Production Log: Brown and Green Itty Bitty Dress

8/11/2011

2:12 pm to 2:32 pm-- PIN and CUT bodice, front and back, main and lining

• front bodice = 2 pieces each 8 3/4" x 12"
• back bodice = 2 pieces each 10 1/2" x 12"

2:35 to 2:54 pm -- MEASURE, MARK, and CUT skirt

• skirt = 2 pieces each 15" x 36"

2:55 to 3:00 pm -- MEASURE, MARK, and CUT border

• border = 2 pieces each 3" x 36"

TOTAL time = 48 minutes

6:20 PM to 6:54 pm - BASIC skirt construction

1. BOTTOM: attaching border to the bottom (1/8" from edge)
2. SIDE: MEASURING and PINNING seam allowance (5/8" from edge); STITCHING sides together

TOTAL time = 34 minutes

8/12/2011

8:00 am TO 8:30 am - SEAM finishing for skirt

• SIDE: zig-zag stitch (stitch length was 2; width was 4 clicks)
• BORDER: FOLD, PRESS, and PIN the edge up for hem

2:00 pm TO 3:00 pm

• STITCH the border edge upward - what a pain in the a**! First, my bobbin was filthy and the bobbin thread kept bunching up so I had to clean out the bobbin area. Then, the fabric kept shifting around so that the stitching was not straight. After undoing the stitching three times, I decided to live with the imperfection and move. For next time, I must find a way to improve the process...

TOTAL time = 1 hour

8/13/2011

3:11 pm to 5:32 - UGH! Dealing with bobbin issues again! So much lint in there... must be the fabric? Had to sew the stitches for gathering the skirt several times. Finally worked out when I changed the tension to 3.5

TOTAL time = 2 hours 21 minutes

8/14/2011

9:50 am to 10:38 am = ATTACHING skirt to bodice and REMOVING gathering threads.

10:40 am to 12:31 pm = FINISHING the details such as:

• ZIGZAG stitch the raw bottom edge of bodice
• FOLDING bodice seam over the skirt's raw edge and STITCHING
• BUTTONS and BUTTONHOLES
• SCALLOP stitch on border

TOTAL time = 2 hours 40 minutes

ENTIRE DRESS: 7.88 houts