in persuit of perfection (yet another itty bitty dress!)

i feel like i'm finally starting to get a bit more of a handle on the itty bitty baby dress, honing the details (just made another almost identical to this to go with the bunting)...

...the last one i made i added a bit in to the straps on the pattern as i felt they were a bit too short to tie easily...

...and then this time i decided to taper the ends of the straps into points from the widest bit of the curve (really wasn't liking those small round ends to sew)...

...and i decided to stitch the bias to the front of the bodice first, followed by the skirt also to the front of the bodice (previously sewn to the bodice lining), then handstitched in the bodice lining instead. didn't take long at all and made for a much neater finish...

...also changed the seams to what i know as 'pajama seams' which look much better - and stronger...

...and i'm happy with how i'm doing the bottom hem now too.

itty bitty dress strikes again

molly also had an early christmas present sent over last week; the - by now - almost compulsory itty bitty dress. it was a slightly punchier/funkier version than normal, to counterbalance her soft and pretty quilt (and a slightly extended version to accommodate her lovely long legs).

how cute is this?

somewhere approaching as cute as a newborn i think...excited to have the current baby boom among my friends starting with a couple of girls (as requested!) - a good excuse to sew some dresses and such. in fact i thought this was so cute i hung it on the bedroom wardrobe door the night it was finished, and ohhed and ahhed at its sweetness every time i caught a glimpse...

it's my normal imperfect style where i'm most impressed by the overall effect. this time though most of the inside even looked presentable. that's some soft cream damask that had been sitting in the cupboard for a decade or two on the inside. and the main fabric is another vintage purchase from my faithful friend ebay.

(i'm still taken with including these details on the selvedge - anyone know if they actually have a name?)

okay, baby-sized drumroll please: here it is!

it's a slightly bigger version of the previous 'itty bitty baby dress' i made - a free made by rae pattern. the last attempt was so small it barely fitted its owner (one of the most delicate specimens i have ever seen) just after she was born. this is the next size up - 1 to 3 months, plus a teeny bit more for insurance - and hopefully i'll get a bit of feedback on how it fits. definitely recommend erring on the larger side though if you're going to give it a try. now, i just need to ask the universe to kindly bring on a few sunny days again...