Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Embroidered Eyelet + Ice

Hi all!  I hope you're having a good start to your summer!

One of the unexpected joys of sewing is seeing how different a project can look with a change of fabric.  It's winning every time--you get something fresh without the hassle of picking another pattern.  After finding my perfect shirtdress last year in the Deer and Doe Bleuet, I decided it was high time to make another version.

And when I saw this eyelet lawn, I knew I had found the perfect match for shirtdress #2.





Ice Dyeing!

To start out my Bleuet part deux, I decided to ice dye the eyelet.  The 100% cotton makes it a perfect choice for ice dye.  It's lightweight too which makes it easy to manipulate during the ice dyeing process.  

I expected the embroidery to be a polyester, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was cotton too.  So all of the pretty flowers embroidered across the surface of the eyelet picked up some of the dye as well.

For this yardage, I used Procion dyes in coral, hot pink, clear yellow, and peach.  I was thinking about my daughter here who I knew would be gaga for these colors together.

Embroidered seams


The pattern calls for all of the long princess seams to be topstitched.  I don't love topstitching on eyelet because sometimes the needles can skip.  I didn't have too much problem with this one, I think because the holes are pretty small for eyelet.

Nevertheless, I decided to go a different route for finishing the seams.

First I sewed all the seams, then finished them on the inside of the dress with a serger.



Then I used a fabric marker to mark points at 1/2" intervals 1/4" away from each seam.  Then I stitched X's all along each seam with pink embroidery thread, including the shoulder seams.  It's a different way to topstitch!

I think the X's are a nice accent to the ice dye too.  


Yellow buttons


The one thing about the Deer and Doe Bleuet is that it takes a whopping 15 buttons.  Thankfully the Milly shirt buttons come in handy bags of 10.  For this project, I chose the yellow.  Those are sold out, but there's several other shirt buttons here.

I added the pink embroidery thread to the buttons too for a two-tone look on the buttons.


It's finally getting hot enough here in Colorado, that the final dress is just right.  My sons have been able to return to baseball, so I will definitely be staying cool at games!



Pattern rematch part 2: Ottobre 3-2017-14

I had just enough fabric leftover to make a second version of Ottobre 3-2017-14 for my daughter.  When I made it last year in the chambray it was a little big on her.  

I think secretly I cut sizes a little big for my kids in hopes that I can get a little longer out of the same size!  This year, the 98 is a perfect fit for her.

This has been a favorite dress for her.  It's nice that the second layer acts as a self lining.  And the shoulder ties and back keyhole are sweet details for summer.




She really loves when we do the whole Mommy and Me thing.  1) she loves fabric and especially if there's pink involved, and 2) because I think she gets a kick out of us coordinating.  And raiding my accessories is also peak fun for her.  


So those are my ice dyeing adventures with eyelet lawn and familiar patterns.  What have you been sewing this summer?

~Elizabeth of Elizabeth Made This
Sew something creative

Comments

  1. Great dresses, Elizabeth ! How did you do the ice dyeing ? Looks interesting...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you! It's a really fun process, and there's a detailed tutorial here on my blog: https://elizabethmadethis.com/how-to-ice-dye-fabric/

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the effect of ice dyeing, but I've never tried it myself. Your dresses turned out perfect. Beautiful choice of dyes. And that hand embroidery-wow! So cool! I always get new ideas from your posts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ann! I always love seeing your techniques too! I'm so grateful to be among such talented creative ladies! I think you'd enjoy the process--if you can pick colors, you will love the results!

      Delete
  4. The topstitching is genius. Color combinations also. Boutique worthy effort! Your daughter is growing up so fast, I can see she looks older in her expressions. She will be challenging you at the machine soon ; > )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I had the same thought. She definitely has strong opinions about fabric, LOL!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Pattern Emporium’s Lyrical Top Featuring Fabric Mart Fabrics

 Sewn in a lightweight  rayon challis , this top combines style, comfort, and fluidity. There’s one thing I love in a summer sew: effortless drape—and the Lyrical Top by Pattern Emporium delivered just that. This pattern is a new release, and when I spotted this dreamy rayon challis from Fabric Mart Fabrics, I knew it was the perfect pairing. Lightweight, breathable, and with just the right amount of movement, the fabric really brought the pattern to life. Today, I’m sharing all the details—from fabric choice and construction to styling and fit—plus a few thoughts on why this top might just become a repeat sew. Pattern Overview: The Lyrical Top by Pattern Emporium The Lyrical Top is a relaxed-fit design with bloused sleeves and a gently flared frill cuff. It comes with three sleeve lengths and two neckline variations. I chose the tie-neck view, but there’s also a collar option for a slightly different vibe. I’ve been looking to add more stylish tops to my wardrobe this year, a...

Made By A Fabricista: A matching set and a happy error.

 Hi sewing friends! Today I’m sharing a new outfit I made inspired by looks I’ve been seeing pop up in my Facebook and IG feeds a LOT this year. I’m talking about those monochromatic matching top and bottom outfits, sometimes in linen, sometimes in a flowy knit - the ones that advertise they go effortlessly from loungewear to office wear to going out wear. So I decided to “sew the look” using Fabric Mart fabric and a few patterns I already in my massive pattern library. First, let me share that I have very few solid color pieces in my closet. I’m so taken in by whimsy and geometric prints that this is still a gaping hole in my wardrobe -  a matching solid color set was actually a practical addition for me.  So let me walk you through how I created this look, and also tip you off to an error I made while cutting that worked out pretty well after all. Can you spot the error? Hint - it’s somewhere in the top: Here’s how I went about building my matchy match outfit. And here’...

Made By A Fabricista: Birthday Dress

May is my absolute favorite month, we get to enjoy spring weather and it is my birth month.  The birthstone for May is Emerald. I think emerald is such a gorgeous color so when I saw this beautiful ombre charmeuse I thought it would be the perfect fabric to make for my birthday dress.  To be honest it took me a while to narrow down on a design.  After a lot of back and forth I ended up going back to my first sketch that I created. I love to sketch out my ideas to figure out the patterning and materials. To create the design I used the method of draping on my dressform.  I used the lightweight muslin that Fabric Mart offers.  It is always best to use a muslin or material similar to your final fabric.  I started first by marking my style lines with some draping tape on my dress form.  I tore out pieces of muslin to fit within those lines making sure I am always marking my grainline. I also used the muslin to determine how I will create the rosettes onto...