We have some amazing dresses this week from the challengers in the Great Avery Lane Sewing Bee.
This week’s challenge was embellishments. Lace, trim, ruffles, embroidery, and creativity!
Here are each challenger’s entry.
This week Alida chose to embellish the Modern Jumper pattern from Doll Days! Very creative to use the inset piece and replace it with a smocked inset with hand embroidery details. Complimenting it nicely with a soft blue floral for the side skirts, and adding lace at the strap edges, creates a nice sundress. Alida finished it off with piping, rick rack, and a lace hem. Alida also hand embroidered rosettes above the side skirt pieces to complete the dress. The straps cross in the back and are fastened with buttons and buttonholes.
Andee decided to sew a Square-neck Dress from Doll Dress Boutique with many creative embellishments. Rick rack adorns the sleeve hems and 2 rows of floating rick rack with bias edges along the lower edge of the skirt and hem. A satin ribbon embellishes the neckline and adds a pop of color at the waist. To finish the dress, Andee created a rick rack rosette and hand sewed it to the waist.
This week Angie paid homage to the Native Americans, explaining, “The Native Americans are the masters of garment embellishment. Their skills in beading are truly amazing. I decided to forgo the stereotypical lace and frills for beads and fringes.” Angie lengthened the hem and sleeves of the Crochet Lace Top from Doll Days! for this dress, and used a bead loom to create the bead trims for the dress.
Angie also told us, “A couple years ago I received a little beading kit to make a wild rose from a local Métis group. They use the wild rose extensively in their designs; I modified the rose design to fit AG scale.”
“Métis, an indigenous nation of Canada that has combined Native American and European cultural practices since at least the 17th century.” -Britannica
“Métis women began working with glass beads and European textiles such as wool, velvet, and other woven fabrics instead of traditional materials such as bone, shell, and seed beads on hide.” -Anthony Wingham, a Cree Métis, from his blog, metisprint.ca
Claire embellished the Avery Lane Alison Skirt this week. Adding lace to both the straps and hemline, which is very effective in making the pink floral highlighted in the skirt. Claire added pretty ribbon bows and buttons in front for some finishing touches.
Diana this week worked to embellish the Square Neck Dress from Doll Dress Boutique, using View D with a double layered skirt. Adding lace trim to both skirts, sleeve hems, and the waistline really makes the snowflakes pop in this blue print. The underskirt, with the matching blue solid fabric, gives the design some added interest and depth. Diana added a finishing touch with a snowflake button.
Gayle choose to sewed from Doll Dress Boutique, choosing the Classic Sleeveless Dress, View E, with the bonus cat appliqué design that’s included, adding the appliqué to both the front and back of the dress. This Halloween themed fabric really works well with the cat appliqué. For the contrasting hem, Gayle chose an orange with brown lines print to highlight the lines on the pumpkins in the pumpkin and scarecrow print. Tied it all together with a satin ribbon that has been sewn to the waist.
Janet chose to add her creativity to the Avery Lane Little Miss Storybook Dress. The skirt hem has been embellished with lace. Satin ribbon was sewn to both ruffle seams on the skirt and the sleeves, using the same color in 2 sizes. On the apron, Janet sewed yellow buttons and hand embroidered mushrooms at the bottom corners, which match the tiny mushrooms on the navy print of the dress.
Kimberly embellished the Square Neck Dress from Doll Dress Boutique, View E, which has pintucks in both the skirt and the bib. Kimberly sewed a red, glittery rick rack in between the pintucks on the bib to compliment it, along with flower shaped buttons. To add interest to the sleeves, Kimberly has sewn a ribbon with tiny pom pom trim to them. The red lace sewn to the hem of the skirt creates a pop of color, accenting the red in this floral print, and the tiny blue bows hand sewn onto the pintucks of the skirt provides some added interest.
This week, Marlene chose to embellish the Country Cottage Dress, View E, from Doll Dress Boutique . For embellishing the sleeves, Marlene sewed gathered lace in rows before construction. Lace was also sewn to the neckline, second skirt tier, and hem, which has a double row of complementing lace in 2 colors and widths for a layered look. A lace overlay was sewn to the waistband fabric as well. Marlene added some finishing touches: satin, picot edge lace sewn above the double lace along the hem and a satin rosette along the neckline center front.
So much creativity going on this week!! Everyone has done an amazing job with this week’s challenge. It’s very inspiring! Judging this week will not be easy.
I’ll post the results as soon as Dana and I have agreed on a Garment of the Week and someone to be eliminated, which is never fun to decide nor announce. Good luck to everyone! ~Erin
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