Easter Dress

A mostly quick presentation today. We've been battling one illness after another here and there simply isn't energy for words or reflection. However, this dress has been long in the making, so I need to share at least some pictures of baby's first Easter dress.  I chose a delicate main fabric and a white collar and cuffs to highlight the sweet vintage elements. I think it would make a lovely christening gown and is very well suited for a young baby's special occasion dress.

The Oliver + S puppet show dress in a delicate Liberty floral purchased from Purl Soho. The collar, sleeve cuffs and the full lining are in a very soft white cotton voile I found at Hart's Fabric. I really love cotton voile for linings lately and plan to buy heaps of this beautiful stuff to have on hand. I used the semi sheer voile for the collar to match the delicacy of the main fabric.

I like the monogram to be a subtle touch.

 

The tiny embroidered leaves are a function on my new sewing machine that I really enjoy.

 

  

The buttoned cuff is such a darling touch on this pattern! The simple shell buttons are from Joann - an item I buy in quantity when on sale.

The inside of the button cuffed sleeve bound with a strip of white voile bias.

 

To complete the picture perfect look, I made two little boy ties following the project on the Purl Bee. I've wanted to make these for the boys for some time. I suppose the extra incentive of matching Kitty's dress helped.

The ties were a very satisfying thing to sew. It's hard to find something enjoyable to sew for boys. Most boy clothes, we have to admit, are pretty boring. Mine are too big now for the novelty prints and are wearing pretty grown up looking clothes. Also, they are so hard on playclothes that it doesn't make much sense for me to spend my time on them. A tie is perfect! A special occasion accessory that won't get ruined, that requires some careful skill to assemble and looks beautiful.

A word about this project, though. It isn't so much a sewing project as a pressing one. I spent hours pressing tiny folds to get them exactly right. Also, I found the pattern pieces didn't work well for me. It was fiddly to assemble the tiny sections and the interfacing didn't fit properly at all. I would do these because they are so satisfying, but I will make my own pattern. I cut two ties out of the 3/4 yard recommended on the Purl Bee for just one and could have made more. You do need 3/4 of a yard cut for the length. I traced the half tie pattern to make a full one and lined the center carefully on the bias with the help of a quilting ruler. I then folded the pieces and trimmed a little to be sure they were symmetrical. This allowed me to use the fabric much more carefully. If you are matching a dress, you may need as little as an extra half yard. If you plan to use a precious fabric, I recommend laying out all your dress and tie pattern pieces and measuring exactly how much fabric you need. I got all of these out of 1 1/2 yards of Liberty with plenty of large scraps remaining.

The actual hand stitching was very enjoyable and satisfying. When done nicely, it's all completely invisible except for the tiny tack at the bottom.

Happy Easter!