Josephine: A Lovely Name for a Lovely Dress

Clearly, the Josephine dress by Violette Field Threads is one I enjoy making Camden.

I promise, btw, that I tried to pat the dress down, but I don't know what happened

But...let's not get hasty!  I love the end product, and I love the pintucks, and I love the fun button ruffle - but WAIT.  I do not love sewing buttonholes on the TOP of the button ruffle tab.  It makes me want to stab my eyes out, though, because, as mentioned in the other Josephine post, I can't sew the top buttonhole far enough UP that it keeps the placket against the other placket - because my machine hates me and often doesn't like to do TOP buttonholes.  I should go back in and sew in a hidden snap, as that'll help, and I believe I have done that before.

She wanted to do this post, LOL

I sewed this dress up months ago, but it definitely had a nightgown-type look to it, though I hadn't felt that way about previous versions.  I know Camden hasn't grown that much at all in the past several months, but it seems fine on now!  She definitely wanted the cuff folded up, so, it's a good thing I never did sew buttons on the cuff, like I normally do - whew!

The pattern, as usual, works up nicely, and I actually had also started a blouse version, as I always like to do a couple-few at a time, but I need to finish it up and pair it with some more Whitney trousers, also by VFT....I suppose I should find fabric for that project!

This dress insists on sticking out at that placket, LOL

I finally have new shoes for Camden (shout out to her grandma!), so, that worked out nicely, and I did end up buying tights, but the fun purple socks stayed on because you can't go wrong with purple on purple, y'all!  And I may end up taking photos inside of her school building, because the light is so glaringly bright outside (big problems, right??  LOL), and you know I'm not a fancy photographer, much less a photo editor, aha.

Camden is enjoying her once-a-week class through her charter school, and she is taking both choir and guitar, which is great!  I'm so happy she gets to have fun with friends, even if it's just for a few hours.  MOM FAIL ALERT, though:  Some moms pick up their kids LATE at the end of a school day.....I accidentally picked Camden up an hour earlier than normal.  As it is, she is only able to attend 2.5 hours of the school day, because she leaves half an hour early for ballet.  For some reason, I was SO OFF last week (partly because I didn't have Tiberius with me, and I'd just had a massage and a rushed work-out - which clearly didn't need to be rushed ) that I showed up and grabbed her at 2:30, rather than 3:30, and I didn't realize it until we'd changed clothing at the ballet studio.  I felt so bad that she'd missed so much class time...and bad for myself, LOL, because it was the LAST of the totally kid-free 20 ours I had!  Tiberius was staying with his grandparents up in WA, and I was able to sew HIM two shirts and a pair of pants while Camden was at a sleepover, which was awesome!!  Anyway, that will not happen again - oops!

In fact, stay tuned for the blog post detailing Tiberius's new duds - and hopefully one in the not-too-distant future about the Whitney trousers and Josephine blouse!!

Days in the life...

Matt whipped up a wee rocking chair for her doll!

Our date night with a friend!

I was able to have a sewing date with Matt's mom!!!!

                                   

Weird kid!

Wearing a hat I haven't yet blogged...why???

Matt also made a Star Wars heavy blaster for Tiberius!

Josephine and Whitney - So Classy!

aha!

You're all, "Wait, Autumn!  I've seen a Josephine somewhere else recently."

I'm all, "Toooo right!  You have - why just the other day, you saw not ONE, but TWO Josephine dresses."

Today's feature includes the blouse version and the Whitney pants, also designed by Violette Field Threads.  I have allllways loved this outfit, and this is only Camden's second version.  This was pictured in the last blog post, but for your loving eyes, here is another shot:

I talked up the Josephine pattern quite a bit in the previous blog post, but in summary, the button holes make me a bit crazy because of the thickness of the fabric in the button/ruffle band.  I believe I did manually sew the top button hole, rather than using my automatic button hole feature, as I sewed the blouse before the dresses.  Lesson was learned after this :)  This mama does NOT enjoy doing a manual button hole :O  

Your basic Joann Fabric buttons!

You can probably note in the pictures that this year's blouse was definitely sized up, so, it's a good inch too big in the chest, if not more.  I always find it funny how Camden needs to size UP in Modkid and Oliver and S - and others - yet these VFT blouses are quite roomy for it.  I think I did the size 4 this time, but again, I sewed this before Christmas, and finding the pattern sheets right now sounds like NO FUN.

For the Whitney pants, I cut them as follows (this I know, because HEYHEYHEY I GOT TO SEW TODAY!!!):  size 4 rise, size 5 width, size 4 plus 3/4 inch for length.  I also hemmed them at 3/4 inch and the next fold was at 2 inches, so, I could hypothetically let them out if she doesn't exceed the rise (my bad, though - I didn't think about his before hemming them with the machine, as I normally hand-sew the hem when I plan to let something out).  

