One of the best weeks I had this summer was sewing with the 3-G Network.
Recently I learned how to make Little Dresses for Africa or pillowcase Dresses ( More about that at the end of the Blog) and I shared the sewing experience with my grandies.
G-1 loves to bake. If you need something baked, she is right there on the spot whipping something up and the baked goods she produces are delicious. She has a real talent for baking - a regular Betty Crockett.
So off we went to Joannes where G-1 found the most perfect fabric for her love of baking. She chose a cupcake fabric.
She designed her own dress adding a ruffle and had a real moment of invention and adaptation. She decided that the shoulder straps needed to be like pony tale scrunches, so we invented a way to do it. (directions are at the bottom) This is the first dress that G-l ever made. She had a tiny bit of coaching from her Nana but really and truly not much. I am so proud of her. Her dress was fab.G-1 sewed first as the following week she had to start up her summer job of babysitting and guess what her favorite thing to do with her charges was: Yup - you guessed it BAKING. She did so many special things like crafts and baking with her charges, G-1 was a fabulous Babysitter as well.
G-3 was next in line and we went off to Joanne's again, but this time G-3 choose the most beautiful tie dyed fabric. She has great style in all her clothes. The sewing machine practically dwarves the seamtress and her concentration and dedication is evident.
This is the beautiful tied dyed dress she made with only a tiny itty bit of help from her nana. Nana did the ruffle, G-3 did all the rest sewing from 2 to 3 hours everyday until the dress was finished. I am so proud and impressed with the beautiful results.
G-2 had no interest in dress making because unlike her sisters she does not like wearing dresses. She came with us to Joanne's and found the monkey fabric, that's right the MONKEY Fleece fabric. It was of course the most expensive fleece you could find, but sometimes you have just grin and bear it or should I say monkey it. We also had coupons which reduce the price by half. G-2 wanted a soft blanket to watch TV with and thats just what she made for herself with barely no direction or coaching whats so ever. The monkey fabric had cupcakes of course and some green highlights so G-2 choose green satin for her blanket binding one of the more useful sewing skills to acquire.This is a picture I took through the window of one of several cupcake baking sessions that took place. These cupcakes were for a fund raiser.
You can see the white frosting of the cupcakes in between the basket and the bread.
In only one setting G-3 finished her blanket. It was gorgeous and soft and cuddly and very very well sewn. She really wanted to sew it and the day after we went shopping, she finished it in one sitting.
All the sewing inspired me to make another dress as well. Last year I had promised G-3 a zebra dress for herself and a matching one for her American Girl Doll. I tired several times over a period of months to order the dresses but they were always back ordered. So I got some zebra fabric and made the dress for G-3 and her doll.
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This is the scrunchie shoulder strap that G-1 invented or designed. Even the doll dress had the same scrunchies. Most ofthe dresses are seen with the ties, but the elastic in the scrunchies make them easy to get on and off.
Here are some websites if you are interested in making these dresses.
I have made two which I sent to Nancy's Notions and they forwarded them to Little Dresses for Africa. It would make a great sewing project for your sewing group, club or church. The suggestion is to make one for daonation and one for your grandchild. I will be doing a workshop for my quilting guild in October and hoping that there will be more dresses for donations. Here are the Websites:
nancy’s notions website with dress pattern
http://www.everythingsewing.net/pillowcase_dress_how_to.htm
http://www.everythingsewing.net/howtopictures/pillowcase_dress/pillowcase_pattern.pdf
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1 comment:
How exciting that the g-girls are making the dresses for Africa.We have been hearing about the project here in the Philadelphia area ... the dresses are delightful.
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