Main Dress (Butterick 4827, View A)

After many twists and turns I finished the main dress of my costume and thus finished my 2015 Renaissance festival dress.

Part 1

Part 2

Space Pants (Simplicity Pattern 9871)

Aside from a pillow case, pajama pants have to be one of the best beginner projects and the best introduction to pattern reading. Simplicity 9871 is a very easy pajama pants pattern. It's one I've used multiple times. My husband saw this cool, colorful space fabric and had to have a pair of pants.

If you're looking at this pattern and confused or terrified of the daunting task in front of you don't fear I'll walk you through it.

I used:
Simplicity Pattern 9871
Size XL
3yds of Fabric -Large Planets (It only calls for 2 7/8  but I always get that extra save it for quilting and stuff)
Black thread
1 inch elastic

Happy Sewing

Major Pattern Haul and Crafting Update

With three pattern sales in a row of course I had to make a haul video.

The patterns I picked up

Butterick
4669
4486

McCall's
7217
7218
7212

Simplicity
1444
1122
1077
4080
1506
4059
4762
1087
1095
1091
1092
1093
1094
1074

So excited to get new patterns.

Renaissance Festival Dress: Picking a Pattern

Since Hoshicon is over the next even on my list is the Carolina Renaissance Festival, and I want to make a dress for it. I decided that I don't want to do anything overly complicated, so instead of designing my own I'm going straight from a pattern. Let me take you on the journey while I narrow down my choices.

Honorable Mentions
At this time the fall previews (2015) for both McCall's and Simplicity are available. Since I do not own any of the patterns from the fall preview yet, I did not include them in my selections. There are two that are worth mentioning though.

Simplicity 1094
McCall's M7218

The frozen fever one (Simplicity 1094), I would consider but probably not make because of the sort sleeve issue.

The peacock dress is one I could see working if I were going for enchantress or sorceress.

Runner Ups
All patterns that came close but didn't make it.

Simplicity
1137
1347(not currently available)

1487 (not currently available)

9891 (OOP)

4940

Butterick

4377

4571
McCall's
6940

Winner

Butterick 4827

Accessories:
Butterick 5371

Apple Bloom Boots

How I painted my Apple Bloom Boots.

I kind of wish I had mixed the paint with a textile medium before I started painting, or used the fabric spray paint. It might have worked better but you live and you learn. With this I am done with my Apple Bloom Cosplay.

Happy Crafting

McCall's M7000, View A, Yoke, Sleeves, and Lining

 I have finished the dress portion.
For the yoke, I did french seams for the shoulders.

Then I attatched it to the bodice.

Next I sewed the lining together.

Then attached the lining to the top of the bodice, under stitched the lining, and slip-stitched the sides and bottom of the lining.

Next I stitched the sides of the facing and turned it right side out.

Then stitched it to the collar matching raw edges and under stitching the seam. Which I do not have pictured.

Next came the sleeves. I stitched the sleeve seam with a french seam.

And hemmed the cuffs.

And attached them to the bodice and yoke with a french seam.

The french seam

The attached seam

Finally I hemmed the bottom of the skirt with a rolled hem.

I finished the dress part of the Anna dress, I'm still debateing on the appliques. I'll probably do them at a later time.
Happy Sewing
Kelly

McCall's M7000, View A, Bodice, Skirt, and Zipper

I started  by piecing the bodice together, the front first.

 Then the back.

 Then sew the front to the back at the side seams.

Next sew the skirt back pieces together back-stitching at large dot.

Then sewing the front to the back at the side seams.

 I decided to sew a french seam in the sides of the skirt.

Next, sew the bodice to the skirt.

And, finally, add the zipper.

Closed view

Open View

Inside View

I sewed the zipper on using my method this time instead of the method in the instructions.
Next is the yoke, sleeves, and lining.
Happy Sewing

McCall's M7000, View A, Cutting Layout

I have all my pattern pieces cut out and ready to go.
Most of the pieces are the same as for view B, the Elsa dress. View A, Anna dress, merely get rid of the overlay and shortens the skirt.

I have the skirt pieces in blue.

The yoke and sleeves in the white. Since there were no overlay pieces I could actually cut it with a normal fold. Unlike the cross fold of view B

 The bodice in black, I layered the lining behind the satin folded the same way.

Everything is all cut out and ready to go.
Oh and here's a picture of my scrap pile

There were quite a few good sized remnants leftover.

