Project: Simplicity 2083 Child's Skirt

Simplicity 2083 - Child's Skirt
Purpose: I am working on a skirt for Valentine's Day for my niece.
Alterations: I didn't like the flower or the rick rack.  So I didn't include them. The instructions were so confusing, true to form. 
Timeline:
Thursday, Feb 5, 2015 -  
a. I prepped the pattern. I cut all the pieces, ironed them, and divided up the pieces according to view.  I chose to make view A; I preserved the view B pieces in a sandwich bag.  I cut the pattern out. In retrospect, I bought too much fabric (almost double).  I was pretty proud about cutting the notches. My technique is to cut a rectangle around the notches.
b. I stay-stitched the waist around the pattern pieces.  Luckily, I watched a video showing how to stay-stitch. I was about to sew the front and back pieces, but I realized that you were supposed to stay-stitch them individually.  I back-stitched for permanency.
Friday, Feb 6, 2015 -
a. I decided to make the skirt smaller.  Originally, I cut it at size 6, so she could wear it longer.  At Christmas, her measurements were at a size 5, but I measured the waist around her belly button.  So, I cut the fabric according to the size 5 pattern.
b. I sewed the front and back side seams.
Saturday, Feb 7, 2015 -
a. I sewed the elastic casing.
b. I sewed the elastic casing to the skirt. I trimmed the seam allowance for the casing.
c. I sewed a 1" hem around the bottom of the skirt.
d. I threaded the elastic through the casing. 
e. I hand-sewed the hole shut. 
I forgot to pre-shrink the fabric, so I washed it and checked for any shrinking. 

I am pretty proud of my work!

Finished Skirt

Cute Model!!

I found this video immensely helpful for this project.  I referenced it to make the casing, attach the casing, and the helpful hints about trimming and iron the seams.

 

Project: See & Sew B5411 Half Apron

See & Sew: B5411 - Half Apron

Purpose: I want to make this for a very good friend.  She called 911 for me when I had the stroke.  She lives in Minneapolis, and she called 911 from there.  She likes to bake, even for business trips. I thought that she can take it with her when she is away from home.  She is coming for a visit on Thursday, Jan 29, 2015. I will finish by then.
Timeline: 
Dec 22, 2014 - I began this project around Christmas.  I prepped the pattern, pinned the pattern pieces, cut out the pattern, made a pocket, and sewed the edge of the apron.  It took 2 hours to accomplish this.  Then, I realized that I sewed the edges of the apron incorrectly; the raw scalloped edges were showing.


Gathering the waistband

Jan 25, 2015 - I resumed the project this past Sunday.  I removed the erroneous portion and re-sewed the correct way.  I was very pleased with the outcome!  I also gathered the waist. I was confused about how to attach the waistband to the apron.  I will continue to research this task.
Jan 27, 2015 -  I worked on sewing the waistband to the apron, hiding the raw edges of the gathering.  I tried 3 times, but I couldn't get it right.  I will continue tomorrow!
Jan 28, 2015 - I sewed the waistband and started the ties.  I put in 3 hours of work.  I skipped the pleats because I couldn't figure out the instructions.


Sewing the waistband

Jan 29, 2015 -  I completed the apron (2 hours). I took pictures, and I am very pleased the quality.  I noticed that the ends of the apron were 2 different lengths.  I compared against the pattern. I realized the problem.  Skipping the pleats caused the length discrepancy.  No matter!  My friend loved it!

The Finished Product