Me too?

When Katherine was a baby she had so many clothes.  I didn't start making her clothes probably until she was almost 3. I know, all that time wasted!  Before I developed my sewing habit, I had a bit of a shopping habit. And now all of the clothes I bought for Katherine belong to Ellie.  And as if she didn't have enough clothes already, we've picked up a bunch of other hand-me-downs along the way too - from the girls cousins.  Ellie really doesn't need any more clothes, so I don't tend to sew for her, but I think as she is getting older she is realising that Mummy is always making things for big sis and that she might be missing out on something.

I made this dress for Katherine during the week.

The pattern is Butterick 4842, view C (the one in the main picture).  Note that although the pattern calls for a zip I used a single button closure instead because 1) I didn't have a zip on hand, and 2) I hate doing zips!  When I was first cutting the pattern out, I was pleasantly surprised to see there were only 4 pieces.  I thought making this dress would be a piece of cake!   In actual fact I had more drama sewing this than I did with the trench coat I'd made the week before!   It took me three attempts to get the flounces to sit right.  I actually ruined the hem of one so badly I had to cut it out again.  To be fair, I think that the fabric was partly to blame.  It was very slinky and slippery, and it barely even creased when I pressed it so hemming it was a nightmare. But I am happy with the finished product.  

Ellie liked the look of it too. She came out the next morning and saw it hanging on the door knob and said, "pretty dress me too?"  So I made her one that day, out of some left over fabric from this dress I'd made Katherine last year.  I didn't quite have enough for the lower flounce so I used a piece of coordinating fabric and I think it turned out ok.  I have to say that it was so much easier to work with the quilting cotton on the second dress!

The girls were happy to model their new dresses for me today in the lovely sunshine. 

Yes, the sky really was that blue.  It was a gorgeous day today.

I took a bunch of photos and totally forgot that I had actually made Katherine a matching headband for her dress.

We quickly snapped a couple of pictures of the headband, and then the girls got back to doing what they really wanted to do - playing.