Sweet Little Alice Blue Gown

I made this up on Wednesday evening for my five year old granddaughter.  She came over on Thursday after school and tried it on but I forgot to take any photos of it.  I went over to see her this afternoon, but no amount of bribery would get her to put it on for me so I could have a photo of her wearing it.  She can be really stroppy when she wants to be.  All I can say is that the colour really suits her as she is very blond and has lovely blue eyes.  This is really just the toile to see if the pattern is suitable for making up in a 'good' fabric'.  The neckline is a bit low for her and the bodice needs to be about 2 inches longer, but I can easily adjust the pattern for next time.  The fabric is something I picked up in a charity shop some time ago.  It's cotton but was only 34" wide from selvedge to selvedge, and it wasn't printed right up to the edges.   I had to cut 2" from each selvedge to get rid of the white strip. I think it might have been a test piece for some screen printing.   It was really cheap, though, so this dress can be used for play dates this summer.

April Round-Up

April hasn't been a very productive month for me quilting wise.

The weather here has been changeable, with it being very cold, sunny highlights, but not enough of them, and lots of rain.  Typical English weather you might say, so I should be used to it, but April is expected to be gradually warming up to Spring and it hasn't felt like that at all.  Today, though, the sun is shining and the forecast is for temperatures about 14-15 degrees C.  Anyhow, I have been spending time in the garden tidying it up after the winter season and getting ready for some summer bedding to go in.  I usually put that in about now, but I'm holding off for at least another couple of weeks this year to let the ground warm up a bit.

There are no actual  finishes for April but I have started a baby quilt, and I just need to finish quilting the border and apply the binding for that to be finished.

I've finished hand quilting my Five Star mini-quilt so that just needs binding.

At my W.I. craft group we have started making an exploding sewing box.  This is slow progress as I only work on it on Thursday afternoons.

Yesterday I prepared the pattern so I can make my granddaughter some little dresses for the summer.  I'm going to cut out and sew this one up today, ready for trying on for size tomorrow when she comes over after school.

I've also been busy doing alterations and repairs.  I've taken up two charity shop skirts, two pairs of trousers have been tapered and taken up for me and two pairs likewise for my daughter, one of my daughter's dresses has had a modesty panel inserted in the bodice and one of her tops has had the facings sewn down so they don't keep popping out.  I hate doing alterations, I'd rather make something from scratch, but needs must in the present economic climate.

Next month should see all of these projects completed, along with several other little dresses.  I want to make the last couple of blocks for my combined BOM quilt and get that sashed and bordered ready for hand quilting and I want to make a bag with the pattern I won in a giveaway over at Loft Creations.  It is this Caity Did bag by the very talented Stephanie Dunphy, and I have some gorgeous Amy Butler Soul Blossoms that I want to make it up in.

Looks like being a busy month.

Linking up to Fresh Sewing Day and Small Blog Meet over at Lily's Quilts.