Tabitha's revamped summer frock

I finished Tabitha's new dress today. It might look familiar as I was working on it last autumn. It originally was a winter dress with coat sleeves, but the sleeve pattern was off and after I tried to fix it and they still weren't right, well, it got put away for a while. ;-)

So I took the sleeves out and re-cut them into the loose sleeves they are now and trimmed them with waved braid. It's the 100% cotton trim that I got from E-Bay a while back; it is shaped somewhat different than modern rick rack, closer to the original stuff a little bit. The color combination is period correct for the 1860's, even though it seems pretty raucous for modern tastes. I also put 5 growth tucks in the skirt rather than my usual 3, it's a sure bet that they will have a growth spurt the minute they get a new dress! ;-) It does have a waistband, though it's hard to see; the waistband has the stripes going horizontally instead of vertically as they are in the rest of the dress. I've done that several times and I really like the way it sets off the waist.

There is a discussion over at the Sewing Academy about sewing for others. The recommended rate is between $25 and $30 an hour as advised by those who do/have made a business out of it. I timed myself when sewing the trim onto the sleeves, it took me an hour and 20 minutes to do them both. At that rate I'd pay around $40 just for the trim, not counting the actual dress construction (and the trim on the bodice!) and fabric. Dear me! I find that very motivating when I'm tempted to think that sewing is a waste of time. But regardless, it's my job to make sure the children are clothed, I suppose I should call it my duty since that's really what it is. I'm thankful for the many sewing, crafting, painting, quilting, doll making, history loving fellow bloggers who continually inspire me to approach my duties with renewed vigor and inspiration. Thanks to all of you!