the handmade store bought easter dress

did you notice the "easter dress" part of the title?  yeah.  so i could have posted this two months ago.  but i didn't.  oh well.  i have had lots of questions on the ensemble worn by miss gia in these photos.  i meant to tell y'all about it.  sorry.

anyways. . . so to continue the goal of tackling my sewing fears inexperience, i decided to make gia an easter dress. kinda.  see, she received a super cute dress as a gift, but the print was not completely to my taste.  it had a gorgeous petticoat and was so flouncy.  prefect for twirling.  i thought, why don't i pull apart this dress and use it as a pattern.

four days before easter.

with no prior dress making experience (aside from this which is pretty much nothing at all the same.)

totally rational, right?  well, there were a couple of crazy nights, but it all came together.  and i learned a lot about dress construction. and how ripping out seams is tedious.  and that zippers aren't as hard as i thought once you get the hang of it.  and that i love making clothes!!!!



i had bought a yard of some yummy anna maria fabric last year with hopes of somthing spring-y.  it worked wonderfully.  i tweaked the design a bit - added the bottom ivory ruffle, which came from a repurposed bed sheet (less hemming needed!) and shortened the skirt so more of the petticoat would show.  the white sash and ruffled straps were part of the original dress.



when looking through my stash, i came across this lace remnant and it just shouted apron to me.  (what?  doesn't that happen to you to?)  i love the contrast of the grass green sash on this print.  it adds a certain je ne sais quoi.  i didn't have the creamy felt rose made back then, but i would add it now.



i made the apron sash long enough for a big floppy bow in the back.



timeless.  just timeless. 

so what do you think?  do you know how to sew clothes?  how did you learn?  this was a great self-taught lesson.  it gave me the confidence to try this dress just weeks later.