A peasant dress for Chess

I knew just how I wanted to use the rest of this sweet fabric... I envisioned a peasant style dress with navy bias trim and a navy casing to gather somewhere just above the waist. Hmmmm, well ish


I started with the Lila Shirred Blouse pattern from Tanya Whelan's Sew What You Love as I needed a pattern to get the basic sizing. I cut out a size 5/6 and possibly length 7/8. I certainly meant to anyway. The pattern has a shirred neck and waist but I wanted to use elastic casing, which worked easily at the neck, but not so the sleeves. There just wasn't enough material where the sleeves meet the bodice to turn over fabric for the elastic casing without getting all messed up with seams. Does that make sense? Anyway I managed to nudge bits around to get a casing, the sleeves are gathered and they look sweet. Next time I'll make the sleeves a bit deeper.

I was so unsure about sizing that I did manage to persuade P to try it on. He was rather good natured about it. I thought he might love it and refuse to take the dress off, but it really does appear that P has a growing sense of what others see as acceptable for boys to wear. But thankfully he was happy to wear it for a moment or two for me to check fit. And I found I had made the sleeve elastic far too tight -quickly remedied - but worse than that I realised how rather short it was. Maybe the title of the blouse, not dress, should have alerted me. Hmmm. So sadly no elastic in a navy casing around the waist as I had imagined, as that would have made what I am now calling a tunic, even shorter. Chess is obsessed with wearing leggings, which is a good thing, as this peasant tunic will be just right. Maybe next time I'll remember and make it much, much longer. Or just do the shirring...


This time parcelled up with one of Patch's current favourites


Do hope you had a happy birthday Chess!

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