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Monday, January 13, 2014

Fair Isle Knit Dress with Sock Scarf and Boot Toppers

My Winter Wonderland submission for Week One at Project Run and Play started with this cotton knit Fair Isle fabric from Girl Charlee.

Half Yard Red Green FairIsle Reindeer Pattern on White Cotton Jersey Blend Knit Fabric


On a cold winter's day,
there is nothing better than wearing a dress made with a cheery red and green print that is soft and cuddly. My granddaughter enjoys wearing clothing sewn with knits since they are so comfortable, and that's what made this fabric the perfect choice. The cowl neck on the dress will keep her warm too.

I wanted to challenge myself and use the 4-thread serger that I just added to my sewing room. I've seen garments with exposed serger stitches and I was excited to create an outfit with the serger stitches showing on the outside of the garment.


I wanted the stitches to be bright red and to show on the outside of the dress,  but not stick out straight from the garment. So I decided to sew the serger seam flat to the garment with a stretch knit stitch using my regular sewing machine.  Here is how it turned out:


I'm honestly not sure this is the way you should do it, but it does add stability to the seams. More importantly... it looks the way I want it to look in my head. The above 2 pictures show the right side and wrong side of the garment.

I can't believe how fast...if you don't count how long it took me to thread the machine,  I was able to sew this cowl neck t-shirt dress.
 
 This is first garment I've made using a serger. Threading the machine was a bit tricky..... I know that I have so much to learn.
Being a teacher, I believe that you can learn anything with the right resources...so I just bought a new book to read about different ways to use a serger and have been exploring internet sites that discuss serging. 
 
Here is a closer look at the completed garment...

 
Notice that I serged the hem on the bottom and on the edges of the sleeves.  I turned the fabric under to create a hem area that had a double thickness of fabric for extra stability before I serged the hems. Then, I trimmed away the excess.  
 
 
 
 
And now for my FUN ACCENT....
 a  sock scarf created from "over the knee women's socks." 
 
First, I cut off the top ribbing on the socks and then sewed the 2 sock together. Next,  I shortened the length of the foot to keep it proportional since the scarf is being worn by a four year old child. 
 
Also, to give the "foot area" more strength so the shape would not sag, I sewed lines of stitching in that area to quilt the  two thickness together.







Lastly, I made a pair of boot sock toppers with the same material to warm up the cuteness factor of the overall design.
This is what the boot toppers look like inside. The red edge is knit elastic that is inside the boot.

Lastly, here is my granddaughter modeling her new dress, scarf, hat, and boot toppers...











Keep warm,
Deborah








23 comments:

  1. She looks so warm and cozy and like a poster child for winter! I was eyeing that same fair isle knit myself. And I agree with you - threading a serger is a pain, which is why I only re-thread it if absolutely necessary!

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    Replies
    1. It was a challenge to thread that serger, but I was determined :) My repurpose outfit features sewing on the serger too.
      Deborah

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  2. Deborah, I'm loving your winter outfit for your granddaughter! The scarf & the boot toppers are wonderful. I'm going to remember those for one of my granddaughters. Fun to see your creation.
    http://xoxograndma.blogspot.com/

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  3. WOW! I just love this! The socks cracked me up and I love how it really adds to the outfit. I would have never thought to use socks for a scarf!

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    Replies
    1. Some time I wonder where my ideas come from. In fact, I get so caught up in the planning of an outfit that I have trouble falling asleep at night so I have a paper tablet on the night stand to jot things down when I wake up.
      Deborah

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  4. What a fun outfit! I love that you incorporated the boots too! Great job!

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    Replies
    1. Those boot toppers were quite easy to make. I definitely want to make more of them in the future.
      Deborah

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  5. It looks so warm, it makes me wish one my size. =D

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  6. Love the fabric. The outfit looks so warm and cosy. The socks as scarf look awesome.

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    Replies
    1. Olga,
      Those socks were a crazy idea, but once I started making them I just loved them!
      Deborah

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  7. I love the complete outfit! Great fabric choice and the scarf is so unique!

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    Replies
    1. If you ever want to make the sock scarf yourself, you have to find "Over the Knee" length to have enough fabric to work with.
      Deborah

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  8. Wow. That is the cutest winter outfit ever.

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    Replies
    1. She wanted to wear it to Pre-school today. I love the swagger it puts in her walk when she wears outfits that I created just for her!
      Deborah

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  9. Super cute! Love that fabric, and your daughter is stunning!

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  10. She is adorable. What a perfect winter outfit!

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  11. that fabric is amazing!! I adore it! And the outfit you created... sock scarf, lovely!!! I also linked up to run and play.. a cozy winter bathrobe! http://www.nap-timecreations.com/2014/01/kids-bathrobe-sewing-tutorial.html Emily@nap-timecreations

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  12. My daughter saw this and said that I NEED to make this for her, lol! That fabric is amazing! And holy cow, aren't sergers amazing? SO FAST! Threading gets easier the more you do it :) I have no issue with it anymore

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  13. What a charming outfit on an adorable little girl!! Love the hat and the boot toppers.

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  14. That sock scarf is so cute. I love the fabric and I am so glad you got to try it out with a serger! Great work!
    with love,
    -Jo

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  15. Did you have a pattern for the dress? It is absolutely adorable! I used the same fabric for ruffle leggings/pants for my 2 girls at Christmas.

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  16. Such an amazing set of winter collections. If you are looking for some stylish and comfortable socks for winter, you can check out the Novelty Socks. The socks are made of high-quality wool and have unique designs and art as well. They have collections for all ages people.

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