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A lovely parcel arrived for Tilly and it fits perfectly
Thank you Janice and Julia
Piccies to follow

Hardware stores are good
Too

I will remember that for next time I sew it for her! I DO love the dress, and the pattern. When I first saw the buckling, I thought it was a top problem, but you’re right, in the end it was a bottom problem.

Learning how to fit it to each girl is going to be a learning curve for me. I just rescaled the pattern for her twin sister who is shaped…[Read more]

I will remember that for next time I sew it for her! I DO love the dress, and the pattern. When I first saw the buck
ling, I thought it was a top problem, but you’re right, in the end it was a bottom problem.

Learning how to fit it to each girl is going to be a learning curve for me. I just rescaled the pattern for her twin sister who is shaped…[Read more]

I will remember that for next time I sew it for her! I DO love the dress, and the pattern.

Learning how to fit it to each girl is going to be a learning curve for me. I just rescaled the pattern for her twin sister who is shaped completely different. My fingers are crossed for this one.

No you did right in choosing the size 0. You should have just traced out to the size 2 gradually from the waist down to the hip. So much easier to make the bottom half bigger than fiddle with the top.

I make my own using (smooth, not tweedy) kitchen twine, as that’s what I happened to have on hand when I first tried it, and I liked it so much I kept using it. I cut my bias to 1.25 inches and then I can line up the raw edge of the bias with the raw edge of the fabric and use a 1/2 in seam as normal. Works very nicely.

Well, I figured out what I should have done (hindsight and all). She’s a sz 0 on top (less than, actually), and a sz 2 on the bottom. I should have gone with the hip measurement and then rescaled the top.

Lesson learned!

The Colette sewing handbook is very well written and covers a lot of very important information that other beginning books don’t such as fabric characteristics and beginning fit alterations. It also comes with patterns!

Gerties book for better sewing is also full of really useful stuff, more intermediate than beginner, but also accessible and…[Read more]

Thank you both for your replies. I do agree that Oliver+s patterns are great lessons themselves! Pardon me for I did not provide much details in my question earlier. I am a beginner sewist. I would love to gain knowledge on all basic skills like seam finishes, zipper installation, adding lining to dresses etc. Would love to know about adding…[Read more]

I make my own piping, using Cro-sheen and cotton fabric (pre-washed). This makes a finer piping than the piping available at my local fabric store here in Canada.

Have you tried farmhouse fabrics?

You could use yarn for thin piping cord. Or make flat piping. Otherwise, I think Joann should have a few sizes.