Time to get started.
Happy Sewing.

McCall's M7000, View A, Fabric and Notions

McCall's M7000, View A

I finally got the fabric for the Anna dress I am making.

I chose costume glitter satin and posh lining, in black, for the bodice.

White costume satin for the yoke and sleeves

And royal blue costume satin for the skirt.

Finally I have one 14" polyester all purpose zipper, one 1/4" clear button, black and white thread, and the pattern I am going to be using.

I chose the costume satin this time so it should all hold together better than the organza of the last one. Also not pictured is the 1/8" elastic I am going to use for the button hole. I have zig-zaged the cut end of the fabric and it is waiting to be washed before I get started.
Happy Sewing

McCall's M7000, View B, Cost Breakdown and Reflection

So the dress is made, time to think about how much it cost to make.

Notes
These fabric amounts are for size 3-4.
The prices are regular price and do not include coupons, sales, or any other type of discount that I may have used.
I only include items I bought for this specific project, I do not include items leftover from previous projects, such as small pieces of fabric, small pieces of elastic, small pieces of interfacing, or thread (particularly black and white).

Fabric
Casa Collection Satin ($7.99/yd): 1.25yds = $9.99
Sheer Ribbon Organza ($5.99/yd): 2.625yds = $15.72
Crinkle Pearlized Sheer ($8.99/yd): .375yds = $3.37
Crystal Blue Posh Lining ($4.99/yds): .375yds = $1.87

Notions
6 buttons for $1.00 =  $0.17 for 1 button
14" Polyester Zipper = $2.19
100m Opal Blue Thread =$1.99

Total
Drumroll please

 $35.30

Reflections

I'm thankful I did this project because I used many different fabrics and techniques that I had never done before. I had never done a slipstitch nor had I ever used organza or pearlized shear. I had also never done a princess seam or attached a lining.
Attaching the lining and doing the slipstich were easier than I thought they would be and I'm glad this project involved them.

I regret using the pearlized shear because I noticed too late that it was supposed to be dry clean only. It seams to be holding together even though it was washed. Also I regret using the organza, it was slippery, didn't iron well, and my needle and thread were too big for it. I may have to remake the yoke and sleeves into a different fabric because after one days where they are already falling apart. The overlay is staying but there's also not as much stress put on the overlay as on the sleeves or yoke.

If, or most likely when, I make it again , probably in a bigger size, I'll probably use satin for both the skirt and bodice but I have not decided yet what I'm going to use for the yoke, sleeves, and overlay.

Happy Sewing

McCall's M7000, View B, Yoke, Sleeves, and Finishing

I have made and attached the yoke, the sleeves, stitched the lining, and finished the hems.

First I sewed the pieces of the yoke together.

The organza is fairly see through you can barely see it.

Next I sewed the yoke onto the bodice matching the center and notches.

The angle of the bodice made it hard to sew on but I did it.

Next was the lining, I had to put the pieces together the same way the bodice went together.

I was easier this time, probably because I did this with the bodice but also because it was far easier to tell which was right side and which was wrong side.

next was to sew the lining to the bodice front and back, skipping armholes. Then understitching the lining as far as possible.

This was easy because the bodice and the lining lined up nicely and the understitching followed nicely.

Next was the slipstitch, I thought that was going to be the hardest part, I had never done a slipstitch before so it was something new. I slipstitched the sides and bottom of the lining.

It was tedious but not as hard as I thought it was going to be and it looks beautiful.

Next was making the sleeves. I double stitched the seams and hemmed it, I had to hand-stitch the sleeve hems because it seemed easier with the organza.

Next was adding the sleeves to the bodice and yoke, it was double stitched and trimmed.

It's beautiful.

Finally was the the hem and button.
I cheated on the button and just added an elastic loop instead of a threaded loop.

Next was hemming the skirt and overlay.

After all that we have a dress.

Draped over my machine.

McCall's M7000, View B, Overlay

 The overlay has been made and attached to the bodice. It attaches at the top of the bodice and wraps around the sleeve and to the zipper on both sides.

First the bodice back had to be sewn up to the large dot, or the area that would meet the bottom of the zipper. Then the opening was hemmed.

The organza is a very slippery fabric had to be weighed down for the photo

Next the sides had to be attached to the front and hemmed at the front opening.

Finally it was basted to the top of the bodice from the side front seam all the way to the zipper.

Next the Yoke, Sleeves, and Lining
Happy Sewing