A dress for Thing 3

A while back, when my in-laws were visiting, my MIL bought some fabric to make a dress for Thing 1. The next time they visited, we measured Thing 1 to make sure that any dress that was made would fit her. Thing 1 requested a dress with a halter top, so my MIL searched, found a pattern, and made her a really nice dress. On our recent trip to visit family, we picked up the finished dress.

There was a fair bit of fabric leftover, and since it was all quilting cotton, I asked if I could have it. My MIL didn’t want it, since she doesn’t quilt and had no use for it, so she was more than happy to give it to me. Once I got it home, I realized that there was more fabric leftover than I initially thought. Enough fabric to make a dress for Thing 3! I didn’t have the pattern that my MIL used, but Thing 3 already had a dress that I really liked, so I decided to copy that one instead.

I traced the main body shape of the dress and then traced out a pattern piece for the collar pieces. (Sorry, I don’t have any pictures of the process, since it didn’t occur to me to take any.) On the first attempt at sewing the collar pieces, I realized I had forgotten to add a seam allowance, so I redid them. I slightly gathered the centre front and centre back dress pieces when I sewed them to the collar. Then I dug around in my button jar to find two matching buttons. I made some buttonholes, sewed the buttons on, finished the bottom hem, and I had a dress for Thing 3.

 

Man, these two kids just look more and more alike every day!  I realized when I was done that I had used red thread whereas my MIL used white. Ooops!  They are planning to wear the dresses to one of the weddings we go to later this summer, so maybe then I’ll get some nicer pictures.  They really, really didn’t want to pose when I took these.  They love the dresses though, and love that they match.  Thanks to my MIL for making the first one, which in turn inspired me to make the second one.  And I still have a little leftover.  Maybe I can make another tie for Thing 2, so they all match!

I’m linking up to TGIFF, hosted by Blossom Heart Quilts this week.  One of these days, I’ll have a completed quilt to link up, instead of these quick, summer projects.  Sometimes it is just too hot to iron though.