The Cordelia Files: While on the Subject of Matching. . .

Do you recognize this fabric?

Well you haven’t seen it yet, but in case you didn’t notice, it’s the same fabric I used to cover my sewing chair/ make a top, but in a different color way.

I may have gotten a little carried away, but I can’t help it.

I have a weakness for all things Heather Bailey.

So I took this fabric that matches my chair but in a different color and turned it into this sundress because I decided I NEEDED something to wear to the plethora of weddings I get to attend this summer.

(You have to wait to see the front of the dress, because Cordelia’s bosom is too big and the dress does not button up over it. I would hate to take a picture of her with her bosoms hanging out cause she is so modest about nudity and such).

I had sew much fun making this dress and my favorite part about it is how well I got the seams to match up.

That’s right there’s a seam in there.

Can you find it?

Do you want some help?

See right there.

Seamage.

I told you so.

Are you thoroughly impressed with my matching abilities?

NO!?!?!

Well I am, so there.

I think I will start calling myself

Waite

For

The MATCHINATOR! DUN Dun dun!

In fact, I got so excited about my matching skills that I forgot all about those pesky little seam finishes and I completely spaced that I was going to French seam this dress until it was too late and I had already sewn the seam. Well there was no way I was going to rip those puppies out to start again so I gave it a mock-French seam finish (which is why you can see two rows of stitching instead of one).

Not as good but it works.

Sometimes that’s just how you have to roll around here.

~Intermission~

Please enjoy a brief intermission as I attempt to translate for those of you who do not speak sewing as a second language.

This is a seam.

I put two pieces of fabric together with the RIGHT sides touching and sewed them together.

As you will notice the edges of the fabric are raw and ravely.

So I have to do something to these edges so they:

1. are pretty (I like to make the insides of my garments look just as good—or better—as the outside.)and

2. don’t unravel completely and fall apart.

This treatment is called a SEAM FINISH

There are a variety of seam finishes, and the one you choose to use depends on many factors including: price point (some are quicker and easier to do and thus cheaper), the type and weight of the fabric, the location of the seam and what kind of stress it will receive, and personal preference.

This is the French Seam Finish.

It is my personal favorite to use in mid to light weight fabrics because it is easy and looks nice. But the bad thing about French seams is that the first step is a little backwards from every other seam you sew (you start by sewing with the WRONG sides of the fabric together), so it’s easy to forget/ get it wrong especially if you are concentrating on other things, like matching the print.

And now I will take a moment to apologize for boring you to tears with my lecture on seam finishes.

I’m sorry.

I can’t help it.

Once I get on the topic of seam finishes it’s hard to get me to stop.

You're lucky I didn’t have more pictures easily available or I could have gone on about seam finishes all day.

I adore seam finishes.

I LOVE seam finishes.

If I could, I would marry them and have little seam finish babies.

Not really.

That would be weird.

And then I would have to deal with situations like this:

Picture me walking down the street pushing my seam finish babies in a stroller.

Stranger stops us.

“oh what a cute…”

she looks closer into the stroller

“…er…. Um… yeah. Nice weather we’re having ey?”

Now she’s quickly walking away glancing around nervously as if she expects me to do something crazy.

And really, who could blame her?

Ok, ok, ok. I’ll stop embarrassing myself with my sewing geekdum.

Back to matching clothes.

Well anyways, about the same time I was making the green rose sundress I agreed to participate in a fashion show. And then I fond out there were children who wanted to model in this show.

So I had to make a girls sundress.

Um, Cordelia, that’s a CHILD’S sundress. NOT a top for you.

Nope.

Still wrong.

It’s definitely NOT a skirt for you either.

Much better.

Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get a single picture of the matching dresses together.

Because I was too busy dealing with other things.

Like worrying about whether or not to tuck my shirt into my pantyhose to keep it from riding up and coming un-tucked.

I did, and it worked.

Try it.

You’ll like it.

Well I was on such a matchy match roll and I had access to the most adorable 3 year old so I went ahead and made this coat which goes with….

This Coat!

Back to the boy’s blazer.

Check out that cowboy lining.

Oh how I love cowboys.

And look at those welt pockets.

A lesser seamstress (and by lesser I mean sane) would have said "it's a childs garment" and would have skipped the pockets, or used patched pockets, or made a mock welt pocket.

But not me.

Cause that’s how we roll here at Hart Designs.

Only the finest quality for our 3 year olds.

Just a Quick Disclaimer:

What you are about to see is so cute it might actually hurt.

It may result in the uncontrollable urge to say “awwwww”

Or to have the sudden desire to start reproducing.

Are you ready?

Are you sure?

Can you handle the cuteness?

I can’t be held responsible for any rash behavior if you can’t.

I did give sufficient warning after all.

OK Then.

Look how precious they are!

I was going to enter sewing geek land again and show you all the inner details that went into making the boys’ coat, but I think I’ve already bored you enough today so instead I’ll show you pictures of the cuteness that is Preston.

In a tweed coat.

With elbow patches.