The Reese Dress--Reversible Corset Tiered Ruffle Dress

Earlier in the month, I stumbled on a blog, The Fashion Business Mentor, who was putting together a free workshop to help out small businesses. Essentially, it would be a collaboration of designers & photographers to showcase all our work. I was teamed up with two talented ladies--Bella Blossoms, who makes darling girls' accessories & Candace Rock Photography for pictures. The results of our collaboration are below. I think they're pretty amazing, but of course, I'm a bit biased. :)

I love the headband & bubblegum necklace Bella Blossoms created to match our dress! I used Create Kids' Couture's Primrose pattern to make the dress featured in the picture. It has an elongated sweetheart bodice, shirred back to a snug fit, & four layers of ruffles. I found some Annette Tatum Soliel fabric & thought the aqua/lemon combo was perfect for spring & summer. The last two tiers are Michael Miller fabrics, but I think it coordinates pretty well.

Check out a close-up of the ruffly goodness.

The corset can be tied either in the front or the back, so the dress can be worn in two different styles.

My favorite shot--a girl wearing the dress on a skateboard! Love it!

I do believe in fairies

I've been making my girls their Halloween costumes for the last 3 years. Most of it has to do with me being frugal. Why spend $20+ on an outfit they wear for one night? B was a very angry bumblebee her first Halloween. This was her first & last costume I have ever bought. :)

Fast forward five years. Livy, my younger daughter, insisted on being Tinkerbell. I was going to do the standard route of a green leotard & tutu & pair it with wings until this pattern came out--the Fairy Double Layer Princess Dress by Create Kids Couture. The angular strips of the skirt immediately reminded me of Tinkerbell. Lo & behold...

Photo by Emily Thurman Photography

One very happy three year old. And no, she's not that angelic usually. :)

"I'm just a girl from the village doing all right..."

"And then I became a princess overnight!" My girls are OBSESSED with Sofia the First. This is my first iteration of the Sofia the First inspired dress. I think the bodice is missing something, so I'll be adding some pearl buttons or perhaps some lace accents?

Even though this is for my youngest DD, this still looks pretty cute on my older DD. It's about a size too small, but she still managed to squeeze in. 

I used Violette Field Threads' Fiona dress pattern for the scallops, but used completely different measurements to make the dress longer. The bodice & underskirt are measurements from Create Kids Couture's Demi Ruffled dress. The flower applique I freehanded myself. It was probably the most time consuming part of sewing the dress. 16 teardrops & 16 triangular inserts....ugh! I also tried to roll hem the edges, which was a bad idea. Instead, Fray Block won out. Hopefully it holds out!

Welcome!

This is my foray into the world of blogging. I will try to document each article of clothing I've sewn for my two little princesses, the patterns used, & the fabrics I chose.

The Kelsey Dress

This dress is one of my favorites--simple, but sweet. This Demi's Ruffled Peasant Dress pattern is by the talented ladies over at Create Kids Couture. It's pretty much a peasant dress with some double ruffle flair & an optional sash. I was so lucky to be able to test this dress pattern out for them & I think the results are stunning. The fabric is one of my favorites, Bubblegum Berkeley by Alice Kennedy. Jewel tones in pink & purple...what's not to love? Much thanks to my friend Jodi of Makally Photography & her adorable daughter for taking these beautiful pictures.