Sewing these pants is so stinkin' easy, of course - four total box pleats and then a few other seams.  I DID sew the waistband differently than the pattern calls for, if I remember right:  I sew the pants together completely before sewing the waistband in a circle.  THEN I attach it, leaving an opening for the elastic in the back.  I sewed (well, normally, I sew it shut; I forgot this time, aha!)  the opening closed after I do this, and I serged the seam, though I know folding it under would be fancier.  Essence of time and all that nonsense.  VFT calls for the pant's side seams to be left un-sewn; you then sew the waistband on the front and on the back separately.  That sounds NOT pretty to me, LOL.

Also, my first official day back at sewing couldn't go without at least ONE problem:  I did manage to sew a right and wrong side today - AND serge it....nice, LOL.

I promise these were JUST pressed!!!

As for fabrics, I used Aneela Hoey once again - and the pants fabric is a remnant from some Colette Juniper trousers I made a couple years ago (I can't remember the fabric name AT ALL, but it was maybe a cotton/linen blend and is a BEEEYOTCH to cut; it does this weird warping, so, I had to be careful).

Had to show off the freshly painted nails :)

Allllll sadness and coldness

To elicit smiles in the following pictures, I had to ask Camden what kind of face she'd make if she saw certain friends....

This is if she saw Lizzie and Jack

This is if she saw Greta

This is if she gets to see Elora

Siblings, just chilling yesterday!

So.  Since I was able to sew today, that meant the wee boy was fed by his dad and his big sister - how cute!!!

His first bottle

Tired times after that bottle ;)

Josephines...and Flying Machines? Maybe Bunny Ears!

So...speaking of LATE.....if the birthday dress was posted several weeks after it was sewn, then this post is stepping out of line, LOL.  These Violette Field Threads Josephine dresses were sewn MONTHS ago...perhaps late November - maybe before that?  That's what happens when we ALWAYS have wind, and I forget and have other things going on, aha!  Thank goodness I knew I'd have a wee, wakeful baby boy and had sewn TWO.  Smart lady, that Autumn!

Ahhhh, the faces today....

Camden's last incarnation of a VFT Josephine involved THIS ensemble:

Easter 2013

I LOVED that outfit more than one can know!  I think it's classy and was super cute for Easter last year.  The pants are the VFT Whitney trousers, naturally - and I'm actually whipping up a pair of those again tomorrow (holla at my first REAL sewing opportunity in weeks and weeks!) - to go with a Josephine blouse - just as flowery as the one pictured above.

As for the pattern itself, it's super easy to understand.  Directions are lovely and not tricky at all.  There are a couple things to consider when doing this pattern - especially if you over-think things like I always do:  One is that the collar doesn't necessarily come all the way around - like, it clearly isn't supposed to, but one should plan for how close she wants the collar to come in to the ruffle/button band.  Shorten or lengthen, as needed.  Also, adding the ruffle DOES obviously add bulk - which can be HIGHLY ANNOYING when doing button holes ;)  Of course, right??  I was smart this time around, and I measured out carefully/did my button holes before attaching the collar so there would be no seam-thickness issues.  That definitely helped, but with those ruffles, there is a sort of cavern created where the button holes go, which is not cool.

The weight at the top is NUTS!

You can barely see it, but the bias tape at the collar is contrasting fabric on both dresses

Then, speaking of the button band, the ruffles add to the weight, obviously, and the top pulls away from the blouse, which doesn't look awesome, in my humble opinion.  I could add a hook and eye to help alleviate that, but eh.  Guess I'm lazy ;)  I tried getting that button up high enough, but it clearly didn't work out well.

Someone tells me she can no longer smile....

I DO wish I could think of another way to take out some of the thickness in that spot.  Lastly, I'm a weirdo and like the front/back to be specified if the sleeves are created to have a difference, and it's not marked with this pattern.  This likely means I should make sure to just remember which side means front and which means back.

....Anywho...all this to say I'm a fan of this pattern and think it's super cute!  I didn't add the sash option, as it wouldn't look right on Camden, as she doesn't have a waist to speak of, LOL.  I did do the purple version in a size 3, I believe, with added length, and I did the green version in a size 4, with added length.  The fabric is Aneela Hoey, which I LOVE!!  You'll see her fabric again when I complete the Whitney trousers, aha!

Scowls!

I have magic tricks to get this girl to smile!

As always, Tiberius shot or two:

Scowls, also!