Making organic dress presents funny challenge (if you’re not the one making it)
When our kids were young, I made much of their clothing (to their utter horror when they review the pictures). I even started a children’s clothing business with my sister-in-law called Henny Penny Toys & Togs. (She was the one with the sewing skills. I was the one with the enthusiasm.)
After a few years Henny Penny moved into the history books. And once our kids grew up, my sewing machine gathered dust. I assumed I’d enthusiastically return to my hobby with the birth of grandchildren, but I didn’t.
I made one outfit each for our first grandkids (with matching dolls). But the second and third got nothing from Abba’s sewing room (though plenty from my camera and craft efforts).
Just before our latest grandgirl made her entrance at the end of September, I ran across Monaluna organic cotton fabric prints and fell in love. It felt like time to resuscitate my kiddie clothing hobby.
I headed to the fabric store to select a pattern and, forgetting that I hadn’t sewn in several decades, don’t see all that well and have less patience than ever with with detail work, chose this one from Simplicity.
What should be a simple project for someone with my skills (granted they’re as rusty as a sunken ship), turned into a weeks long struggle for me—what with sewing wrong sides (with an “s”) to right sides (instead of the correct way—right to right)—and cutting two of the part I should have cut one of and one of the part I should have cut two, and redoing the darn binding at least six times because I kept sewing it to itself instead of to the garment (not including the time I sewed it to my finger).
The garment was meant to have bound edges all around. I just couldn’t stomach any more attempts at binding. Instead, I sewed up the side seams and left the bottom open, in the process converting the sleep sack into a long dress.
I loved how it turned out, but I donated the pattern to Goodwill because I’ll be darned if I’ll struggle through any more binding battles.
This week I flew to Denver to see our grandgirl and we got to try the dress on her.
I’m sure you’ll agree it looks adorable, but l doubt it will be worn very often as the neck opening is barely big enough to accommodate her head. You should have heard her screaming as we tried to slide it over her face. (Actually I’m sure you’re quite happy you missed this particular performance.) I don’t know who was crying harder with the struggle, her or me. In any case, I have no doubt her mom will put it away in the memory box the minute I leave for which, believe me, I don’t blame her.
I have some pieces of the Monaluna fabric left. I think I’ll cover a book with it.
Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.
