armscye re-cut for a sleeveless version.
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I have piped the neckline, back opening and armscyes, and added an embroidered (lazy daisies) and counterchange smocked pocket.

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The ribbon sash is held with thread keepers at the side seams, and also at the centre back, where in my experience, little girls' sashes tend to sag.
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Being unfashionably fond of matchy-matchy, I have also made a hair ornament from the same ribbon as the sash. She is free to wear this with a completely different outfit instead, but it makes me happy ;)

I have added a ruffle to the hem, over 6m long for proper twirl factor, after shortening the dress . All the ruffling has been done using my hand cranked Singer with ruffler attachment, something I wish I had purchased at the same time as the pattern. The ruffler made it very easy to make the essential twirl and sticky-out factor petticoat (cotton batiste), no pattern used, just 2 ruffled tiers, the first is 2 fabric widths, the second is 4 fabric widths, attached to rectangle with an elastic waistband.
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I have used this dress pattern at least 50 times. Whilst thinking about the 2012 SWAP, which is about developing TNT patterns, I thought about the TNTs I already own, and decided this one would have to be the top of my list (although the Jalie sweetheart top might be challenging it shortly). Using this pattern makes me feel nostaglic for my past sewing.

Here is the third dress made from this pattern, and the first time I used it for a birthday dress.

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and here is the first dress (yellow one) and about the 15th dress.
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You can see why I am grateful for niece sewing, all that girly sewing becomes addictive after too much exposure. Be warned.

13 comments:

KID, MD said...

That is so beautiful!! I love the piping and the smocked pocket. It's all in the details.

Mary Nanna said...

A smocked pocket, piping, ribbon, matching hair band, too, too cute.

Gail said...

Your niece will love the dress. The small details like the loop for securing the tie belt make it special.

Sue said...

Sooo cute! You are lucky to have litle girls to sew for!

Bernice said...

That smocked pocket is very impressive. I did a bit of hand smocking years ago when I lived in Kiribati. I hadn't done any since. Maybe, just maybe I should revisit it.

Carolyn said...

Absolutely beautiful!

Tanit-Isis said...

Oh, dear. I've been dabbling in niece sewing over the past year... are you telling me this is my future? I don't think you have any idea how terrifying I find smocking and embroidery. ;)

Gorgeous, in all the iterations. Don't you love getting such good use out of a pattern? :)

Uta said...

So sweet! I love the red accents and the embroidery. You're a great aunt!

Julie Culshaw said...

What lovely dresses! these little girls will long remember their beautiful frocks from their aunt.

sewing spots said...

Love! I love this dress! I own this pattern, in large and small, and have used it many times over, too. Not sure I am brave enough to count how many times...

That is a lucky little girl!

Gay McDonell said...

Totally cute! The red really pings - I love it!!

Anonymous said...

No argument from me about the joys of little girl sewing, nor about the place of the ruffler in the sewing machine attachment hall of fame. What I'm most impressed about in the way your have turned this rather unfashionable pattern into a lovely modern interpretation. Great piping and embroidery details!

Uta said...

Karen, thank you for your comment on my knitted socks. I'm not sure whether you read answers to your comments and I thought of something else that might be of interest to you since you have a yarn shop. The children had a series of picture books about "Flusi the Sock Monster" that is a fluffy little monster who loves socks more than anything (and keeps stealing them). Then the kids had a board game with "Flusi" wherein you have to try to catapult little Flusis into the sock drawer. So when I saw this skein of "Flusi sock wool" somewhere I had to get it, of course, and eventually made it up. Interesting marketing concept isn't it? I now see there's a knitting book as well, have a look:) http://www.amazon.de/Maschenspa%C3%9F-mit-Flusi-monsterm%C3%A4%C3%9Fige-Strickanleitungen/dp/3772467377/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321286907&sr=1-2