This BurdaStyle pattern calls for lightweight fabric but because I couldn't find a nice light cheesecloth, I bought two colorways of a more waffley pure cotton—baby blue for a blouse version and ecru for a dress. The fabric type is a bit heavier than I'd like, but I went with it.
This stuff wasn't cheap and was actually hard to work with. Imagine—I got quite a shock when I laundered and machine-dried this crinkley cotton from my local fabric store —it wrinkled up so seriously that I was left with only enough for a baby shirt!
So, to rescue my yardage, I ironed it out ferociously with a firm pressure and a lot of steam and voila! it was almost back to its original width. Well, aren't I soooo glad I didn't cut out the pieces and then wash them...only to see them disappear.
BUT once I'd cut out my ironed fabric, sewn up the blue blouse, and ironed it again, the sleeves nearly dropped to my hip. Giraffe-baby! Whoops! All I can guess is that this fabric is a moving target.
For the moment, I re-stitched the mid-sleeve seam up by two inches to shorten the sleeves, knowing full well that after one wash, the thing is going to shrink to baby-sized again. If I have to, I'll let the sleeves back out to the original seam. (I didn't cut off the excess fabric just in case.)
This was a question of planning one thing and doing another (does that happen to you too?) as the fabrics and patterns came together. I had bought white lace to make the flounce-sleeved blouse version and planned to make the ballon-sleeve version of the dress as above. (I'd skip the grommets on the blouse featured on the cover of the mag. I'm just not young enough to go that whole lace-up look.)
Instead, I decided to stick with the dress version's simpler tie attaching both necklines. (It looks like the tie gathers the neck but it cheats and only connects the collar ends.)
This all reversed when I saw what was left in stock at the fabric store. There was only enough blue on the bolt to make a blouse. So, swap the white lace over to the ecru dress version?
I toyed with a lot of ideas for multi-colored ties or purchased cord, but in the end, went with braids and tassles homemade using embroidery thread perfectly matched to the color.
I can't wait to wear this as a lakeside coverup in a week's time camping with the extended family. Now, on to the dress with the lace inserts in the flounced sleeve.
I'm not risking another ironing-changeling giraffe sleeve.
