Sunday 20 October 2013

a tale of two dresses

OK, so one is technically a tunic top but I'm not lying when I say that sometimes I am pretty jealous of my 3 year old daughter. This week she got 2 new dresses, I love them both and wish they were in my size. Of course I could sew clothes up for myself, but when they are little and cute like this they take practically no time and are a joy to sew!

Geranium Top

Actually that's a lie, they take no time and are a joy to sew until you decide that you NEED to modify the pattern and make a long sleeve, which of course you need to draft yourself, which you have never done before. But you wouldn't let that stop you, after all this is how you have envisioned it and you cannot defer from the top you dreamt about. So I did draft a sleeve, from scratch using her measurements, and it didn't fit, so I cut another sleeve. Thank goodness this one was OK or I would have been out of fabric!

Geranium top

Speaking of fabric, the wonderfully sweet Trudi sent me this for Juliette, it couldn't be more perfect for her. I have never met  a  girl who is so mad on moving vehicles, in particular heavy plant and construction vehicles and trains!

Geranium Top

The intended recipient was so pleased with her new top that she put it on and promptly went straight out to a party to show it off (again, this is why I am jealous of her, oh to have such a social life!)

Geranium Top
Pattern, Geranium Dress from Made By Rae
Size 4T
Modifications, drafted peter pan collar & long sleeves
gifted fabric from Trudi, children at play by Sarah Jane Studios polka dot collar and vintage red buttons from stash


Earlier this week I refashioned an old skirt of mine into another dress for Juliette. Same pattern this time with no modifications. I just loved the colours in my skirt but it was a really bad style for me and I never wore it.

Geranium in Purple

Button Detail on Purple Geranium
Pattern, Geranium dress from Made by Rae
size 4T
no modifications
Repurposed fabric from my old skirt and new glitter buttons chosen by Juliette


She choose the glitter buttons herself, it took a while! So happy to see the fabric on my daughter, if only I could stop her growing........

14 comments:

Sarah said...

both lovely! little miss looks delighted too :-)

Trudi said...

Doesn't it look fabulous in that fabric! and I really love your alterations to the pattern too!, don't expect her social life to change too much, mine is still a little socialite even now!

Lucy | Charm About You said...

Oh Emily they are both so cute!! She looks adorable and so happy, quite rightly!

Charlotte said...

she is so bloody cute!!!!!!!!

Leanne said...

Those are lovely dresses and she is clearly a natural model.

Catherine said...

What a cutie! Fabulous makes Emily

Mrs Flying Blind... said...

Lovely, but yes, they grow, so that's my excuse not to!!

mammafairy said...

Yes, sewing little things for those little people in our lives is so quick and satisfying!

Gorgeous model, too!

Katy Cameron said...

Aww, I'm sure we could find you a party to wear a dump truck dress to... ;o)

April Boyer Modern Handmade said...

I love the addition of the long sleeves and collar!

Canadian Abroad said...

Gorgeous dress on a gorgeous wee girl. I made clothes for the girls occasionally when they were little. I was heart broken when they grew out of the dress stage.

pennydog said...

So cute!

scientician said...

Love the long sleeves! Was it easy to draft them? I'd love to make a long sleeve version for my wee monkey. She has a robot version with the cap sleeves, but I can see how long sleeves would be great and those look fabulous.

Alai said...

This will be my first project but as it is fall in San Francisco, I'd like to add sleeves, too!