Garment a Month Project: April

I started this year with a simple goal: read one book a month. Since I have found time to accomplish this without much effort, I decided to add a new "one thing a month" goal to the list. I am going to make one new garment a month.

Now, it is relatively a no-brainer to make a "one-day-project" spread out over 30 days. That's not the point. The point is to start making clothes properly, not quickly. I purchased 11 new volumes of dressmaking happiness and as I work my way through them learning new techniques, I can apply these to the garments I am making.

What a perfect way to start my project than with the dress I promised my daughter I would make? In case you would like to recreate this on your own, here is where I purchased my materials and supplies:

• Pattern: Jump Rope Dress, from Oliver + S
• Material: Dandelion in Turquoise (Flora and Fauna Collection, manufactured by Michael Miller) and Fizzy Bubbles in Apricot (Sugar Collection, manufactured by Art Gallery), both purchased from Hawthorne Fabrics
• 100% cotton muslin, purchased from Ikea
• Buttons: retro buttons in apricot, from BigFish
• Thread: I am using a white thread because I love the contrast.

I plan to alter the pattern by adding a layer of muslin to back the cotton (because I am concerned it may be a bit too sheer in the sunlight). The muslin and cotton will be sewn together as one unit- instead of making one dress in cotton, and a second dress of muslin, and layering the two to create outer dress & lining. I will be finishing all the seams.

I have already washed and dried the fabric to prevent shrinkage. Today I plan on cutting the pattern pieces out. I'll be sure to post my progress on and off throughout the month.