HEIRLOOM STITCHES DRESS

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I had many sewing friends who had granddaughters that they wanted to sew heirloom dresses for but felt that the children grew too fast to spend a lot of money on laces and fabric. I wanted to show them that they could use the wonderful heirloom stitches on the Viking machines to create a beautiful heirloom look at a very reasonable price.

I purchased cotton batiste ($2.99 yd). For this size, it took 1 and 1/4 yd. of white and 1/4 yd. of blue for the Madeira appliqué hem. I also purchased 3/4 yd. of cotton edging lace for the sleeve edge. I spray starched and ironed the fabrics and did the hem first.

I used a wash away marking pen to draw a line 2-1/2" from the top of the hem for my first set of pin tucks. I measured 2- 1/2" up from that line to stitch a decorative stitch and 2-1/2" from that line for another set of pintucks. I also drew a vertical line down the center of the sleeve and a line down the center front yoke.

I used the raised hem foot & guide to sew the first pin tuck on the lower line and I used a deep blue pearl cotton underneath the pintuck so the blue would shadow through, and blue embroidery thread. Then I sewed a pintuck on each side of that pintuck using the grooves in the foot as a guide. I repeated this on the top drawn line.

On the center drawn line, I used the little flower stitch with blue embroidery thread. I used "Stitch n Ditch" stabilizer folded in half lenghtwise under this area. I placed the edge of my presser foot on the edge of the decorative stitching as a guide to sew the hemstitch on each side of the decorative stitching. I used white thread. Wing needle: D1 menu D8 or D4; #1+ D4 or E31; Rose #18

I repeated the stitching of the daisy and the hemstitch on the front yoke and down the center of the sleeves. You could also sew pintucks on each side.

The dress cost about $7.00 to complete!