Friday, June 14, 2013

A Velvet Wren

Tilly's turn and she needed a smart frock.
So it was a good chance to use one of my 'pins'.
Pinned from Bon-Point Boutique.
I flipped over this dress and immediately thought of the Wren  by Clever Charlotte.
My sister had been volunteering in a Charity Shop and she found a beautiful piece of light weight upholstery velvet.
Don't you love the boots?
So here is my version.
I am tickled pink!
Thank goodness for the invisible zipper.
I would have been loathe to sew against the pile of the velvet.
I used a special pre-wound thread for top stitching. The bobbins are meant to fit into the bobbin case but were a bit fat for mine.

I remembered with shirring that one hand winds the bobbin so I decided to try that. Perfick!
It is a silky thick thread in a rich cocoa brown.
My machine struggled a wee bit with the unfamiliar thread and thick pleated fabric but it coped and it was worth the trepidatious sewing.
The only change I made was to slightly lengthen the sleeves.

Matilda loves it and made me laugh when she declared that she would have to be cuddled upwards.
(As the nap runs up to give the lustrous sheen)
I made the size 3t which is perfect-to-a-little-to-big, just right for the beginning of Winter.

Modelled pictures soon, I promise!
xx N

PS If you would like to make your own Winter Wren I have a tute here

18 comments:

  1. Oh, Nicole!
    That's the most luxurious winter dress I ever saw! It's so beautiful!
    I'm pretty sure you must have had a bad time sewing it, but it's all so worth it :-)
    (PS. Can´t wait for the modelled pics)

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  2. Thank you Ana Sofia.
    I truly enjoy dressing Matilda as she doesn't mind what she wears and has become pink mad (yet).
    Her 'pin board' is one of my favourite places to be.

    xx N

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  3. Ha! You've been sewing velvet too and doing a much better job of it! Look at that topstitching! I am in awe.
    I didn't understand about the hand wound bobbin. Could you explain more so I can look up the technique?
    Thanks, Suzie

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  4. I think your version of the dress looks nicer than the one you pinned!
    Happy cuddling 'up', Tilly!

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  5. I tried to wind the thread on the bobbin on my machine but it simply wouldn't go through my tension dial. So, as I only needed a small amount and because I really didn't want to fiddle with my bobbin winder tension, I wrapped the thread around an empty bobbin by hand.

    I have uploaded a photo here http://www.flickr.com/photos/motherof5/9039497269/ to show you what I was using.

    Thank you Suzie,
    xx N

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  6. Totally gorgeous and totally Tilly - and a serendipitous match with her boots c

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    1. Thank you Justine, it was a serendipitous find.
      I hope it 'works' with the boots.
      xx N

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  7. Stunning dress Nicole! It will be gorgeous on your wee one.:)

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    1. Thank you Cindy.
      It so nice when you can still dress them up.
      xx N

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  8. Cuddle me UPWARDS!!! Love it!! I want to cuddle this dress myself. It's so beautiful, Nicole. You've outdone yourself this time!

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    1. I will quite happily cuddle her any which way.
      Thank you Inder
      xx N

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  9. Oh wow! It's even better than your inspiration, Nicole.

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    1. Thank you Catherine, I think so too (blush)
      xx N

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  10. The dress is just luscious! Tilly's a lucky little girl. I can't wait to see the modeled pictures!

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    1. I took some this morning Karen, we had a wee bit of sunshine.
      I love it on her and I hope you do too.
      Thank you
      xx N

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