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| My niece modeling the "garden party" dress I just made for her. She is a big fan of halter dresses in the summer. |
I've got a sewing assignment for you, dear readers. Take a break from sewing big girl clothes and make something for a younger one in your life. Sewing in a smaller scale and working with fabrics and trims you might not sew for yourself stretches your creativity in new ways, you'll see. Kind of like quilting does. Once or twice a year I like to make a dress for my niece Elizabeth, 6, just to give the girly side of my sewing brain a workout.
Fabrics used: White cotton piqué from my stash for the bodice, and a piqué print from H&M Fabrics on W. 39th Street in the Garment District. Pink petersham ribbon from Pacific Trimming used as a sash; white rick-rack trim on the bodice edges.
Annie wanted me to have this monogrammed for Elizabeth, and I have to agree a pink monogram on the bodice would have looked nice. But I was in a let's-get-this-finished mode and didn't want to take the time. Next year I'll make Elizabeth a monogrammed dress.
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| I like all the different textures at play in this dress. |
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| The halter-back neck closure and a better view of the rick-rack edging. |
A word of advice: While Children's Corner patterns feature some of the prettiest and most classic kids' patterns out there, don't tackle one unless you are an experienced sewer. The directions assume knowledge of sewing construction and seams are generally only 1/4"—great if you know what you're doing but hellacious to work with if you make mistakes and need to rip and redo.
Bottom line: I mean seriously, isn't this dress the cutest thing? Got any little girl dresses in your sewing plans?
35 comments:
Charming! I wish I had a child to sew for -- to sew for only, mind you. Lovely job, Lindsay!
Absolutely lovely!!!
Great job! ^_^
http://alicecloset-sewing.blogspot.com/
Adorable! I have no little girls to sew for, but I do like to use that same type of creativity on bags. Nice sewing!
Very pretty dress. Your niece looks darling in the style. Your ric-rac is perfect. I agree it is fun to sew for little ones.
Beautiful! Alas, my little people are all grown up now. But they still let me sew for them :)
So cute, and she looks very happy with her new frock :)
so sweet! i love the ric rac edging :)
That is a lovely dress! I do have a "date" with my 10-year-old niece for sewing lessons this summer.
She wants to sew matching outfits for herself and her American Girl doll. I will start her on some very easy things - in fact I was thinking of starting with a little patchwork project first, using some cute Amy Butler fabrics. Maybe a little quilt for her doll? We'll see.
Enchanting dress. I sooooo want a little girl- to- sew- for- fix.
Great memories!!!!
Seriously adorable! Love the rick rack trim . . makes it VERY special!
Darling! You have caught my desease! In children's clothing you can bring in all sorts of fun trims, buttons, and textures. It is VERY creative and can be addicting. There are no bounds and the best part? These are flat little bodies! Hard to go wrong making children's clothing. I have started making matching AG dresses for all that I make Sophie.
Sophie is coming to spend a couple of weeks with me at the end of the month and we have big plans to sew. I will take her to the fabric store, teach her to cut patterns, and let her get comfortable with the machine. She will get to pick out her fabric and trims all on her own, just like my grandmother let me. I am so looking forward to it.
Adorable! Wish I had a little one to sew for!
Blessings
Linda
A perfectly lovely dress, Meg...so pretty!
It is the cutest dress ever! Beautiful work. I am going to have to find some little girl to sew for!
Спасибо, очень интересное платье и хороший мастер-класс! Thank you, very interesting clothes and a good master class!
Super cute! The fruit and flowers motif is spot on. I also love the ric-rac. I am sewing a Irish Dance muslin for my 7 year old, so I am up to my elbows in little girl fluffiness :-)
What a pretty dress! Love the details especially the white on white ric rac trim. Lovely.
That's a beautiful little dress. She is quite adorable in it.
Nice job, Meg! I agree whole-heartedly, and you know that I make plenty of little girl dresses! It's faster, it's easier (less fitting issues), and it's fun to mix in fun trims, buttons, and ribbons. She's a lucky girl!
It is adorable! You did a great job and I'm sure she looks forward to her new dress from her aunt every year.
How cute is this?? I loved Halter dresses too when I was a little one!
Sweet! Clearly, she feels pretty in that dress.
Gorgeous! I bought patterns to make for my little one, but have not done any yet.
So pretty, I am crazy for cotton pique, fantastic fabric for summer.
What a sweet little dress!
I regularly interrupt my adult sewing for kid stuff. That's what happens when you're firmly in the stage of life that you're at baby showers every few months. ;) I love it though because I find that I'm able to really build my sewing confidence and skill set on those projects and then carry it with me onto garments for me. It's a win-win.
So cute! I agree that it's definitely a nice change to sew for kids. I am always attracted to the crazy prints at the fabric store, but I typically wear solids and neutrals myself. Sewing for little ones is a great excuse to mix colors, prints, and trims.
The ric-rac trim is a stunning detail. Your work is a constant source of inspiration - thanks!
Very cute! The rick-rack is too perfect!
So very cute! I have a hard time sewing anything other than girls' clothes...
So cute. Perfect fabric choices! I've made that pattern a few times for my granddaughters and they love the halter! Makes them feel sophisticated. I like a lot about CC patterns -- but I'm not a fan of 1/4" seams so I usually just increase them to 3/8" for little people. Other than that issue, I think the patterns are fine for beginners as the instructions are clear and the techniques are good.
What a beautiful dress. I love the cheeky combo of old fashioned sweetness (front view) and the modernity of the halter back. Aunty of the Year Award headed your way.
I absolutely agree with you! I made Miss 2 1/2 a dress at Christmas time. Her 3rd birthday is next month, so I intend to make her a new dress and post it to her in the coming weeks. Her mum really appreciates the love and care that goes into the garments I make, and that makes it so worthwhile.
She's adorable. Your fabric choices are perfect.
Love this post! I am making a simple sundress and thankfully have a friend with a two year old. I just wished I sewed when my own girls were little.
Beautiful little girl's dress. The floral fabric and the ribbon just make it perfect!
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