10 Jun 2010

Mon Espace Créateur - { My Creative Space }

Oh what a mission I've been on! Over hill, over dale, in nook and in cranny, down the garden path ....to end, up a creek without a paddle! Such an adventure chasing not a pot of gold but a wee little dressing gown for my little honey bunny. That is, a dressing gown with a few requirements: buttons instead of a tie so that I don't have to spend all my time doing it up to keep her snug, no and I repeat NO leopard print in any shape or form (I mean really Kmart people, who would?!!!) nor glitter, nor "coz I'm cute" slogans. You get the picture.... a dressing gown for a little girl not a bouffant haired , black eye liner-ed strumpet!

Did I find one...no! Did I make one for about the cost of a coffee...YES! With a little under a metre of the least zany printed fleece from my beloved Spotlight (tongue pushed firmly against cheek), a rip off pattern from a Mr.P Patch jacket and a few hours and mon petit poppet is toast-y! Because it was so cinchy I thought I'd show you how.....

1) Find a suitable jacket with a collar to copy. Cut around sleeves leaving extra for seam allowances.
2) Do the same for the back. Make the dressing gown whatever length you need.
3) Fold the jacket sleeve out of the way and use the curve as a guide to cut the armhole (again leaving a seam allowance)

4) Fold the collar out of the way and cut straight across the neckline. Repeat on the other side.

5) Et voila! One back piece.

6) Do the same for your front piece.

7) When you reach the front armhole, remove the jacket and align your back piece over the top to ensure a perfect match on your armholes. Repeat for the other side.

Make sure you have a left and a right piece.


8) Do the same for your collar - cutting two pieces. With right sides facing, stitch them together along the curve. Turn the right way out.


9) With right sides facing, sew the fronts and backs together at the sides and shoulders.Sew sleeves together also.

10) Turn sleeves the right way out and put inside the jacket. Match the shoulder seams and side seams and pin. It should look like this. Stitch.


11) Turn jacket right way out. It should be starting to resemble a little wee dressing gown!

12) Pin and stitch the raw edge of your collar to the wrong side of the dressing gown.


Make sure to leave a hem allowance for the front pieces either side of the collar.

12) Inside the jacket, on the back piece, measure about 9 and a half cm in from the left side seam and pin an 11cm piece of 3/4 inch elastic. This is to pull in the back a little so place it roughly where the small of the back would be.

13) Measure about 9 and a half cm from the right hand side and make a mark.

14) Pulling towards the mark as you go, stitch the elastic in place. I did a row of stitching on each side of the elastic.

15) Hem the front edges so that they align with the collar join. Hem the bottom edge.




16) Turn the collar out so that it is facing the right way and top stitch close to the seam. Go slowly because it is quite thick.


17) Overlap the front pieces as they would sit when done up and pin where you would like the buttons to go. Make button holes and sew on buttons.

C'est Fini!!!

I'm off to have a bath, pop on my dressing gown and have a lovely trawl through all the delightful creative spaces at Kirsty's lovely blog.


23 comments:

  1. Oh Steph, how gorgeous. What a great plan to have buttons and no tie. I wish I had a gown like that, and so I am sure do the builders (working on the block behind me), when the wind tries to blow it open, when I am at the clothesline!
    Yiur little poppet will be snug as a bug in a rug. You make it look oh so easy!

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  2. C'est encroyable!! This is exactly how i make my own patterns up, da dah, so easy!!
    I can assure you it doesn't get any better when your baby girl is a tween, it's all "I love Vampires", "Rock" or worse, "I'm a bitch, what's your problem" & horrible printed T ghastliness. I tend to stick to Country Road, plain, durable, modest fashion - anything else is horrid. Plus my children are very slim so it's hard to find clothes which fit. I can't wait until the Creative Space where i get to make a formal dress in December, i know, just like that, they're wearing an evening frock. I agree, animal prints on children, hmmmmm . . . love Posie

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  3. You are my hero, Steph...

    Poppet will be a vision of innocence and lovliness all rolled up in one sweet package!

