well, "as often as possible" didn't turn out to be that often, did it? first ella got sick, then my computer got sick, then ella got sicker, and now it is the day before the day before. but i couldn't just leave you hanging, so let me see what i can do to make it up to you.
this is a simple little dress that you really can make at the last minute--i know this, because i make them at the last minute all the time. (i made this one in an afternoon, and ella wore it to a christmas party that same evening). it is just a purchased t-shirt with a skirt added, and some embellishment to make it look like it was supposed to be a dress and not just a t-shirt with a skirt added. ella calls these her twirly dresses, and she stands by the sewing machine as i sew them, checking on their progress--much the way a child does on a road trip--"are we there yet? are we there yet?" (or ella's variation: "are we here?"). she has been known to strip naked where she stands to put on a new twirly dress--or the complete opposite--to put a new twirly dress on over whatever she is wearing. (as far as i can tell, this is completely unconnected to the weather--she is as likely to put a dress over her clothes in 90 degrees heat as she is to strip nakie in the dead of winter--which we don't get enough of here--but that is another story.....).
you've probably seen this sort of dress countless times online, but here's the thing: i don't cut the t-shirts. i just mark a line however far down from the underarm i want the waistline to be, and sew the skirt there. and here's the other thing: i don't measure the pleats. in fact, i don't even measure the fabric--i just rip two pieces of fabric the entire width of the yardage and whatever length i decide to make the skirt. i seam the two pieces together on the shirt sides and since it is selvage i don't have to finish the edges. then i mark the skirt in halves, quarters, 8ths, and 16ths--but i still don't measure--i just fold in half, and fold in half again, and keep folding each smaller section in half, pressing each fold so i have a guide. i do the same to the t-shirt--fold and mark with a pin, over and over, until i have as many marks on the waistline as i made on the skirt. i pin the skirt to the t-shirt, mark to mark, then i just fold the pleats as i sew:
i usually fold up a generous hem--i like 2"--but if i don't have enough fabric, i use bias binding and make a faced hem. the embellishment on the pink dress is just a scrap that i ruffled and sewed down:
and the blue dress in the pleat close-up is the one i made for her to wear to her preschool christmas party: thomas the train! the embellishment is an origami flower that i made using instructions i found at this post at craftster.
and lest i forget: for the SRC, i'll take 3 points each for the t-shirts, the skirts were about a yard each of fabric that i've had for less than a year, i'll just say 5 points each for them--but i want 10 points for each embellishment because, by golly, those things take about as much time as the skirts. 36 points! wow, if i want to make my goal of 1000 points, i better start moving some fabric off the shelf and thru the machine.
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and speaking of goals, i want to take a moment to thank all of you who have contributed so far to my heifer campaign! every little bit helps, and i am truly thankful for your gift to this cause. if some of you have hesitated to contribute because you think you can't give enough, i want to reassure you that ANY amount will be welcome. if everybody who visits this blog gives just one or two dollars, together we'll go well over the top of my goal! and if this is not a good time for you to contribute, please know that your prayers or wishes of goodwill toward this effort are also a worthy contribution.
i have a couple of other christmasy ideas to share with you, and even though tomorrow is the day before the day, i think any of these ideas are doable at the last minute--i should know--if it weren't for the last minute, i'd hardly get anything done at all.
