Last night I completed a new spring/summer dress for Töchterchen. I learned with her last dress that she has considerable opinions on what she likes and dislikes. Taking that into consideration, she picked out this fabric and gave me some ideas for the pattern/design. The fabric is purple, glittery ladybugs - sounds about right for a two year old girl. Her requirements were that it had to be long and twirly. Mission accomplished.
There's a face of pure joy when she found her new dress completed this morning. I think the anticipation of selecting the fabric, helping create the pattern, helping with the pins while I cut it out, helping/watching the sewing (most of which was done after she went to bed, but she did help with a few pieces), and then FINALLY getting to try it on, really helps her to appreciate the final product. It's fun to watch my kids see and learn that you don't/can't/shouldn't just go to the store and purchase everything you want. Sometimes you get to create it yourself and it takes time and work, but the end result is so worth it!
The long, twirly dress. I didn't follow a pattern, yet again. However, this time I did put together different pieces of previous patterns. The bodice was mostly from the pattern I used to make a jumper for this fall/winter. The pattern has a zipper down the back, but I didn't have a zipper on hand and wanted to use buttons on the shoulders. So I modified the back piece to be one panel and extended the shoulder straps to allow for the overlap and button holes. Another pattern I had includes a two tier skirt. I shortened the first piece and made it a few inches more narrow. I kept the bottom tier the same, but added a middle tier that was in between the widths of the top and bottom and slightly longer than the bottom tier. All in all, this dress came together more quickly than any of her others!
The pictures don't even do her excitement level justice. To add to it, today it the first day she is feeling better after being sick all weekend. (Btw - Mannchen is a very sick little man. Pretty sure he has the flu. 103.7 fever yesterday, terrible cough, goopy eyes, and runny nose. He is doing slightly better this morning, but as the morning goes on he seems to be feeling worse again. During naptime I plan to make him a new pair of firetruck PJ pants to help cheer him up. It's harder to come up with sewing projects for boys.
She doesn't hide her emotions well. I like that about her.
Close up of the sparkles. I never would have selected this fabric, but seeing her love for it makes the sparkles all worth it.
More joy.
Yes, it twirls!
BIG twirls! And don't worry, we layered it with a turtleneck and leggings to make it more appropriate for the early spring weather.
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