Free: August 2012 Archives
Once again I am going to give raves reviews for our
new Create
Kids Couture Free Pattern Download: the
Millie's Schoolhouse Skirt. This skirt is, of course, totally cute but also
great for any girl given the options to customize it. You can just go with the
skirt, add suspenders or tie on the sash. Anything goes. It is great. It also
doesn't take that much time to make. By the time you can get your kids in the
car with all their gear/snacks/toys, drive to the mall, unpack everyone, get
them to the store and try on clothes, then get everyone and everything back in
the car, drive home and unpack, I guarantee you can make this skirt. All in the
comfort of your home, with a nice cup of tea by your side and maybe your kids
watching a movie so you can relax. Which sounds nicer to you?
I made my Millie Skirt ready for fall in some nice Gold, Garnet, and Raspberry tones from Denyse
Schmidt's Flea Market Fancy Legacy Collection. You can find plenty more fall
collections in our Holiday Section. Just click on Quilting Cotton
on the left sidebar and look for the Holiday
Fabrics section and fall
is nestled in there with Halloween, Christmas and Chanukah. I opted just for
the 3 prints and ordered ½ yd of each and found that by mixing up the patterns
I could get 2 skirts from my fabric purchase.
My skirt is just the skirt since my daughter while a
big twirling advocate will climb into a skirt readily, but once she has one
layer of clothing is off to play. Any additional layers can only be added via
fierce negations in which I often concede more than I gain or tears are
involved. She loves the skirt though since it looks like a bell and twirls
nicely. It is a size 4T since she will be 4 in the winter and the fit is just
right. I love where the skirt hits at her knees; it will look great with
leggings once the weather matches my fall fabric choices and the gathered waist means
I can tuck her shirt in, leave it out or add a sweater without too much bulk.
I was able to practice more with my serger on this
skirt and loved finishing my edges as I sewed up the skirt. I did have some
trouble when it came to adding the waist band so I left the hole open, added my
elastic then sewed it closed with my sewing machine then went over it again
with my serger to finish the edge.
You will love making this skirt and your little girl
will love wearing it. It goes on with a quick tug for those learning to dress
themselves and is easy to remove for potty breaks. And if you want to pair it
with some shorts for playtime, the Create
Kids Couture Aiden Shorts fit perfectly underneath this skirt!
To solve this I put an old strapless bra on my dress form and adjusted the dial to fit my under bust then I added pads to the bra until the bust matched my own. I reused some pads I had from other bras but you could use shoulder pads, old towels or thick blankets cut to size for hips, rump or stomach. 
Starting pinning your knit to the sides of your dressform. Pull the knit taunt but not as tight as it will go. You want the cover fitted but still able to be pulled on and off. Pin often as this will be your sewing guide to sew your seams.
Trim the seams to about 1-2''. This will make it easier to sew without all the extra fabric. Slowly ease the cover off your dressform and sew using the pins as your seam guides, leaving the top of the neck and bottom open. serge the edges or sew with a zigzag stitch.
Finally turn your cover RS out and slip over your dress form, making sure none of your pads shift. But if they do, you can just slip your hand up there after the cover is in place and adjust. Confirm the placement of all pads with your tape measure. Tie off your top with a ribbon for the top and a rubber band for the bottom. 
