It's been a long time since I sewed anything this big for Minime, and a long time since I used a pattern. So, here's the information...
pattern: £7. butterick. fabric £8 for a massive remnant. zip and bodice lining free, buttons on the bows free. dress took a bit over 8 hours to make; 1.5 hours pattern cutting, 4 hours machine sewing and pressing, and fixing pressing mistake (I tried to iron polyester on hot and had to patch where I burnt it lol; this fabric hides a multitude of sewing sins), 3.5 hours hand hemming (am I a martyr, masochist or both?) and adjusting; it was an age 6 pattern made to fit an age 5 child lol.
I've taken it in on the bodice in a way that when she grows, I can let it out again. it will fit her for an age lol.
here's the little taster pic...
ok, so firstly you know I'm into reduce, reuse, recycle right? well the fabric was bought new (remnant, end of roll DIRT cheap) but the zipper and bodice lining were originally part of my friend's ancient, ugly and incredibly mid nineties prom dress. the buttons on the bows came from my mother in law. Aparently they were once on one of my husband's baby outfits. d'awwww!!
this outer fabric felt like it would be a nightmare to work with, but it wasn't! it was lovely! polyester satin, feels beautiful and heavy to the touch and was a dream to sew (though not a dream to line up, pin, baste or iron lol)
it's a deceptively full skirt. I hand-hemmed it too because I'm a
martyr perfectionist.
I lined the bodice, but not the skirt (mainly due to lack of suitable fabric). again this is reused fabric, the lining was made from the lining on my friend's old prom dress.
back
Sophie LOVES the dress, which I'm glad about because I was worried that after 8 flipping hours of work, she'd hate it lol.
button to nominate it!
