Roots series ... "sharing" along ...

If you are a follower for a while - about a year at least - you might be familiar with this photos (Here and here). I am sharing them again, because Heidi at Elegance & Elephants is hosting the Roots series, and I thought it would be fun to sew along. Unfortunatly I've come to realise I won't be able to make another flamenco dress in time (before the series are finished), and since we can participate with something we have done before, I am making this entry, just for the fun of taking part of it. If you're new then, I hope you enjoy seeing the flamenco outfits I made for my daughter and nephew. 

The Roots series are based on sewing according to our heritage. As some of you already know, I am portuguese by birth, my mother is portuguese and my father is spanish. I've always lived between here and there but although I've spent most of my life in Portugal, I've always lived the spanish traditions much more than the portuguese. One of these are the Romerias from the south of the country (where we are from), and as I mentioned in the previous posts, I've dressed in flamenco dresses when I was a kid. I believe my first one fits my niece this year and I believe she'll wear it, which is great. 

Back in 2012, when my daughter was only 11 months old, her first Romeria it is, I made a knock-off dress from the one my niece was going to wear. I bought similar fabric and tried to make it as much as the other one. The next year, both girls were too big for their dresses. I had taken a ruffle from niece's in 2012 because it was too long, and in 2013 I had to sew it back in place. I still had fabric left from my daughter's so I also added an extra ruffle to hers. My nephew had never dressed up for any Romeria before 2012, but that year I made him the traditional pants and the suspenders. Those pants are usually tight, high wasted and grey/black/brown or both in stripes (like his). I didn't make him the vest and jacket that are also typical for the male. I might have to make new outfits for my daughter and nephew again this year, niece is always the lucky one to have one already I might/or not make my daughter a copycat from my niece's, which is actually that first flamenco dress I ever wore. 

Here's a photo of the original flamenco dresses, but there are oh-so-many variations already!!!

M(a)y Mending Month IX

Today I'm sharing just a small mending project. Last year I made my first flamenco dress, for my nearly one year old, as I mentioned here. Back then, I also made the nephew's pants and suspenders. And, took one ruffle off the niece's dress because it was too long. 

One year has gone and the Romeria week time came again and you know... kids grow! 

I had to sew the ruffle back to my niece's dress... and I did it all by hand. The dress was at my parents in Spain, and I couldn't fix it until I got there last friday evening. That's a lot of ruffle to sew by hand - let me tell you!

I also had to fix my little one's dress. I ripped the last ruffle off, and added a small band all around in order to attach the ruffle to it again, giving me extra lenght to the dress. The nephew's was just fine. A little too tight already, but at least I didn't have to put my hands on it. 

I left planning to make myself a flamenco skirt next year. Not sure I will, but I have it in mind. I fell in love with one from a little girl and I even took photos of it to rerember later... hehhe

Flamenco Dress + Auditioning!

Auditions for Sew-vivor season 2 at Family Ever After... have started today and I have been waiting until the very last minute to make up my mind. I wasn't quite sure if I would try the auditions or if I'd just sew along the challenges. After a lot of thinking I decided I'll go for it, trying won't do me harm and who knows? Maybe I could make it to the Top 10? - let me dream a little, ok?

We can audition with something we have made before. First I was in shock, I went looking through all the things I have done, they are so many, from the simpliest thing you can imagine to corsets and underbusts! But I chose someting that's very dear to me: my first Flamenco dress!

I'm half Spanish, my father's from Huelva, in the south of Spain, near Seville. There is a huge tradition of Romerias, a religious event that takes place every year. I grew up making part of that. I too wore my flamenco dresses when I was younger and we lived there, and wearing a flamenco dress just makes you feel beautiful and special. They are magic and a little like princesses dresses.

My daughter was 11 months old by the time of my dad's village Romeria. A few months before the event I had decided I would make her a flamenco dress too. Her cousin had one so I made hers copying the cousin's. The fabric I used was equal, and I tried to make it as much as the original, just smaller =)

Here they are, my niece using hers (bought) and my baby using hers (made by ME). The typical pants and suspenders from the nephew were made by me as well). I had shared a little about those two projects here, but had never showed the final results yet.

Flamenco dresses aren't easy to make though. Not everyone can make a genuine flamenco dress. And I'm not saying mine is, but I was pretty happy with what I achieved! Even my supplies were bought in Spain (Huelva). My mom's boss gave me a few tips on the supplies, things that are typical to the dress that I didn't know before.

When I started the dress, I thought about making a tutorial, because I didn't find any when I searched for one online, but let me tell you, I was so involved in the ruffles, that after some point I just forgot to keep registering all the steps. It is all about the ruffles, dear god! And this was only a 12 months old dress. 

Here's what I got though. I started by drafting my own pattern as usual. Cut the pieces: 3 to make the front, 4 to make the back. Both in polka dots fabric and plain blue fabric for the lining.

Sewed all pieces together by the sides and then on the shoulders.

Then I started cutting the ruffles, and again, I got way too lost to keep taking photos of the steps.