Free Shipping

There's free shipping in my shop just for fun and because it's summer. Enter FREESHIP at checkout and let freedom ring!

A Sad Tale

Instead of having a great "en forreau" dress for my shop, or even a pattern review of the Thimbles and Acorn pattern I tried, all I have is a sad tale.

This is my borrowed Felicity--don't let that smile on her face fool you. She is only half dressed. I should have been smart and tried this pattern out first by sewing a muslin. But I hate sewing muslins--especially for dolls. No, I cut right into the fun 18th-century cotton print and started sewing . . .

Things were going well until the pleats in the back--that is, the actual "en forreau" part:

I'm not going to lie, those pleats were tricky. And while trying to get them just right, I unpicked a seam that was the gown's undoing. I ripped a big hole in the fabric with my seam ripper. Grrr.

So this dress is scrapped for now. And borrowed Felicity is returning to her home. So no more "en forreau" gowns for awhile. The pattern is great and the design is really appealing, but I'm giving it a rest for now. Besides, an "en forreau" gown is also known as a "robe a l'anglaise" (English gown), so maybe Felicity's patriot conscience wouldn't allow for such things.  Although, the style is French and French fashion has always been the rage, so . . . maybe.

Oh well, on to another dress--a lavender dress perfect for Caroline. And with no sophisticated pleating in the back, I'm sure I won't have another sad tale to tell. Bye Felicity . . .

Felicity in Yellow

Well, one colonial-style gown is finished and listed in my shop. It is the prettiest cotton print and looks pretty good on my borrowed Felicity, don't you think?

Soon I'll post reviews of the patterns I tried--one kicked my butt and one was very nice to me. This dress has elements of both. The pinner cap is from the Pleasant Co. patterns and was super easy.

I loved sewing this--it reminded me of how much Abby and I enjoyed reading the American Girl Felicity series by Valerie Tripp, set in 1774 Williamsburg. She still cracks me up when she randomly says, "I'll take no tea today."  You know you're kind of nerdy when you and your daughter have inside American Girl jokes!

Mini-skirt

So, I should be working on the colonial dresses that are cut out on my counter, but suddenly Abby's doll wanted a denim mini-skirt. And then her friend wanted one too. And then I made one for a church camp fund-raiser. Then I thought why stop there? Why not just list one in my shop? So I did. Voila:

Super simple and easy. Very much unlike those colonial dresses that are staring me down . . .