Heather Ross Flower Girl Dress

Aaaaah.  It's Sunday morning.  All the kids are still asleep.  Well except the dog who's whining to be walked (not my job).  And the best thing yet is that I don't have to go anywhere today.  I feel like I've been going non-stop since I got back from Arizona (I still haven't unpacked).  Yesterday I only had to take my daughter to a track meet, my son's friend back home, my son to baseball practice, and my daughter to a dance performance.  It actually could have been worse, but there's something about all those little interruptions that make me feel a little bit cheated out of a real day off.

Anyway, before I left for Arizona, I cut out the pieces to make the Flower Girl Dress from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing.  I used some Joel Dewberry Blackeyed Susan that I got at half price at one of my local fabric shops, Sew Portland.  It was pretty easy to cut out especially since the skirt part is just two large rectangles.  My 1 yard wasn't quite enough for the size 4 that I was making (even though the pattern said it would be), so I added some red Amy Butler Love dots to the bottom.

Addie informed me that she doesn't like blue and only likes purple.  That figures.  She was a good sport at least and wore it long enough for me to take some photos.

The Weekend Sewing book hasn't really been doing it for me lately.  I did make two of the smocked sundresses a while ago (before I started The Craft Book Challenge), and they came out great.  I also made the Summer Blouse which also came out great, but since I started the CBC, this is the third project that I wasn't totally happy with.  These were my issues:

1. 1 yard was not enough for the size 4.
2. You're supposed to cut 1" strips for the straps which would make a really skinny strap which is not what's shown in the photo.  I switched to 2" for the straps and that worked out better.
3. The bodice is pretty tight.  Addie is only 3 and not big for her age, but still the size 4 is tight.

And I hate to dis Heather Ross because she is awesome, so these could have all been my fault because:

1. I never follow the cutting instructions.
2. I didn't check on-line for errata.
3. I measured Addie's chest after the fact and it's about 3/4" wider than the pattern says for size 4.

In the end, it's still cute and was pretty easy to make.

Addie also informs me that even though this qualifies as cold clothes, she only wants shorts and skirts and cold shirts, not cold dresses.  Why couldn't I have gotten into sewing kids' clothes when my older, less opinionated daughter was little?

Here's Addie leaning up against the Down-Lite pillow cube that I won in the Sew Mama Sew Pillow Contest.  It's very cool.  I just need to figure out how to make a cube shaped pillow cover.  Should be easy enough, right?

Comments

[Kristie at OCD]

Ahh, I also have a couple VERY opinionated daughters when it comes to clothes....which is why I switched to making quilts! Three going on thirteen, look out!

[Katie]

I know. Isnt it frustrating? I started out making quilts then realized how much fun (and faster) it was to make clothes. There are so many cute patterns out there that I cant stop even though I know she wont wear them half the time. I need to find some kind of solution! No kidding about the three going on thirteen. It doesnt help that she has an almost thirteen year old sister to emulate.