My First Big Sewing Project

Ever since my parents gave me a sewing machine for my BYU graduation present, I've been interested in remembering how to sew. Somehow I didn't seem to learn very much from my outdoor clothing class at Alta High School! I finally decided that the perfect project for me to make was a Christmas dress for Liliahna. I looked forward to this learning adventure with great anticipation and a little bit of apprehension for a couple of weeks before I was able to gather up my courage and venture to the fabric store for the initial perusing of patterns and fabric. I was completely overwhelmed by the vast variety of styles of both dress design and fabric, do I use buttons or zippers, long sleeve or short, fancy or simple? How was I ever going to know how to do this!?!

Luckily a friend lent me a pattern and helped get me started, I had begun my great sewing adventure. After cutting the pattern out the pieces of Lili's dress sat on our table staring me down for a good, solid week before I ventured to open the directions and make the first stitch. My high hopes were quickly dashed when the first step instructed me to "stay-stitch" the neckline...what in the world is a stay stitch?!? I thought I might be able to skip to the second direction and somehow gain insight on the first. Nope, who knows what it means to "baste"?!?

After a discouraging start and a lot of help from my mom, Kylan's mom and my friend Colette I finished Lili's dress in time for her to wear it to church the Sunday before Christmas. It was a fun project and as long as you don't look too closely I think you'd be impressed with my first attempt at making clothes. I actually had a great time and enjoyed the process of learning a new skill. Although I feel very domestic, I learned a very important lesson...When making a dress for your child it is easy to spend both more time and more money than taking a quick trip to Baby Gap!!!

The following two pictures show what Lili did while I was lovingly making her Christmas dress... she was making a mess! She's learned that certain things are a little bit naughty and when she gets caught she always makes the same face!