Fun with SAGA Sandcastle Chapter

Our local SAGA chapter got together to make this sweet dress in a class taught by Kathy Awender. (Click on the link to go to her home page). It just so happened that my trip to California coincided with this class. I had already registered for the class and had planned on making the dress by myself, but it was much more fun to attend the class in person. The dress is a size 3 modified bishop, with a neckband above the smocking. It's a nice change from the classic bishop.

And it has a cute smocked pocket.

The Dimity Dreams Dress kit contains light blue batiste for the neckband and trim, floss for the smocking, thread, cording, mother of pearl buttons and white windowpane dimity fabric for the dress.

First we had to make piping out of the blue batiste for the neckband. Kathy recommends using a 5 groove pin tuck foot as the tiny piping will just fit into one of the grooves and hold it steady while stitching the seam. However, I didn't bring it with me, leaving it in Colorado. I have an old Husqvarna Viking Designer 1 that is still in the California house, but it only has the feet that came with the machine, minus the zipper foot, which would have worked as well. So I used the buttonhole C foot, which has a groove on the bottom right, and held the cording fairly well.

Here we are, hard at work. Kathy is in the light blue on the right of the lower photo. I'm not in the photo, as I was having a seriously bad hair day.

The semi completed neckband, which needs a good ironing.

And this is where I ended up after six hours of class. I have the sleeves attached to the bodice, and the French seams partially sewn and trimmed. All it needs it to have the final seams sewn, then I can progress on to the pleating and smocking.

I don't think any of us have a size 3 little girl who needs a fancy dress, but that never stopped us from sewing a new one!