Avery's Favorite Dress...Ever

I feel like words don't even need to be written about this dress. Look at this girl. This may be my favorite photo of her I've ever taken. 

Lets still talk about this dress though, just for kicks. Its her favorite dress for a couple of reasons. 

#1. She has some ownership in it because I let her choose the fabric from my extensive stash (read: massive pile of fabrics literally thrown in my closet on Steve's side, no less. I have storage/organization issues)

#2. The twirl factor is perfection

#3. It is super comfy. The girl can move in this dress.

Any dress with those three elements is bound to be a smashing success.

I love this fabric so much. These pictures don't even do it justice. It almost caused me physical pain to cut into it. I've been hoarding it for a while, paralyzed by the fear of using it on the "wrong" pattern, and thereby cutting it short of its amazing potential.

Thankfully that didn't happen. Full potential reached.

It helps that I now have a "go to" knit dress pattern. Its kind of a mish mosh of a couple patterns, and some adjustments that I have made to get this look. The bodice is Boo! Designs Sleeved Leotard pattern. I made a size 5 for Avery, and her chest measures just about 22", so I sized up one size so it wouldn't be as tight as, you know, a leotard. 

Then for the skirt I used a full circle skirt, but made it extra wide so I could gather it. For some reason, the "un-gathered circle skirt" look just does not grab me. I need those little gathers.

The next modification made was lowering the back scoop to get that ballet dress look. I also used binding around the neck (instead of the method the pattern uses with elastic) cut at 80% the length of the neckline.

I have fabric set aside for at least 4 more of these dresses for Avery and Heidi. Its just the perfect everyday dress that also works for church.

My favorite 5 year old right there. 

Avery's Birthday Mori Dress

Today is my oldest child's 5th birthday. Five really seems like a big jump from four. Its freaking me out, but she couldn't be happier about growing up into a "big girl."

I don't make dresses for every special occasion, because that could really get insane and stressful. But I saw this heart fabric at Wal-Mart (of all places) for a $1/yard and:
1.) I knew Avery would love it
2.) I could instantly picture using it with a pattern I owned but hadn't yet tried
3.) Five is a milestone birthday, and that deserves a mom-made dress, right?
4.) Perhaps this is the most important, there was actually a person at the cutting table! I have spent many a time waiting for some fabric to be cut at wal-mart, only to give up after waiting for 15-20 minutes. It was meant to be.

This fabric is so flowy and lends itself perfectly to the Mori Dress. I did modify the flounce quite heavily though. The original pattern has the flounce being quite wide, which isn't bad, just not quite to my taste. I made a size 3 but used the width of the 6 month flounce. Then I lengthened that flounce quite a bit, probably almost double so I could get some nice ruffely goodness. I absolutely love the end result. Steve says it is the best dress I have ever made, and I think I agree with him.

And the best part, when Avery opened it today for her birthday, it was love at first sight. She loves her birthday dress, which made it all worth it. She even got to stay up past her bedtime so we could get some "golden hour" shots in. Lucky!

Summer Modern Belle

I sewed this dress up a while ago, but it was too cold for Heidi to wear until recently. I had no intentions of blogging about it, but the child was wearing it and she looked so dang cute, I decided to do an impromptu photoshoot. Aaand I found my new "go to" spot to take pictures of the girls. Just down the street at Big Piney Town Hall. I love me some good ol' brick walls.

This pattern is The Modern Belle Dress by Lil Luxe Collection. So classic, especially when paired with a black and white gingham. I just love this dress on my little Heidi and I kind of love how it is a little bit short, it gives it more of a vintagy feel, ya know?

This cutie was in good spirits during this photoshoot, probably because, for once, there wasn't a trace of wind. Gotta love Wyoming, haha.

The Perfect Summer Nightgown

When I was a little girl I loved wearing nightgowns to bed, and basically all day too. So naturally I want to force that same love that I had, on my unsuspecting girls. Its an easy sell. Summer nightgowns are awesome.

I don't think we've seen temperatures over 72 degrees yet, but warm summer nights are coming, or so I hear. So I set out to sew my girls the perfect summer nightgowns, to keep them cool, sure, but mostly because I want them to love wearing them ;).

The first player to enter this quest of mine, was some vintage looking fabric I snagged at my local thrift store. The fabric basically told me it was meant to be made into nightgowns, and who am I to deny this fabric its true destiny?

The next player was the right pattern, of course. I searched the interwebs, mostly using keywords like "Summer PJ's" or "Nightgown" or some other sleeping attire words. I came up empty handed. Doesn't the pattern world know exactly what I have in mind?? Apparently not. Well, they do, but sometimes you have to think outside the box. I ended up turning to a pattern I already owned. The Seaside Dress by Tadah Patterns. Not a nightgown pattern, per say, but with the right approach and definitely with the right fabric it has all the makings of one.

{source}

I wanted a sleeveless option though. No flutter sleeves, no tie that could potentially choke them in their sleep, no ruffle neck. So I made my own option and it was a success! I kind of love that the more I sew, the more capable I am of modifying patterns and it not blowing up in my face. 

Enter: The Most Perfect Summer Nightgowns Ever. And the cutest sisters ever. This was my favorite photoshoot thus far. These two really are best friends, and it makes this mom's heart kind of want to explode from joy.