KCW Spring - Update on days 4 + 5 of Kids Clothes Week

(Blurry picture near midnight!)

Thursday was day four of the Spring Kid's Week Clothes Challenge and it was a fairly busy day, parent child class in the morning, M not feeling too well so we stayed in for some intense play in the afternoon.  I love how when shes doesn't feel good she most intent on play.  BALL.  STAND.  SIT.  DANCE.  These were my orders for the rest of the day.

I didn't get to sewing until nighttime (I know, I pledged not to sew at night anymore but it really is the time I have where I can completely focus on the sewing and not worry about naptime about to end)  and was able to crank out the above Geranium Tunic in the African wax print.  I love this sewing pattern.  After making the first one, the second one came together in an hour.  ONE HOUR!  I changed the pleats in front, a large inverted pleat in the center and then the other two to make up the difference in size between the bodice and skirt widths.  

Friday or day five I cobbled together the yoke of the Oliver & S Ice Cream Dress.  I have never put together a garment with construction like this before - totally magic.  What I love most is how the yoke completely covers the gathers of the skirt to make finish the seams so beautifully.  I didn't totally get it until looking at it on the ironing board and realizing that the seam finishing was happening along with the construction - brilliant!

On Friday I also finished the seams on the skirt - in the directions it mentioned this would be a good place to do a french seam if so inclined and I took the challenge.  In patternmaking school we didn't really focus on fine finishing of garments and it had been over a decade since I took a construction class and so the couple attempts before of making french seams were frustrating.  I did not know an essential point then which is that its only good for straight seams!  Of course.  I found this tutorial on the Oliver & S blog explaining how to do the french seam for this dress and how to just iron that one curve to death to get it to lay flat.  And now, voila!  A finished seam!  So easy! Now I am a convert.  French seams for all!

So far I have been working from 1 - 3 hours a day sewing.  Which is not a lot but also is a lot in with everything else in life.  I am going to finish these three dresses, buttons and all.  It is not the entire list I started with on Sunday but I feel pretty good about what I have done so far, and trying new patterns and techniques has been so worth it.