This is what I have been up to........

Evie loves wearing blouses.... 

she would pick them every time over a standard t-shirt.....

she loves to twirl in them and dig in the dirt in them 

and all manner of other things that 9 year olds love to do....

so I thought I would make her one as the weather is warming up nicely 

and she has outgrown a couple of the ones I made her during 

our first summer here......

I decided to use a bit of a pattern for the bodice section 

- just to help me out with things like sizing and armhole shape -

but apart from that I just made it up as I went along.....

so here she is sporting the 'blog finished' blouse -

that means there are no buttons on it yet {at the back},

I haven't cut off all the loose threads and Evie would like a 

couple of pockets on the front of it which are, as yet, not even started.....

however, I wanted to snap some photos before it got dark, 

so 'blog finished' is all I've got to show you.......

Here she is giving me her best 'toothy grin' face!!

the back WILL be fastened with some pretty buttons...... 

when I get some, but for now just imagine three lovely little buttons on here......

so, this was my first tryout with ruffles..... 

I LOVE ruffles..... 

so girly and twirly...... 

and Evie just 'ooooooh-ed and ahhhhh-ed' when I mentioned ruffles.....

basically, what I did was doubled the width of the bodice to get a 

rough size to cut the fabric for the first layer of ruffled fabric, 

and then doubled that again for the bottom ruffle -

I have no idea if that is how it is 'usually' done, but it worked for me......

I know I can get a special foot for my machine which would gather the ruffles for me.... 

anyone have any thoughts about that or experience with one? 

but I just basted the fabric widths that I had cut, pulled them to the size I wanted, 

sandwiched them in between the fabric of the bodice and sewed them in - 

this does mean the ruffles are a little uneven - 

but I'm good with that!

*** If you have any useful tips for making/sewing in/on ruffles 

I WOULD LOVE you to share them WITH ME.....

I can see lots of ruffles in my future!! ***

As far as how long to make it..... 

I went with what Evie asked for.... 

not too long, just below waist length....

next time I'd like to make it a bit longer....

I did a fully lined bodice because it made the armholes, neckline and waistband 

so much neater than any other finishing method I have every tried - 

this, for me, is definately the way to go.....

and the fabrics are just a cute cotton poplin I picked up at Spotlight to 'have a go' with.....

Evie has told me that now I have done one, I can do a whole lot more....

YIPEE.....