Monday, March 03, 2008

i get by with a little help from my friends

I have to start out today by saying a prayer of thanks for this beautiful day. Winter is set to return tonight, but today it is in the 60s (!!!) and the sun is blazing. This morning we actually played outside - didn't even need hats - and Daughter's obvious joy at stomping around in the rapidly melting bits of snow was infectious. We sat on the porch for quite awhile and soaked in the sunshine, and it was just wonderful. Yes, we go back to rain/snow/sleet for several weeks now, but I have a feeling this is the day we start heading for SPRING! Woo hoo! Can't come soon enough for this gal.

And now a question for my sewing homies: my last post was about Daughter's Easter dress - scroll down for a refresher on that. As it was so lovely today, I chose to ditch my chores for naptime and sit in front of an open window, sewing in the breeze. I got most of the bodice done but quit when I realized I don't have matching thread to topstitch with. Whoops. Guess I'm going to Joann's tomorrow.

Anyway, I was thinking about the skirt, and more specifically how to give the skirt a bit more body. The gathers at the waist will do their part to make it stand out a bit, but as it's just cotton calico it doesn't have much...oomph.

My thoughts are to either line the skirt portion with something (batiste?) by basically making a second skirt, stitching it to the bodice along with the dress fabric, hemming it up shorter than the dress, and then tacking it to the seam allowances with little crochet thread loops (like you see in store bought dresses/skirts), OR make a slip with a ruffly bottom. I have this pattern and could probably fudge it down to a size 2 (viewB). I thought of making the half-slip but Daughter still has a bit of that poochy toddler belly and I don't think it would stay at her waist.

So I could use any suggestions you have. Thanks, peeps!

4 comments:

Pam said...

What about some sort of soft wire in the hem along the bottom of the skirt? That would give it a sort of "hoop" affect. Let me know what you come up with. I want to make my girls Easter dresses this year as well, and there's just something about a poofy skirt on a toddler that I love:)

the lizness said...

I say make the 2nd underskirt longer than the top one for the layered look?

Unknown said...

I vote for the underskirt. A gathered ruffle at the bottom of an underskirt would help add fluff, too.

Yay for spring!

Louise said...

Another vote for the underskirt. Last year when the poufy skirts were really big for grown-ups, I made one that way. Unless you think she'd get more wear out of the skirt/wear it under other things.