Sunday, June 20, 2010

A Birthday Dress

With 2 months to spare, her birthday dress is completed. She changed plans on me after I'd cut out the smocking section. Originally we were doing a ruffled skirt and shirt, but then she became very adamant about it being a dress, one-piece! SO...I had to get creative as how to put this thing together.
She's all about being fance (AKA Fancy Nancy), loving ruffles, trims, bows, etc. If it twirls out three feet, all the better. I am hoping to find or make her (or better, have someone else make her!) a play dress up wedding dress for her birthday! Initially I was going to do a peasant-style skirt out of 4 or 5 coordinating fabrics. When I got to putting this together, it seemed out of place. Consequently, I have several extra ruffles made! Luckily, we bought plenty of fabric to do this all in just one.
I kind of botched the smocked section. It was made a couple inches too narrow, so a patch was added at the ends. That is not too visible, but then I failed to gather it to the skirt so it didn't hang quite rigt. I added the ribbon ties in those area, and viola, it is not obvious (and it is more fancy!)
Very simple smocking since the fabric is busy.
And under the layers of ruffling is a ribbony fabric.
My happy model.
And she's twice as happy because I came home from Target with these new sandals for her - her first ever. They are still hard to walk in, but she loves them all the same. They'll be perfect on the beach.

4 comments:

  1. Th dress is adorable especially because of the cutie in it! I made dresses for my girls when they were 3 and 5 with lace ruffles in the back. They loved those dresses! My mom made matching ones for their two girl cousins and we have a picture of them all in a line. I just posted the picture on flickr.

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  2. She looks so sweet in her new 'fance' and sandals. You did a great job changing your plans to meet her (wishes) demands.

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  3. Sweet dress....even sweeter model!

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  4. what a beautiful birthday dress!! I just know she will wear it every chance she gets this summer. And I'm so happy for her to have those adorable first sandals for her ;)

    Love from Texas! ~bonnie

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