And A Dress for the Girls

In this dress, I was trying a few new things. It's always easier and faster for me to try out new ideas on a smaller scale. Hence, this is why I ended up making a dress for my daughter instead of myself.

1. I wanted to see if I could used elastic in the bobbin of my sewing machine to gather the layers for the skirt. It sort of works, but I don't think that it hangs very nicely. My girl in the picture is just excited to wear a new dress, and she has not complained to me about anything being uncomfortable. This is the daughter who makes me cut off all labels on store bought clothes. So, the elastic gathering method passed muster for comfort, just not as well for the way the skirt hangs. I won't be using this method again for gathering.
2. I wanted to try out flutter sleeves:I thought that this one turned out really nicely.
3. I also wanted to try out a new collar. It is sort of a sailor's neckline, if you will. I took a strip of fabric, folded it lengthwise, and sewed it onto the collar seam of the dress, and then I tied the ends together in a knot to create the look above. I'm not sure if this one passed, only because the knot drags down the collar and exposes the collar seam inside. It doesn't look bad on this dress, but it will look sloppy on a grown-up top.

In other news, I have 3 weeks to get ready for my move. I am looking at all my sewing supplies and I have been trying to put off packing. To my credit, I put away all my fabric, except for one box. However, I can't bring myself to put away my sewing machine yet. My friend (who doesn't sew, btw) thinks that I should be packing them away already, because I keep getting distracted by sewing. However, I can't bear the thought of not sewing for the next few weeks. So, I think I will wait a little longer. You're with me on this, right? :)