    Lucky girl, to have such a talented mum.

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  4. Love it Steph, you make it look so easy. Will be adding this to my list of things to make ;-) Could not agree more about some of the kids clothes out there being beyond inappropriate, obviously the designers don't have kids themselves.

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  5. Wow your little dressing gown is so gorgeous!!! AND your tutorial is wonderful....you have made it look so easy! Even I feel like I could give it a go and I have trouble thinking -back to front and inside out- to do sewing. Thanks Steph :-)

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  6. A wonderful job! Thanks for all the instructions too, so clear!
    Mmm, where did we buy the last dressing gowns for the kids? It was Myer (in the sale), nice and thick and snug in shades of blue. Target/kmart definitely get the thumbs down for poor taste, i agree! What's going on?
    Bye! x

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  7. What a lucky girl - looks so cuddly!. I absolutely agree with your frustrations about inappropriate children's clothes.

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  8. That is very sweet. My Mum always made me the prettiest little full length nighties with frills & pretty trims, just what little girls should be wearing...I agree, some of the gear out there is ghastly! Beautiful work...

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  9. Thanks for the tutorial!! It looks beautiful and warm. I hear exactly what you're saying- I wanted to get my son a dressing gown that didn't have Thomas the Train or Bob the Builder on it. I finally found a navy blue plain one... but next time I might just be brave and make one like this! xo m.

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  10. You know, when I stop by for a visit, usually a quick one with a toddler wrangling at my feet it feels as though we are having a lovely chat in person! what a delightful little robe for your poppet! she will love it! I often wonder why why why department stores are so fixated on putting such gastly gear on our little bundles of innocence! As always you have risen to the challenge and made a gorgeous (age appropriate) item! hats off to you (and not in leopard print)!!
    have a great weekend...xx

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  11. wow you're amazing!

    i dream of being able to make clothes like this but am no where near clever enough, nor brave enough!

    it looks lovely and it will probably last a million times longer than anything you'd buy from kmart anyway!

    xox

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  12. Wow! you clever girl, this looks wonderful and is so much more special because you made it! I'm sure your little one will be as snug as a bug, and looking pretty cute too! xo

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  13. C'est merveilleuse and gorgeous generally! What is with the likes of manufacturers et al with their appalling taste in what's appropriate for children. Ranks up there with bras and bellies showing on 5 year olds! Thanks for the lesson in drafting patterns. Badly needed in my case.
    My Creative Space

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  14. You make it look so easy Steph!
    I might have a go one day - when i get the guts! I'm not so good at clothes.

    This looks gorgeous - so so impressed!xx

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  15. oh you are so very fab - what a great idea, you are indeedy a very resourceful kind of gal!

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  16. Gorgeous Stpeh, well done! I came to the same conclusion with my two, much easier and cheaper to make your own. She'll love it! Have a great weekend x

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  17. Oh my gosh - brilliant job and great instructions - I might have to add this to my fun sewing list!

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  18. Ohhh it looks so nice and cosy :) good job Steph :)

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  19. Now aren't you very clever Steph?! Well done, and I'll bet Bijou looks very fab in it too! Next we know you'll be making one for yourself, non? ;)) x

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  20. LOVE IT STEPH!! Beautiful dressing gown and great instructions! That's my kind of clothes pattern (drawing around another item of clothing!!)

    Thanks for sharing your wonderful talent once again!

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  21. I agree with you about it being hard to find appropriate dressing gowns! Thanks for the tutorial, it's great. xx

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  22. hi Steph, just wanted to tell you I got an email from the Kids style file blog (which I often don't read) - but this time it was promoting the market in Brisbane... I was so chuffed to see one of your gorgeous smock dresses in position 1 on their list of stalls to see - woohoo! hope you have a really successful weekend!

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  23. Nice one ! But will she wear it? Little messyfish won't let me put one on him. We have 3 in blue if you need more!!!

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Your words brighten my day! Thank-you so much for joining me on my adventure. x