"Emma Smocked Baby Dresses"(but NOT Smocked!)

This lovely creature is my pattern Emma's Smocked Baby Dresses.

But, as you can see, it is not smocked!

How do you change the pattern?  Simple.  Don't smock it.  Just gather the top instead.

That's all there is to it!

This would be your classic "Heirloom Lacy" Yoke Dress.

I fancied up the sleeves to match. 

 And added beading, making the fit of the sleeve  adjustable.

The hem is a frothy lace concoction.

And I love the soft ecru with the pale blue voile.

The dress back is still classic Emma, with the sweet tucks.

And who needs smocking with the lace frill around the yoke.

Now for a bit of construction photos...

You can see my Yoke Front pattern piece on top of my finished embellished fabric.

To make the fancy yoke, I stitched  my lace design into a "Block" of embellished fabric.

I made it big enough to fit my Yoke Front pattern piece.

I folded my embellished fabric wrong sides together along the center front.  I did this so I could be sure the lace on either side matched up, as well as the center lace band.

Then I cut out my Yoke Front and went right to the sewing machine to stay stitch my embellished edges.

Voila! Yoke done.

I made a fancy band for each sleeve and stitched them to the sleeve center.

Then I trimmed the lace to match the sleeve.

I cut the beading the correct size and matched the center of my beading to the center of my sleeve.

I have instructions for adding entredeux to a sleeve..HERE.

I gathered the sleeve to fit the beading.  But I didn't gather the sleeve as much where the fancy band was.  I did gather it but with less gathers.  I finished the entredeux technique.

Then gathered lace to fit the sleeve.  Instructions …HERE.

And now I have two pretty sleeves ready to be attached to the dress.

I am totally in love with this lace band!

Swiss Insertion - White or Champagne

It is gorgeous.

All Designs Are Copyright Protected copyright 2015 Jeannie Baumeister