I made a doll's skirt!

How excited am I!? I managed to make a doll's skirt, using a tutorial from my old 1972 ladybird sewing book.

The book is inscribed from Steven Bird; and he gave it to me for my 6th Birthday. Who knew that 31 years later I would be using that book to make one of my daughter's babys a skirt!

The material looks old and faded; that's because it is. This material once belonged to a short summer dress. DD loved that dress and when she first put it on at the age of 18 months, it was below her knees.

Finally, at the beginning of this year, when it barely reached her waist and she couldn't get her arms through the tiny armholes (she's now 8 years old!) I convinced her to part with it. Instead of taking it to the textiles bank I decided to start a fabric stash. I've heard all about how a fabric stash can get very addictive and now I think I know why.

Anyway, the baby has a new skirt and now my daughter wants me to teach her how to make one so that ALL her baby's can have new skirts.

We may be gone some time..

My first sewing alteration

My life is hectic at the moment, to put it mildly. So all my crafty stuff is on hold until the middle of February when my life should resume its regular pace and I'll be back on the blog.

However, I rather surpassed my self this week. I had to do a kind of alterations job. Alterations and sewing are not my forte but it was an emergency. Dd had been invited to a farm for the afternoon and she needed suitable attire - wellies and waterproofs to be exact.

She tried on her waterproofs and despite being the right age on the label, I think they were made for a midget child. She has a slim waist, but these were ridiculous - I wonder if they were a second.

Anyway, she couldn't get the waistband on. They were elasticated and we had half an hour before we had to leave. The other day she sorted through her wardrobe and found an old swimming costume which had a hole in it. I found my trusty quick-unpick, got into the waistband of the trousers, cut the elastic and cut a piece from the swimming costume (nice stretchy fabric) to sew in as an extension.

I was so nervous! I felt like I was back at school sitting an exam, but you know what? I did it! I was terrified the cut elastic would whip back into the waistband and I would lose it forever!
It wasn't the prettiest of jobs, but it was functional. And Dd had a great time at the farm. She was covered in you-know-what when she came home, so I'm pleased I felt the fear and got on with the sewing job :)