that dress

I made a party dress for Mishi, the night before Ari's party (of course the night before, would any of you expect anything different!).

She choose the fabric, which was a ginormous dress I bought from a vintage fair a while back, with the intention of turning it into something else. I was quite surprised that choose it; not pink, not flowery.

The dress itself is a made up pattern, a morph of pictures spotted (by Mishi) in Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. The adults kimono dress and the baby kimono top, as well as a little kimono-style jacket of Mishi's mainly used for sizing. I'm not much for using patterns, hate cutting them out and trying to make them the right size (am I an 8, 10 or 12?). So this pattern just happened, with rough drawings as a guide and a distinct 'jump-in-and-do-it already' attitude. (I mean, at 9.30pm, you really have to start making the dress don't you! The cakes were in the oven and the kids finally asleep).

You know the best part - she loves it. No tears or big bottoms lips, upon waking up and seeing it. She put it on straight away. And has worn it every day since Saturday. Easy to put on, and take off (for the impromptu dress-up shows we have around here), and easy to wear. Soft and flowy, comfy, yet covering her shoulders and her bottom (some of her other dresses have recently turned into tops, with those legs continuing to grow!).

I'll be making some more of these dresses for sure - a whole Summer wardrobe.

*and, ooohhh, okay - I haven't got the hem of the sleeve finished yet, but it'll keep for a few days longer.

* Ari got a camera for his birthday - a proper one, not a kids one. He took this photo of Mishi, and I'm sure we'll see more here.

* I think my sister won best dressed prize at the party (though being one of "those mums" there was no prize - sorry Sylve!).