Monday, July 13, 2009

the elusive (and reversible!) Easter dress

Elusive because it's July and I'm just now getting around to showing it to you. Reversible because, well, you'll see.

Check out the inspiration dress by Neige.

And now for the finished product:


This dress was a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants project whipped out the week before Easter. I ran out of gas after some frustrating issues and, even though I felt like it really needed something extra in the front - like the pockets in the inspiration photos - I just couldn't summon the will to go on.

So she wore it backwards, like so:



Which I actually liked. But since I knew it was designed to be worn differently (by me, but still), I felt a little funny about it all day. So let's just call it the Reversible Easter Dress and I'll feel better. Like it was for purpose, as my kids would say.

Now, about the fabric. The Liberty floral was a dream to work with. (Isn't that what you're supposed to say about Liberty fabric? Anyway, that's what I'm telling myself in an effort to rationalize the hefty price per yard.) But seriously, it is beautiful, soft fabric and a very nice weight for this kind of garment. I used this for the ruffle and tie. I think, should there be a next time, I'll use something lighter. More like a voile or something, 'cause this cotton was a little stiff. It does, however, make for excellent twirling...

13 comments:

Larissa Holland said...

Oh, cute little twirly photo! It turned out so well, I really love it. Actually I love it with the bow in front too, even though I always appreciate details like that in the back. Did you make up the pattern?

Robyn said...

Thanks, Larissa! I'm glad you like it. I did make up the pattern, but it's a pretty simple design. Which is what I wanted, both for easy, quick construction and to showcase the fabric.

Sarah Bonn said...

I think it's adorable. Is the bow used for gathering the top or is it just decorative?

Robyn said...

Thanks, Sarah! Yes, the tie "gathers" both the front and back of the dress. I secured the ties where they enter the casings, but I definitely could have left them open for adjustment as she gets bigger. That might work a little better with a narrower tie, though.

Unknown said...

too cute! big thumbs up on the twirling factor from the girls here! :)

K said...

Love the dress! Just wanted you to know that I cried uncle and bought some things from the big sale! Linked to your blog in placing blame for my fabric problem :)

K said...

Love the dress! Just wanted you to know that I cried uncle and bought some things from the big sale! Linked to your blog in placing blame for my fabric problem :)

Kir said...

I want a dress for myself! How much fabric did you use for your daughter's dress?

Hena Tayeb said...

oh what a lovely dress, she looks great in it.

Robyn said...

Kir, I bought a yard of the Liberty fabric, which is 53" wide, and a yard of the Kona cotton. That ruffle just eats up fabric. I used a soft muslin for the bottom layer, with the Kona only for the ruffle and the tie. I definitely had some largish scraps left over of both.

Check out this tutorial to give yourself a better idea of measurements on a similar style of dress:
http://habitual.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/habitual_simplesundress.pdf

My daughter is a size 4, but the dress will probably fit her until she's a 6 or so. Hope that helps!

Kir said...

It does! Thanks for the info and the link to the tutorial. If/when I make one for myself, I'll let you know...

Angela said...

Robyn,
Can I link to this post from my blog? www.groceryshrink.typepad.com I'd like to include a photo to encourage readers to click on over.

Angela

Robyn said...

Sure, Angela, you're welcome to link me. And I'd be fine with you using the dress picture. Thanks for asking!

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