Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Trying something new

The weather this past weekend was sweltering, so the family and I decided to take it pretty easy. We slept late, went to the pool at the Y*, and watched movies in the air conditioning.

Saturday afternoon turned out to the perfect time to use some sale fabric I'd bought at Walmart. My local one is closing their craft department and all the fabric was 75% off. By the time I got there, the racks had been totally ransacked, but I found some really cute character fabric that will be perfect for quilts. Pi asked for Camp Rock fabric that she'd been eyeing. She'd asked me for it before, but at $5 a yard, I wasn't ready to put the money down for something that is clearly a passing fad. But for $1.25 a yard, I was game. I bought 3 yards of the stuff and she promptly asked me to make a dress.

Uhhh, a dress? My forays into clothing have pretty much been skirts and two easy shirts for Piper last summer. I tried making one for myself and it was epic fail all the way. After some major googling (easy dress, haha), I came across a bunch of shirring tutorials and thought that didn't look too hard.
I settled on this tutorial by Prudent Baby because it focused on drop-in bobbins like the one I have. It was just as easy as she said... no mishaps, no screw-ups, no stress! I had both the back and front shirred in less than two hours and the rest of the dress came together in about an hour. If I had known shirring was this easy, I would have done it ages ago!


12 lines of shirring, about 1/2 inch apart.

Pi loved the dress. Usually, she's pretty lukewarm about my handmades, but this time she was all over it. I know for sure because she asked me to make some to sell at a garage sale. Always chasing a buck, that one. When I said no to that idea, she said it was ok because I could just make a bunch more for her instead. There's still over a yard of the fabric left that will probably turn into PJ shorts.

Now I wonder if I'd looked good in shirring, ha!
Speaking of trying something new, Pi and I went to a Zumba class for the first time tonight. So. Much. Fun! I hate to exercise, but I have to say this class didn't even feel like exercising. If you haven't tried one, I'd highly recommend it!
Hope everyone is having a good (and cooler) week!
*We got free 7 day guest passes to the Y and we're loving it so far. We're thinking about joining when the trial is over.

7 comments:

Laura said...

Great job on the dress - Pi looks very cute in it! I wish I could still persuade my daughter to wear dresses. Lately she's so worried about things looking babyish. She told me the other day that she's not trying to hurt my feelings but could I please stop buying her clothes from the Children's Place, because they look too babyish (but she'll wear mismatched socks, because she says socks don't have to match, ha, ha!).

Good for you for trying out that Zumba! I'm a total klutz when it comes to any sort of dancing, so I'd never have the nerve to try something like that.

Bezzie said...

Pefect dress for this devilishly hot weather too!!

Dude, we need to get her and Chunky together. He's a little capitalist himself! Always on the lookout on how to earn a buck! Ha ha!

I love my Y for the aftercare and inservice day camps for Chunky! Ha ha!

Andrea Moberly said...

I love the dress! I've been trying some shirring and its going ok, but I may have to try that method you mention. I have had a little trouble with the hand-winding myself.

Kristina P. said...

I love it! I just bought a dress with that shirring. I think it's a maternity dress, but whatever.

Lorena said...

Oh geez! the dress is so cute! You did a great job! and I really think you should make yourself one too!

Anonymous said...

Great job on the dress; that's something I've been wanting to try so I don't have to buy the fabric already shirred (is that a word?). You are definitely a natural!;-)

I keep asking the WalMarts are they getting rid of their fabric dept and if so when. I plan to be all over it when they have their %off sales!

Yeah, I love Zumba too! You really don't have to know how to dance. If you just keep moving then you're getting something outta it.

Caroline said...

I think the shirring is adorable, especially on that fabric! Pi is a living doll you get to dress up!!! LOL