Choices, choices
When I chose chiffon fabric for Elora’s flower girl dress, instead of tulle, do you know that I wasn’t at all considering the puff factor? I had a vague idea that chiffon would be more flowy. Now that it has arrived I realize that my version of the Chloe dress is absolutely not the cover version with the wide, full skirt. Oops!
I don’t mind, but I hope that Elora won’t be disappointed. So it goes when you let a novice sew a flower girl dress!
My fabrics arrived yesterday and I pre-washed the madeira and the polyester lining. The fabrics from top left: emerald knit chiffon, white knit chiffon, polyester lining, cotton madeira.
Today I cut and sewed the bodice. The madeira was easy to work with, being cotton and all, but the polyester lining was a challenge. It’s so slippery and thin! Fortunately, I was sewing the lining fabric against the madeira, so the madeira provided oomph for easier handling.
Assembling the bodice was easy-peasy and exactly like sewing the Geranium dress bodice, which I’ve done a hundred times. In fact, I was wondering why I bought this pattern again? I probably could have just used the Geranium pattern, but then I wouldn’t have known to look for knit chiffon I guess.
Here I am auditioning buttons and previewing the layered chiffon skirt. This version has the emerald chiffon layered over the white.
I really adore the eyelet madeira and these silvery sparkly buttons. It looks very “wedding” to me!
But I am not sure in which order to layer the chiffon. This photo shows the white chiffon over the emerald. It is certainly a softer look, which contrasts less with the bodice.
I am going to share this post with the bride-to-be and let her choose.
I am sure that Elora and I will be happy either way!
Hmm - - - I am not sure in which order to layer the chiffon: emerald over white or white over emerald. The one is more dramatic and the other creates a softer look, which contrasts less with the bodice. Will you weigh in?
Ok, pattern - check. Colors - check. Time to shop for fabric! The Chloe dress uses a lot of fabric, even with the tea length version. If you use tulle for the skirt, it involves two layers of tulle, a layer of netting and a layer of lining. Wow!
This summer Elora gets to be the flower girl in her big sister’s wedding! Today I have gathered up options from Violette Field Threads, a pattern company with quite an impressive collection of delightful girls’ dresses.
Yesterday, when it was quite overcast, little miss braved the cool weather for a lightning fast photo op. We dashed out our front door, across to the road to the daffodils and were back inside in less than five minutes! Aren’t you glad she was a good sport?
When mild weather and spring flowers first shyly showed their faces, Elora and I caught spring fever. One afternoon she nosed through my fabric stash for favorite fabrics that might become new dresses, shirts or skirts. I got right in the spirit, dreaming along with her. Today I started on that strawberry dress.
Happy Holidays! It seems that every year I sew something festive, whether gifts, kids clothes or decor for our home. It’s always a treat to sew with holiday fabrics. And, as you can see, something this Christmas-y puts everyone in a joyful mood!
June has finally brought warm weather to The Netherlands. After an unusually long and cool spring, we’re feeling the sun on our legs and looking for some water to splash around in. Time to welcome summer with a new sundress!
The Elona dress is finished! We have some deliciously autumnal photos to share with you, but first my report on the making.
When it comes to sewing play clothes for my little girl, I don’t want to spend a lot of time fussing with fine details. I like something, like this simple jumper dress, that comes together quickly. Extra points if it shows off the fabric!
This time I paired two printed fabrics in a capsleeve version of the Geranium dress. I started with the Trixie Collage print by Heather Ross for Windham Fabrics. It’s so very, very adorable, isn’t it? And such a fun fabric…
Have you seen Heather Ross’ new collection for Windham Fabrics? It’s called Trixie, and as usual it’s super-sweet and absolutely perfect for little girls. Naturally, these fabrics had me dreaming of a little dress for Elora.
This week is Elora Faye’s birthday week! We’ll get to celebrate her birthday along with Thanksgiving, and a more fitting combination I cannot imagine.
Oh, I can’t wait to show you this jumper… Ta da! It’s just what I was hoping for! The “Elizabeth Plum floral and jumper styling are nice for fall, but it’s cool enough to wear in our warm southern weather.
Look, I made an Easter dress! It's not what I set out to make, but I'll take it! I chose to make baby Rora a dress in double gauze, because it's such a soft, delightful fabric for warm southern spring weather.
You know I'm hopeless about mint these days. Mint everything! But to be fair, I think the color will bring out the reddish tones in Rora's strawberry blond hair.
I thought you might like a little update on Eleni. Since we last talked she has been stable in the NICU and seems to move her body more...
Well, it’s finished! The eyelet madeira bodice is what I like most about the dress. It’s so sweet and so perfect for a wedding. Now, if only we can keep it clean for most of Aria’s wedding day, haha!