Valentine Gift - Vintage Sad Irons

It's not everyday that a girl gets something this nice for Valentines! AbSEW lutely love these for pattern weights! Picked up at a flea market somewhere sans the handles. SEW hubby fashioned and made the handles from scratch for me! What a sweetheart!

Ivy's Crushed Panne Dress

Ivy finished her dress and was SEW excited she couldn't wait to have her picture taken outside and wore it to church that evening. Knowing Ivy, she probably wore it to bed and is probably still wearing it! She albSEWlutely loves the crushed panne.

Ivy chose crushed panne over velvet for her first time sewing a knit. She found out just how difficult a stretchy knit fabric with a nap can be for someone with her experience. Panne Velvet is shiny and glossy; with some stretch and is a knit fabric. Regular crushed velvet has a more subtle sheen; usually doesn't stretch and is a woven fabric. Regular velvet is also made of higher quality fibers such as acetate, rayon, silk or a blend while panne is usually made of less expensive polyester.

Cutting Panne Velvet can be difficult because of the stretch and the nap. However Ivy first pinned the fabric to paper and used Kai Scissors 10" Professional Serrated Scissors to cut her fabric. It was much easier than using regular cutting scissors.

Her dress is empire waist with a cowl drape at the neck. Ivy wanted a 3/4 length sleeve with a flounce so she learned how to make the flounce and how easy it was to sew on the lower sleeve edge using a narrow .25" seam. She also learned how to insert an invisible zipper in the center back seam quick and easy using methods from Easy Zippers DVD.

Ivy also made her dress using NO PINS or BASTING! A remarkable feat for such a young seamstress! Congratulations, Ivy, your dress it beautiful! I am sure that you will enjoy your Daddy Daughter Date!