Different Dresses for Sisters

My husband and I are lucky to have three grandchildren, the two oldest are sisters about 2 years apart. They can be a challenge to sew for because of their age and size difference, especially since they live several states away from us. Fitting challenges can be overcome having their Mom measure them and email the results to me. Then I can take those and "translate" them onto the pattern pieces and adjust as necessary (http://berryhillheirlooms.blogspot.com/2015/04/long-distance-fitting-challenges.html) No problem.

But their age difference is enough that I really can't make the same outfit for each one. They have to be different. A few years ago I had this dilemma....what to do for their Easter dresses? I decided to make a Smocked Basic Yoke dress for the older one, and a Smocked Bishop for the younger using the same fabrics and embroidery flosses.  Easy.....but then I started to think about the smocking design. Obviously I couldn't use the same one for both, especially for the Bishop dress because it would need lots of looser stitches at the bottom of the design since it's wider in that area. Hmmm....Then again, maybe I could use the same one and change it up.

The fabric, white cotton/poly broadcloth called Imperial Broadcloth by Spechler Vogel, was easy care, easy clean, and simple to design around (no flowers or stripes to pleat). I next searched for a design that could be easily adapted to both dresses. I found it in a Creative Needle Magazine issue. Unfortunately this magazine is no longer being published (such a loss to the sewing and
stitching community) but past issues can be found for sale on the internet. This issue was Jan/Feb 2004, an article entitled "Daisy Chain", a smocking design. It was made for a smocked shoulder to waist style of dress (with a front button tab) with three bands of design and back smocking in between each row. I used two of the bands on the Basic Yoke dress in the same colors as the article, and made yellow piping whipped in green for the sleeve bands, collar and yoke seam. There's a smocked yellow row between the two bands, too.

The challenge was the Bishop dress....I had to lengthen the smocking design and make sure it fanned out enough around the bottom. The last rows of the design have the yellow daisies inside the trellis diamonds (instead of being in the center of each band on the other dress). Repetition of the trellis two times below the diamonds added extra color and definition to the yellow daisies. Two rows of cables at the top with little flowerettes framed the design around the bias neckband, and added the required tighter tension at the neckline. The sleeves are smocked with two rows of cables with a trellis in between adding just enough color to balance out the dress.

So, two sister's dresses, each different, but yet the same for Easter. The smocking designs complement each other and all colors are the same. An "unmatched pair" for two darling little girls!

Long Distance Fitting Challenges

I enjoy making clothes for my grandchildren, especially for special occasions. They really enjoy and appreciate them, which of course, makes me smile. And their parents very much appreciate the effort and time it takes to make these outfits. But they live several states away and it's not always easy to figure out what size pattern to choose and if alterations are in order. And don't forget how fast they grow. That adds a whole new dimension to the process! How do I do it from such a distance?

First I decide what I want to make for them. For the girls it's usually dresses, although I have made all sorts of garments for them. I look for a pattern that suits their ages. They both think they are growing up now so the classic Smocked Bishop is no longer an option. So I have to find something that's a little grown up and yet appropriate for their age, and something that has some "grow room" in it. I also have to allow for the fact that since I'm so far away I will have to choose a pattern that's not too form fitting. The one I chose for them for this Easter (Children's Corner "Emily") has a sash tie at the back so they can "take it in" to adjust the width. Of course, the pattern will dictate the style and type of fabric, too. My next step was to email my daughter-in-law and ask her to take specific measurements: chest, waist and hip circumference. Also length from the back of the neck to where she wanted the hem to end, and upper arm circumference. Two other important measurements are the neck circumference and the length from the neck to the shoulder point for a set-in sleeve.

The next step, after receiving the measurements via email, was to compare these with the actual pattern measurements. Both of the girls are tall and thin for their ages. The older one is wearing some size 10 commercial garments but I used a size 8 pattern and lengthened the bodice and then added more length to the skirt of the dress. See the photograph below and notice the piece of tissue paper inserted into the front and back bodice patterns? I added the additional length between the armscye and the bodice bottom at the same place on both pattern pieces...not at the bottom of the pattern piece. The reason is it would change the shape and width of the bottom if I just tacked on length.

You will also see that I altered the neckline to make it higher in order to accommodate the smocked collar since this pattern has a slightly lowered neckline (see my post "An Easter Dress").

This photo is the bodice front with the two necklines: the higher one above that I drew on using another Children's Corner pattern and the lower one which is the Emily pattern neckline.

This is the bodice back neckline showing both of the necklines, the altered higher one is at the top.