I've had the Caroline Party Dress pattern ever since the Perfect Pattern Parcel #2, however, at the time I only had a chance to sew up the Celestial Tee and the September Dress. So, for my husband's parent's 50th anniversary party I knew I wanted to make Violet a special party dress. I showed her pictures of all of the dress patterns I had (I like to get her involved this way) and let her choose which she wanted. Once she saw the Caroline Party Dress there was NO question!
In keeping with the "rainbow theme", and of course being a Violet herself, she got a violet dress...
Her request...that it be soft. Thanks to Hayley's suggestion, I used Michael Miller's Cotton Couture (in Grape and White) for the dress. This fabric is so soft to touch and really is perfect for this dress (although it does wrinkle easily, ahem...see above! I promise it was well pressed before we began to partay!). Violet helped me pick out just the right purple, it really is a beautiful shade.
(Even though it's hard to tell because my pictures are just off, sorry again for the quick pics and poor lighting!)
Well, despite the poor lighting you can surely tell how happy she was with the dress! She put it on and said, "Thank you, thank you, Mama! I feel like a princess!"
I am quite pleased with the dress myself. It's not a quick sew being that it is fully lined and has a gathered skirt and an invisible zipper, but the instructions are clearly written and easy to follow. And, the end results are so professional!
I skipped the tulle underskirt, but only because we had a pretty yellow tulle underskirt from another dress that we used. I did not skip the lining underskirt and I am glad because I really think that it adds the perfect amount of fullness to the skirt.
Despite my usual affinity for patterns over solids, I am quite happy with the way this turned out. I like the bright white peter pan color with the white sash, a nice accompaniment to the white shirts and bright ties that her cousins were wearing.
Plus she looked so so sweet in it, every time I looked at her she made me smile!
Oh, and pictures in a silo with a curving stair case while wearing a "princess-like" dress certainly makes a little girl feel as if she were actually a princess!
So, there you have it, my "sort of" day two of Kid's Clothes Week!
