My design wall is quite empty and I have to admit that I am itching to start a major quilt project. But it's also nice to have a break and work on smaller things. After finishing my Jacob's Ladder top, I knew I wanted to get back to making some clothes for my two year-old daughter.
A trip to Fancy Tiger a few weeks ago left me with these goodies: the Lily dress pattern and 1.25 yards of this Briar Rose fabric that was on sale for only $5.25 per yard. Now, I have to admit, I kind of regret falling for that bargain because this acidic orange is not my favorite color. In my defense, my whole family was in the car waiting for me and I was definitely in a rush! But I guess it was good to have my first go at the pattern with a fabric I didn't love - as I was kind of nervous, through the whole process of making the dress, that the whole project would be a failure.
Luckily this first Lily dress wasn't a failure and Charlotte loves it- she's worn it three times already:
I really had wanted to use this project as a way for me to get acquainted with my new-to-me serger, but I soon learned that the serger needle was broken. I made the quick decision to finish the dress rather than go to Joann's for at least an hour just to buy a new needle! (The Joann's here is insanely busy all of the time here- I try not to go to often!)
I scoured my stash for a coordinating fabric for the yoke of the dress: I wanted it to stand out and I feared that if I went with green- Charlotte would really look like a pumpkin!
One big stumbling block through making the dress was that the pattern calls for single fold bias trim to finish the neckline. I was pretty confident that anything at Joann's would not match the red fat quarter I was working with (and I had already decided I wasn't going to use my precious sewing time to wait in a line at the store)- so luckily I made it work with the scrap I had of the yoke fabric- youtube also saved the day in teaching me how to make the trim myself.
The pattern allows you to make the dress with long sleeves or sleeveless. I decided to eye-ball it and alter the pattern to make short sleeves. They are a little longer than I would've liked but I think it kind of adds to the "vintage charm." I used an old button for the back closure that really matches the design of the small flower on the yoke fabric. I really think Charlotte looks like a baby doll in this dress- I really have had people tell me that she looks like a porcelain doll with that blonde hair and her very pale skin!
I had planned to immediately make another Lily dress, with some more-loved fabric, but I had something come up that I need to attend to first. More to share soon!
4 comments:
Oh that turned out adorable! And while you might not be a fan of the orange, at least you know you'll be able to find her in a crowd. :D
This is so adorable and so is your daughter!
I bought the same print in couple of diff colors for making skirts for my daughter. I hope I will have find time to work on it.
I've come so close to buying this pattern several times! I still feel like I probably need to.
I love these fabrics together, the red is perfect (as is your daughter in it)!
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