Sewing feats of late

There hasn't been much sewing around here since the KCWC, but I have finally-at-last-holy-moly completed a flannel-lined pair of corduroy pants for my big girl and a corduroy dress for my wee one.  Ya know, it's always a good idea to complete winter sewing before the winter is actually over...(ahem).

The pants are again the pattern o from Happy Handmade Vol 2.  The corduroy is a cheap cord from Joann's with a lovely Anna Maria Horner flannel lining.  I know it's crazy to have such a gorgeous flannel as a liner, but I wanted it to be used and loved, and my girl love-love-loves the way it feels inside those plain pants.  I finished the edges so she can (and currently must) roll the cuffs to expose the flannel.

 

The pants didn't fit as she likes (way low beneath her belly button), so I had to add a waistband to lengthen the rise.  The added waistband is the flannel too.  Alas, since that isn't part of the original pattern, the fit is a bit off now...but oh well.  It fits somewhere between design and her preference, so it's ok.



Stephanie's birthday dress is Citronille's Albertine.  This one is not yet available in English, which is perhaps to my detriment as a relatively new and self-taught sewist.  The front piece (and corresponding back piece) were way too wide.  I had to reduce each by over 2 inches to fit my girl better.  I had already completed the dress when I realized this, so I simply folded each piece over and sewed it down.  On the front, I sewed on 2 buttons so it would look intentional (like a button band without actual buttonholes).

 

Now it fits just fine.  I have read other reviews of this pattern advocating shortening the pattern's elastic length in the shoulders by 2 cm on each side.  I'd agree with this (but didn't do it).  As a result, this dress is a bit of a super-soft-and-sweet corduroy sack, but she doesn't care so neither do I.  It looks particularly cute and intentional when she pairs it with the corduroy pants I sewed for her this fall, so we will go with that.

   

This fabric is Get Together pinwhale corduroy, and it is the softest, sweetest corduroy I've ever had my hands on.  I had purchased Anna Maria Horner's velveteen for this dress, but Stephanie chose this corduroy from my stash instead.  I don't blame her.  It's so lovely to touch and the squirrels and acorns pattern is very cute.