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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

A Little Mindless Sewing

It has finally warmed up in Chicago. I think we maybe hit 80 degrees today, so time to bring out the summer dresses!!!
This dress qualifies for the most mindless of all sewing tasks. One seam down the back and you're done. Actually, it wasn't quite that simple, almost though. I wanted to keep the border, but the piece was too long, so I cut the border off and then reattached it. The straps were made from two different ribbons.  
The grosgrain is really quite nice as it has a thread running down each side. I thought it made a nice touch with the dress.
My peonies are beginning to fade :( Their lifespan is just not long enough.
By the way, the fabric came from Joann's. Here's a link to the fabric if you are interested, http://www.joann.com/style-in-an-instant-spring-53in-dress-ethnic-blue-/zprd_12043246a/. It's 50% off right now! Hey, I love a good sale!
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17 comments:

  1. Linda TJune 11, 2013 at 6:00 PM

    So pretty and summery!

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  2. DianaJune 11, 2013 at 6:21 PM

    Oh so pretty!!

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  3. Linda LJune 11, 2013 at 6:29 PM

    Very pretty summer dress!

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  4. shamsJune 11, 2013 at 9:00 PM

    Yay for mindless sewing! That dress is very cute!

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  5. AndreaJune 11, 2013 at 10:29 PM

    Such a pretty color combo, Rhonda, and how sweet are the grosgrain straps! Your garden is so lovely. I miss the northern summers. Lauren and I used to spend our summers up north until she started high school. Call me strange, but I love the smell of the dirt in PA. We just have such sandy soil here. How's that for a tangent? I do love your dress!

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  6. pdiddlyJune 12, 2013 at 1:33 AM

    I agree with the mindless sewing - I too have been doing it. Pretty dress and the ribbon makes a nice strap.

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  7. prttynpnkJune 12, 2013 at 6:10 AM

    Too cute! All the compliments with less work- can't beat that!

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  8. becki-cJune 12, 2013 at 6:43 AM

    How gorgeous and perfect for summer. This looks so cool and perfect for summer. I love the straps, so cute!

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  9. MiasewsJune 12, 2013 at 7:06 AM

    Nothing wrong with mindless sewing when it results in a pretty dress!

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  10. velosewsJune 12, 2013 at 8:17 AM

    How cute. It doesn't sound like you were mindless but very thoughtful.

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  11. CennettaJune 12, 2013 at 12:02 PM

    Cute sundress. My sister decided she wants to learn how to sew. We bought similar fabric from JoAnn's to make her a summer dress. I like the idea of using pretty ribbon for the straps.

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  12. SandraJune 13, 2013 at 4:48 PM

    Rhonda, this dress looks lovely on you! I'd like to make a shorter one for myself but would need wider straps or better yet much wider straps, even to covering the shoulders. Since I'm about 5 ft 3 in., I assume I'd have plenty of fabric to make them by shortening it and keeping the border, like you did. But I don't know how to make that kind of shoulder cover. Any ideas, Rhonda or other readers? Thanks!

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    1. RhondaBussJune 13, 2013 at 9:52 PM

      You would have plenty of fabric to make very wide straps. I say straps, but they should be wide enough to cover the shoulder and even fall off the shoulder and over your arms a bit. Just take the fabric and run a gather stitch along the edge and then see it to the top line of elastic. Be sure to pull the elastic as you sew so that it will continue to have the same elasticity once the wide straps have been attached.

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  13. SandraJune 14, 2013 at 7:10 AM

    Thanks, Rhonda. So, just rectangles would work? And thanks for mentioning stretching the elastic. I'm not sure I'd have thought of that. Sewing even the simplest of garments still takes a lot of figuring things out and then following steps. I'm going to stop in at Joann's this afternoon and pick up the fabric! Thanks!

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  14. Sara RodríguezJune 15, 2013 at 11:54 AM

    Sencillo y precioso. Muy bien elegido el estampado. Me encanta la mezcla azul-verde y me encanta tu jardín!

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  15. Sew SisterJuly 2, 2013 at 5:17 PM

    This dress is very pretty on you!

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  16. SandraJuly 10, 2013 at 7:09 AM

    Hi Rhonda, thanks again for posting about this sundress. You inspired me to get the fabric and shorten it. I went in a different direction about the straps/shoulder coverage, which I posted about in my blog at http://makingitwithhelp.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-version-of-sundress_1916.html . I hope you'll take a look. Thanks again!

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