Beach Reception Dresses

What an honor and privilege to make these dresses! As I'd said in this earlier post, L's beach reception was casual, so she wasn't looking for the typical white "beach wedding" dress. Her requests included...
1. A chevron print fabric paired with a solid.
2. A halter top.
3. A high/low skirt.

Check, check, and check!
Patterns: 8470 (bodice) and 8870 (skirt)
Fabrics: Silk Faille Chevron from Spoonflower, and Yellow silk/cotton and lining (poly taffeta) from Haberman Fabrics.
Modifications: I had to adjust the skirt pattern at the waist to eliminate the gathers. If I had to do over again, I think I'd prefer to increase the fullness of the skirt, though. I took about 3" off the back length of the skirt, as L is quite petite, and also shortened the center front of the skirt by about 2".

Once the fabric was ordered and purchased, I was able to see that I'd have enough to make her daughter a coordinating look. How perfect!

Little Miss A's dress used the chevron on the top and the solid yellow for the skirt. I considered adding a sash, but L loved it just this way! I think Little Miss A loved it, too! Butterick 3350 is the pattern I used, which goes together very quickly and easily!

When everything was said and done, the girls loved their dresses and I loved making them. I've known L since she was a sweet little 9th grader, so seeing her grow up and become an amazing woman (with a beautiful family) has been a pleasure. Making these dresses was just the icing on the cake.

Congratulations and Best Wishes!!!

Good Things Come in Small Packages

On the 4th of July, dear friends of ours had a very special package arrive... their little girl! Weighing in at just under 6 pounds, she was the tiniest little bundle of sweetness! Suddenly, I was looking through the old baby girl patterns from 10 years ago, digging through my fabric boxes for pink floral cottons.

While at Haberman's getting fabric for a different project (the search for the perfect shade of yellow!), I found this lovely pink and while floral cotton. The local quilt shop had the perfect solid shade of pink to pair with it, too. Now, I needed a pattern!

Baby Girl is still so tiny though... even the newborn sized clothing she has is too big! What to do, what to do... and then I had an idea. I asked my friend, "How long is she now?" and she answered, "About 20 inches." Perfect.

This lovely pattern was in a big box of vintage patterns that I bought from a friend a few years ago. Simplicity 4723 is described as a "baby doll layette" for 20" dolls like "Thumbelina, Baby Dear, Tiny Talker". Although it's not marked, I'm pretty certain this pattern is from about 1962 or '63.

I made 3 pieces: The sleeveless dress ("slip"), the jacket ("sacque"), and panties. I made lots of bias tape from my left over fabric, to trim the jacket and finish the armholes and neckline. I folded and gathered a little ruffle to add to the dress, and 1 single yard of pink satin ribbon made 4 little bows to embellish with.  I found a vintage card of snaps in my notions drawer, with just 3 snaps remaining, so I used those at each shoulder for closures.

All in all, I'm really happy with the look of the set, and I think it's very sweet. I enjoyed making it much more than I thought I would, having never made such a small baby dress before! I could hear my mother in my ear saying, "The bonnet! That baby needs a bonnet!", but she's more of a "headband" girl. Sorry, Mom!