Clean Clothes vs New Clothes

Saturday is my laundry day around here.  I never seem to do more during the week than a load of laundry on Wednesday so I don't have to go to work naked, and I end up with a huge pile of dirty clothes on Saturday.  I hate it, and really should make more of an effort to keep it up all week, but that just never happens.

Yesterday, I woke up feeling the need to sew.  I don't know if you've ever noticed, but when I'm in a crafty mood, I can't really concentrate on anything but getting that urge fulfilled.  It's hard for me to sew and do laundry at the same time... the ironing board folds out of the wall and blocks the laundry room entrance, I have to move my big tub of fabric onto my bed where I fold clothes.  So, pretty much, just the bare minimum was accomplished laundry-wise and the girls have a new dress now.

Someone directed me to a tutorial this week for the Grow and Gather Dress on Moda Bake Shop.  I thought it was super cute, but it's written for 12-18 months.  My kids outgrew that long ago.  But when I looked through it, I thought I could adapt it for my bigger girls and gave it a try.

I had 3 half yards of fabric from the Bazaar Style line at Art Gallery Fabrics (the whole line is gorgeous) and thought it would be perfect.

The tutorial called for 2 layer cake squares (10" x 10"), and I bumped it up to 13" x 13", and adjusted the back of the bodice accordingly (and to work with what I had left... I only had so much fabric!).  I came up with 13" x 13" because I was aiming for a 25" chest... divided in half, added some ease and seam allowance and came up with 13".  I believe the back was 18"x 12.5".   Instead of fat quarters for the skirt, I used the entire half yard of one print.  I left off the ruffle.  Widened the ties, make the straps a little skinnier - just personal preference and I wasn't limited to a jelly roll strip, so I could. 

Since I also had to be Mother (and that's a lot harder to ignore than laundry), it took me the better part of the day to finish.  In fact, the girls were asleep by the time I got the skirt sewn on.  I hate not having a model to try on something I just finished.   Isabelle was more than happy to try it on and Zoe was less than happy that Isabelle got to it first.  It fits really well, with room to grow since there is elastic in the back and the halter ties.  They'll be wearing it for a few summers, I suspect.

I love her accessorizing... the crafty bead necklace, the socks with dress shoes.  My kids have the best fashion sense.  =)

Love the hip pop, Iz.  She's cracking me up with her modelling skills.

I just love that it was actually warm enough outside for her to be wearing a halter top dress.  I've been seeing buds appear on trees and tiny little flowers dotting yards and it just does my heart good.  It hasn't been a rough winter at all, but nothing makes me happier than seeing the world bloom into color again.