Sweet little dresses

It happens every summer. Along with mosquitoes, butterflies, and lightning bugs, out comes the sewing bug. And it has bitten me, and bitten me hard.

I know I've already said this before, but sewing and I? We don't get along. I love it. It hates me. It should hate me, because, despite my love for it, I do not take my careful time with it. But still.

Anyway, you know how alot of people will knit a baby sweater to try their hand at garment knitting? Well, for some reason, it never occurred to me that I should sew little kid clothes, to get more practice while using less fabric and lighter, more manageable pieces. But it finally dawned on me as I was browsing Joann's the other day, and, armed with a little girls' dress pattern, I drove home and set to work.

My first attempt (using New Look pattern # 6688), was far from perfect. The inside edges were raggedy, the zipper (my first time installing a zipper, btw) was a bit off, but -- and herein lies the beauty of baby clothes -- the dress still turned out adorable. And it only took two evenings from cutting out the pattern to completion!

When making this dress, I had our good friends who recently moved to Hawaii in mind. I used vintage Russian fabric that my mom bought some 20 years ago. It's too loud to use for adult garments, but for a bright little girl who lives in Hawaii, it was perfect. So here is N (20 months) wearing her new dress:



(I used ribbon for the shoulder straps, without lining them with fabric. This way, they're completely adjustable.)

Of course, if I make a dress for N, I have to make one for her big sister, A (almost 7). A and I are buds. We go way back. So I thought that for her dress, I would use the same fabric that I used for my own dress. It helps that the fabric is purple! I used New Look pattern #6821, and this pattern went much better. I slowed down and took my time, and I'm actually quite proud of the way this turned out. I even learned to make tucks! And the zipper looks much better, though the thread I used to put it in shows very clearly on the inside lining. But hey, it's the inside lining, right?

The dress:



I'm happy to report that the parents love both dresses, and A loves it, too:



(I forgot to say that the amazing pictures of A and N are by Kwong Photography, a talented Chicago artist. If you are in the area and interested in using them, email kwongphotography at gmail dot com.)