Saturday, May 02, 2015

Give Me Liberty

I've had my eye (in a favorable way) on Liberty fabrics for a long while. I've also had my eye (in a not-so-favorable way) on their price! It still boggles my mind a bit that fabric can be quite that expensive! 

And then, my chance came -- a Liberty print was going out of stock on Fabric.com, and was greatly reduced. It's a standard cotton, so it was on the lower end of the price spectrum to begin with. I snatched up some Lifestyle Stile Collection Herbert in green and pink and squirreled it away, with plans to make it into a dress for Rosa. Fast forward nearly a year, and the fabric was still awaiting its incarnation. Because actually starting a project means failure may be imminent, and the more I like a fabric, the less excited I am about the prospect of failure. 

But, at very long last, here it is:




It came out as more of a tunic than a dress, since Rosa grew quite a bit between the time of purchase and the time of creation! But I'm glad I waited, because two other fabrics came into my possession during that interval. The first was a lovely white empire-waist blouse that I found for $1. It was a stretch when I bought it -- there were so many things about it the just didn't work for me (a tad too snug, not nursing friendly, sheer enough to need an undershirt), but the bottom edge of the tunic was so beautifully embroidered that I couldn't resist. And, lo and behold, it made the perfect "petticoat" layer for Rosa's Liberty dress!




The second fabric came from a dress that my Mom, knowing my love for linen, passed on to me when she was done with it. It's the loveliest shade of pink, it matches the Liberty fabric perfectly, and it's a linen-silk blend. A linen-silk blend, my friends! Two of the most glorious fabrics combined in one perfect union! All right, that's a bit dramatic. But I'm definitely a fan. 





I altered Burda's Ruffle Top for babies for my purposes -- I'm still trying to figure out sizing on this one! I made the largest size (supposed to be 24 months), and it was quite wide on my average sized 2 1/2 year old. Anyway, I adjusted the bodice and drafted a skirt piece to match.




Pintucks on the bodice, because Liberty fabric deserves something special! I'm usually too impatient to do tucks.




I changed the sleeves to 3/4 length, and obviously did my own thing with cuffs, bands, piping, and collar.




I had just enough fabric to make a pair of bloomers to go underneath. I forget what pattern I used, but it was a standard Big 4 pattern -- bloomers are pretty forgiving!




This was my last project before we moved, and as it turns out, the timing was perfect -- the day before Resurrection Sunday I realized that Rosa had no "Easter dress," but this fit the bill! I'm not into Easter dresses per say, but it was nice to have something fresh and Springy for such a joyous day.

And now I've had my Liberty -- though I can't say I'd object to more in the future!

6 comments:

  1. Shannon,

    I too love looking at the Liberty of London fabrics, but can never quite justify spending so much for one yard of fabric. That is terrific that you found some on sale! This outfit is absolutely adorable!! I love how the print and solid coordinate beautifully! And the style is very unique. I am always inspired by your lovely sewing. : )

    -Sarah

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    1. Sarah,

      I'd love to try Liberty's Tana Lawn one day (or even just *see* it, for that matter! I've never been to a shop that even carries it), but I fear the price may just be too much. Maybe one yard for a simple summer blouse, or something...

      Thank you! I was so pleased how the different fabrics came together. The style is influenced by all of the European children's fashion I've been collecting on my Pinterest board -- I like the simplicity and innocence of that style of clothing.

      As always, thank you for dropping by!

      Blessings,
      Shannon

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  2. What a pretty outfit -- Little Rosa looks very sweet--I admire your sewing talent--I also love to sew and I am looking forward to using my new to me refurbished Singer 401 arriving very soon--I remember seeing that you have the same machine in your Creative Space pictures--in doing some research I discovered that it is purported to be Singer's best workhorse of a machine --Happy Sewing !
    from Stephanie

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  3. This is a very sweet ensemble! And Rosa has such pretty little curls!

    I recently just bought some Liberty lawn, on sale -- first time ever! It really is lovely fabric.

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    1. Laura,

      Thank you! I'm a fan of Rosa's curls, myself (at least, that's what my frequent stroking of them would indicate :-).

      Congrats on your Liberty lawn! I'm still waiting to get my hands on some (maybe buy some, but that's negotiable ;-). Hopefully we'll see it in finished form one day? *hint hint*

      Blessings,
      Shannon

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  4. That came out beautifully!! The details really make this a standout!

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