A couple of weeks ago my sister asked me if I could make a princess dress for Emma for their upcoming Disney vacation. I've seen so many cute pillowcase dresses online that didn't look too complex for my still beginner sewing skills, so I decided to give it a shot. She picked up some coordinating fabrics/ribbon and I began the hunt for an easy pattern.
I needed one that I could download (because in true Heather fashion, I waited too long to order one). I tried to follow a pattern I found online and ended up cutting a piece of fabric that was way too small, so I kept looking. Then I stumbled upon the website of a fellow Illinoisan and I knew I'd found the perfect one. She actually has two different dress patterns on her site that are equally adorable. I purchased the Caroline Dress pattern and was cutting pieces again within an hour. I can't recommend this pattern enough. She goes through every step in beautiful detail and has gorgeous color photos to support each step. My visual mind was very at ease. I took my time with each step and within a few hours (in between working on other things), Emma's dress was complete.
She was over last night and finally got to try it on. I think she'll fit in nicely with Cinderella and her friends.
Of course, now my girls are dying to have dresses of their own, and I'm equally dying to make them some. I finally found a store near me that sells Heather Bailey's Pop Garden collection, so I'm sure I'll be visiting it within the next couple of days. I could see this becoming very addicting :)
Mindy's Flickr group has some fun inspiration (you must check out her studio!) as does her website gallery.
Half the fun is finding fun pattern combinations for the dresses, here are some that I'm loving:
Heather Bailey's Pop Daisy and Swirlybuds:
Anna Maria Horner's Sketchbook and Amy Butler's Cherry Wallflower:
Joel Dewberry's Sparrow and Woodgrain:
Dena Designs Peacock and Amy Butler's Belle Olive:
Amy Butler Star Paisley and Full Moon Polka
Amy Butler French Wallpaper and Seeds Olive
