Simple Summer Skirts

 

 

Easter dresses

It was so fun bringing out a favorite smocked dress, my first, for Lu to wear.  Although I’ve definitely grown a lot in my sewing in the last 5 years, I loved it just as much today as I did five years ago on Bird.

 

And for the new addition.  It was amazing luck to find the same fabric four years later, after adding an additional girl to our family.  I believe it is a Japanese fabric.  It says it was produced by Junko Miyazaki and my very favorite fabric ever.  Lovely mill, sweet print.  The basic pattern is Vogue with some changes.  I love the back band.    

Smocking Finished

On this silly dress I’ve been meaning to make for Bird for 9 months now.  The matching dress does still fit Lu.  I checked before I did all those bullion roses.  Now to buy the details (buttons, piping material) and sew this thing up.  I wasn’t planning on this for Easter but I haven’t started the dresses I intended so it may slide into the role of Easter dress. 

I’m really quite pleased with the smocking. I love how the groupings of flowers look like scallops and although red was the obvious color to choose from the fabric pattern it isn’t overpowering.  It is startling to see how much my smocking has evolved from when I stitched the sister dress, which was my very first project.  I started the pattern without knowing what I was going to do and I didn’t center the lattice work properly.  I had to compensate for that lower down when I realized the pattern would always look off center without some adjustment.  Where two mirror images meet was 1.5 width of a repeat so at center it is more heavily embroidered.  I think it turned out looking intentional (good). 

Tiny Little People

A very dear friend is expecting a third baby next month.  Oh how I love to make tiny things for the important tiny people in my life.  This is made from a bit of vintage material that an sweet elderly neighbor gave me.  It was part of his late wife’s stash that he was getting rid of many years later.  I would prefer the ruffle on the collar be about half the width it is but as I was sewing the collar on, predictably, just hours before the shower, it was good enough.  I snapped these pictures real quick and threw it in a box. 

 

Finally smocking something

I helped a friend pleat up some white batiste for an anticipated baby’s blessing gown. While I had Amanda Jane out I finally pleated up a dress panel I’ve been meaning to make for Bird for at least 9 months. 

It was supposed to be her happy birthday dress in September and then a Christmas dress in December.  (I didn’t even make Christmas dresses this year, unless you count the angel/shepherd costume, but I don’t.)  Now it is a just because dress.  Just because the dress that it will coordinate with fits Lu right now.  I made this little dress for Bird’s second Easter (age 18 m).  It was the first dress I smocked. I pleated it by transferring dots and handpicking them up with a needle and thread (terrible process).  This project inspired me to buy my Amanda Jane pleater.  Lu needs to wear this dress.  I may make her baby cousin wear the red rompers.     

Check out my sewing shelves!  It may not look especially tidy and empty to you but trust me, it is.  It is delightfully empty and organized. 

And.  My sweet friend Lindsay gave me a blog award.  I’ll get to the details of that at some point but meanwhile you should check out her sewing blog because she is prolific and talented.  Plus you should read the really nice things she said about me.