A Tale of Two Dresses

Every day, I receive a gazillion emails in my inbox.  They vary from the all important special sales online to recent blog posts from my faves.  Every now and then, there will also be an actual typed email from someone I know!  But, a few weeks ago I got an email telling me about a new pattern........and I kept that email because I loved the look of the dress, but had SO lost my passion for dressmaking that I didn't know if I would buy it, let alone make it.  

Fast forward to earlier last week.  I had some free time.  That does not happen very often.  I wandered in to Lincraft in the morning to get some denim for a new bag - only to find out that ALL of their fabric was half price!  BINGO!  So not only did I get denim, but I also found a couple of gorgeous lightweight cotton prints that would be nice for dresses.  It was right about then that my plans for bag making flew out the window.....

At around 2.30 in the afternoon, I started two dresses for my girls.  Not only are my daughters five and a half (the half matters you know) years apart in age - they are also poles apart in dress sense.  Miss almost five year old Chloe is a princess/barbie loving girly girl.  And Miss I'M TEN! Chelsea is trying to decide whether she is a high fashion supermodel or a beanie wearing goth....... Soooooo, here is the tale of the two dresses......in photos.......

Not so special just hanging around!

I finished both dresses around 8pm that night!  Hence the dodgy iPhone pics of the girls!

I guess I wanted to show you how different a dress can not only look on the hanger, compared to wearing, but also in the use of different prints and fabrics!  The little version (actually, it is TOO little - the sizing on this pattern was a tad small, so I've bought more of the bloom fabric to make her a bigger size - dress anyone??) is a poplin bordered print.  Perfect for this style of dress!  The bigger version (which falls beautifully below the hips - perfect sizing) is a lovely soft voile.  It's the first time I have sewn with voile, and it was great to work with!

Needless to say, both girls loved their dresses!  Now we just need the weather to switch over to Spring and they will be able to contemplate wearing them!

If you like this pattern, you can purchase it HERE.  It was pretty damn easy to follow, and the finish is neat and tidy.  There are also some beautiful options to change the look of the dresses.  I will certainly be making many more of them.

Have you tried any new patterns lately?  Sharing is caring!

xxx

PS - Have you entered my GIVEAWAY yet?

What I LOVE about Melbourne

Amongst millions of other things, what I LOVE about Melbourne is the visual changing of seasons.  I can still vividly remember the long drive from the Gold Coast to Melbourne just a little over 21 years ago, when my Mum and Step-Dad decided a move was in store.  I was 15, and we piled all we owned in to a moving van, and Mum's hilarious Blue Datsun and started on a journey that ended in rural-ish Woori-Yallock.  Yes, that is the name of a place!

The thing I remember most from that drive, apart from the many toilet stops - for our pet chihuaha - was the crossing of borders, from New South Wales to Victoria.  It was mid-year, and I don't think I had ever really seen a true Autumn tree!  The colours were brilliant - oranges, reds and all kinds of gold and browns!  I was mesmerised.

So the fact that my children came in a couple of weeks ago and pointed out to me that Spring must be close, was really lovely.  My youngest son dragged me to the back door so I too, could witness this:

Our divine Plum Tree!

This is an amazing and huge Plum tree.  It is the most spectacular sight this time of year, and as its leaves turn to a brilliant green, it fills our yard with amazing shade during the warmer months.  And just to add to its brilliance, a beautiful old Wysteria winds its way through to bring lovely hues of blue and purple.  But it also becomes the bain of my life during Summer, when it fruits.  I am officially the only one in our family of six who actually eats plums!  So our Summer is spent raking up half eaten - by the birds and our dogs - plums, which then rot in our bins.

But back to the good bit!  I love that my beautiful city of Melbourne brings us such obvious signs of the changing seasons.  Because quite frankly - the temperatures do not reflect the seasons at times.

Welcome Spring - you are a sight for sore, and cold, eyes!  What do you love about your City or Town?

A new day

A new day for me today! I feel like the ten days leading up to my market debut were so hectic and consumed by sewing, that today brought some time to breath and just "be". So this morning I took the youngest poppet to her swimming lessons, followed by baby cinos! By the time we got home, I was feeling very zen......and proceeded to pull out a pattern I had purchased a couple of weeks ago but had not found the time to attack! And this is the result.......

I am so in love with this little design, but even more in love with my little darling wearing it. "Mummy, can I wear this to the beach?"........Ummm, sure honey - maybe when the temperature reaches 20+ degrees! Treasure.

If you love this little playsuit, feel free to pop into my Facebook page - MsMidgemadebyme - and have a looksy!