Kathy, a member of the Advisors Circle, is sharing the Playtime Dress she made for her granddaughter. She has included hand-embroidered details that would enhance any project!
Even before my granddaughter was born, I bought fabric for her. This was before I learned that when purchasing fabric online, I should pay careful attention to how heavy the fabric is and not buy it unless there is good information about the weight. What eventually turned into this Playtime dress is a case in point: the fabric was a waffle knit, so I assumed it was quite a bit heavier than it is. It is very lightweight. But I couldn’t resist the butterflies or the color scheme.
I was attracted to the Playtime dress as it can be made in either a woven or a knit. As the waffle knit fabric seemed flimsy, I was worried that a knit facing would not stay down where it belonged. I had plenty of fabric, so I doubled the bodice rather than using a facing. This worked amazingly well and made it much sturdier for my granddaughter. (Don’t let the picture fool you!)
Hand-Embroidered Detail
The pattern called for machine-stitching a collar outline, but I hadn’t had good luck with machine embroidery, so I decided to hand-stitch it. I wanted something three-dimensional, so I opened up my book of embroidery stitches until I found something that looked good.
The butterfly buttons came from Etsy a few years ago, and they have been waiting in my stash to come out and play. I hadn’t realized what a good match they were! They’re difficult to pick out in the picture. The buttons won’t last as they are wood, but when they disintegrate, I can replace them with regular buttons.
And, of course, I had to make a matching dress for the 18-inch doll; she now expects this every time I sew something for her! I have a book of patterns for that size doll and just adapt them to whatever I need. This time I just made a knit top and then attached a skirt.
And if my independent granddaughter decides to style her Playtime butterfly dress with Pokemon socks, who am I to argue?
So sweet. I love the dress and the doll.
Thank you!! I loved them, too.
Your attention to detail, and your dedication to making a matching doll dress are admirable and inspiring.
thank you!!