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Sew Easy
July 3, 2008
I come from an amazing heritage of industrious homemakers. In addition to raising kids, gardening, cooking, canning, running households, serving family, friends and neighbors these women could sew. Anything. Quilts, clothes, home decor. My grandma made her own lace for pete's sake!
My own skills in the sewing department are comparatively, to put it nicely, lacking. As in I can't follow a pattern to save my life and the only piece of clothing I've ever sewn, a Christmas present for my husband in our early years of marriage, was NEVER worn. Ouch. I'm not saying I can't sew. I can. But my skills are fairly limited to hemming, and rectangular and square shaped curtains, valences, bedcovers, and the like.
So, you can only imagine my delight in the fact that a couple weeks ago, before the summer train was a rollin', I sewed sundresses for the girls and myself. Since then I've recommended the "pattern" to other friends who have been inspired to sew something for themselves.
Directions for Sundresses:
- Get yourself to the nearest Jo-Ann fabric store. Maybe other stores carry the fabric as well.
- Find the pre-gathered fabric somewhere with the other dress-like fabrics. Measure your bust, you can do this at home ahead of time if think of it, buy 2 extra inches of fabric.
- Go home. Wash and dry fabric. I've learned this lesson the hard way.
- Take out sewing machine. Pull fabric around your chest, pin together where the circumference feels best. Sew seam.
- Hem bottom. Done.
Ok, so maybe it's not this easy. If you want straps you'll need to use matching bias tape or cut fabric off the bottom (before you hem) to make the straps from. But really, it doesn't get much easier than that. In spite of how easy it was it took me a whole day to sew three dresses. But still, 3 dresses in 1 day - that's impressive. Here's the girls in their dresses. We were out watching the guys longboard and we heard a crack of thunder. That's Brienne asking "did you hear that?" I have a sundress also, super cute, but I can't manage to get a good picture of me wearing it. Maybe someday.
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MelodyA. on July 3, 2008, 3:04 p.m.
Nicely done. Looks very "store bought", if that even a compliment. It was meant to be.
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Samantha on July 7, 2008, 3:38 p.m.
Oh I love these dresses. My daughter made one last year and it's still one of her favorites. This post reminds me that my other daughter has been asking for one for a while. I should make one for her, they really are very cute.
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laura - dolcepics on July 9, 2008, 1:24 a.m.
They have pre-gathered fabric? Brilliant! Last time I did any sewing was back in the 8th grade. Made some shorts for Home Ec. class. Hmm... I wonder if I could learn again.
The sun dresses look fabulous!!
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renee on July 9, 2008, 2:23 a.m.
Thanks, I'm a little embarrassed because they were really very easy to sew.
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Anonymous on July 9, 2009, 9:57 p.m.
You can make it yourself by getting an elastic thread for your bobbin and making a bunch of rows. It's super easy.
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AmandaT. on July 3, 2008, 1:14 p.m.
Super cute dresses! I have sewed clothes for the kids before....but never tried this kind of dress, I always thought it would be to hard. But you make it sound easy. Maybe I will give it a try one of these days. Thanks for the "pattern".