Almost done with my daughters' dresses

They just need buttonholes, buttons, and a ruffle on the bottom hem now!

County Arts & Craft Festival

My county has an Arts & Crafts Festival in mid-September. I hope to enter at least one category. Here is the description in the rules:

CLOTHING

Articles must be completely finished, clean, pressed and like new in appearance. Soiled items will not be accepted. Please bring your own hangers. Items will be judged on fabric selection, neatness, construction (basic sewing techniques) and general appearance.

Class 1: Classic (detailed construction, including menswear)
Class 2: After-Five (soft construction)
Class 3: Sportswear
Class 4: Children’s Wear (through children size 14)
Class 5: Miscellaneous (costumes, etc.)
Class 6: Wearable Art (must have made and/or decorated the item)
a. T-shirts b. Jackets c. Vests d. Miscellaneous


It's very hard to decide exactly what I want to make... I would definitely like to make a historical costume for the Miscellaneous category. But I think I would have to do a bodice/skirt separately and display them on a hanger (as full-length dresses are too long to fit on a clothes rack in most places). What could I make that would look good on a hanger? So much to choose from. I would love to do the Truly Victorian 1883 Riding Habit Jacket and 1883 Riding Habit Skirt, but I cannot find the kind of fabric I want... a dark-colored woven stripe-on-stripe wool... or a cotton twill like that, at the very least. I suppose I will have to keep exploring my options. (I don't even have the patterns... perhaps I ought to stick with something I already have. The Past Patterns Sheer Muslin Dress, perhaps?)

And I could do a kids' item as well. Boy, I'll have a lot of difficult sewing projects this summer, won't I?!

I need something in royal blue...

My sister's wedding colors are black, white, and royal blue. She sent me a ribbon swatch to show me the exact color, and has requested that each of her sisters wear that color in their outfit (we don't have to dress head-to-toe in royal blue... good, because I'd look absolutely silly!)

I am completely stumped about what to wear. I can't really seem to find any prints I like that have royal blue in them (truthfully, I've only found one, and it was ugly). I managed to find some royal blue dupioni silk... but what can I make from that? A blouse, or a skirt? What would I wear with it- a black skirt or blouse? That's the only color I can think of to go with it.

I also need to find a pattern I like. I did come across this royal blue Chinese bamboo brocade... I thought maybe I can make a mandarin-style blouse? New Look 6812. shortened into a blouse length, would be suitable... but what kind of a skirt could I wear with it? (I do not have the figure to pull off an entire dress of that style). Would a black A-line skirt work?

I would love to do some sort of historical-themed dress, such as a Regency Gown or a 1910's Tea Gown, but I just can't think of how quite to do it and make it look good.

I need a white shirt... but which one?

I need to make myself a modest long-sleeve white shirt (I cannot find any ready-made ones I like... for a decent price, anyway). I have found a few patterns I like:

Butterick 4659
Butterick 4457
McCall's 5138
Simplicity 3789

My decision might be based on whatever of these I can get at a $1 sale, LOL.

And fabrics... I need something that isn't very likely to be see-through, which of course means no cheap broadcloth (like the stuff from Wal-Mart). All I've been able to find so far is sateen from Dharma Trading.

Sister's getting married...

Okie dokie, my younger sister has announced that she is getting married... and she remembered that a few years ago, I offered to make her wedding gown if she ever got married.

She has decided that she wants a "poofy" skirt (tulle ballgown skirt) like this one. And after looking through tons of patterns, she decided upon the out-of-print Butterick 6413, which I managed to find cheap on Etsy. Can you imagine how gorgeous this would be in a white dupioni silk? OOH! I am not sure about trim options... my sister would like some trim on it, along the neckline and the hem, but I don't know what is available for bridal stuff. I've never looked. She hasn't decided on a fabric for it either, but I did suggest the dupioni to her... it can be found for $10-$15/yd, and the bodice takes 2 yards. She said she wants a satin hem around the bottom of the skirt... if I am unable to talk her out of that, I may be able to make it in a fabric that matches the bodice.



Tulle is very cheap... I am hoping we can make this dress look fantastic for less than $100.