Easter finery

 I am a sucker for Easter finery. Growing up, it was always an exciting thing to have a new dress for Easter. A special new dress is a symbol of the new life we celebrate during spring and Easter. After many long months of snow boots and parkas, this year it is especially welcome.

 

This spring, I have been drawn to traditional, classic, even downright old fashioned little girls' frocks. My oldest son will make his First Communion this year and we have family portraits scheduled, so it is a good year to make my baby girl something really special. 

 

Replete with pintucks and lace insertion, I hope I have achieved a dress of which Grandmom would approve. My grandmother was an excellent seamstress and I thought a lot about her when I made this. In soft pink cotton batiste with French cotton laces, this is something she might have made for her daughters.

 Though they look sweet, these delicate details are actually quite labor intensive. Since we have several occasions to wear a fancy dress this year, I thought it worth the investment. The deep hem can be let out next year too. When she's outgrown it, I will pack it carefully away for her daughter. 

 My most discerning client was well pleased!

Easter preview

Though there are a few other projects going on in the studio, I managed to steal some time for my own daughter. It's a little old fashioned of me, but I just love it when children have a nice coat. I feel so pulled together and on top of things when I have the kids' clothes ready for special occasions! We looked at quite a few ideas before she saw a coat with ruffled elbow sleeves and declared it "perfect." I spent a little time drafting sleeves like she instructed and we ended up with this. 

 

The fabric is a linen cotton blend with beautiful drape. The natural rumples in linen keep it from looking too fussy. Inside, it's lined with Bemberg rayon, a silky and breathable fabric that makes an excellent lining.

 

 

I included a bit of flat piping between the facing and the lining. This is Liberty of London lawn from her very first Easter dress! There are so many ways to incorporate heirloom touches.

 From the side, you can see the gathered back and sleeve detail. Everything I make is designed to grow with a child. Here, it's built into the style of the coat. The length of a sleeve like this doesn't need to be precise, so when she grows, it will still look right.

Depending on details, the amount of labor in a coat isn't much different than a lined dress. Details need to be absolutely correct in a topper, and the materials might be on the expensive side. Still, you get quite a lot of wear from a coat. She had one in red wool for the winter and I lost count of the compliments I got each time she wore it.

my favorite things

My darling angel robed in Liberty and tied up with a red satin bow! What else could a mom ask for?

Here is my fourth rendition of the Fairy Tale Dress. As before, this is a wonderful classic pattern that is well drafted with nice finishing details.  Probably many little girls are wearing some version of this dress today. I imagine each one is as unique as its creator, because there are endless possibilities to customize this pattern.

For this fabric, I wanted a more traditional puffy sleeve, so I redrafted the tulip sleeve and finished it with a bracelet cuff.  The collar would have been lost in this busy print without the tiny pop of bias around the edge. I spent a great deal of time and much hand basting to make that collar perfect, but I think the effect was well worth it. It works better here than a fully contrast collar would have.

This time, I went whole hog with the crinoline which gave just the right holiday puff to the skirt. I balanced a slightly less dramatic bow with a separate sash that goes all the way around. I wanted that pop of red in the front too. The sash is held in place by thread loops. This gentler bow is just right for a tiny girl.

Fabric is “Emma and Georgina” Tana lawn from Liberty’s fall 2011 collection. I fell completely for it while I was laid up in bed for a long lonely week and cheered myself up by ordering it all the way from London. The piping and sash are more Robert Kaufman radiance. This is my new favorite fabric! I made myself a blouse as well in this perfect Christmas red.

I used an invisible zipper this go because I couldn’t get a regular one locally and I followed Liesl’s directions to a T. The invisible zip is still a fiddly thing, but her method is very neat and tidy. I found it a little easier than other methods. I finished the zip with a hook tucked into the lining and a tiny thread loop.

Dolly’s dress also includes a crinoline and full lining! Kitty is thrilled that baby doll Chelsea has a matching red bow in back and shows everyone.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas with piles of fabric under the tree!