My eldest has now turned 5! Can't believe how fast it has gone. I was looking at dresses online thinking about what I could make next. Miss 5 came over and pointed out an Anna dress and asked that I make it for her. Of course I said I would. I was just so happy that she had requested something. I would have made her anything lol
Her birthday was coming up and we had bought her a bike. She knew this and had even picked it out. We were going on holidays down the coast, so she was going to get her bike early, which meant that she would have nothing to open on her birthday. So I decided to make her the dress for her birthday. She did originally pick out the Frozen Anna dress, but I bought the fabric for both Frozen and Frozen Fever. I did intend to make both dresses for her. I ran out of time of course, so only made her the Frozen Fever one. It took a lot of thought and design and constantly looking at pictures of movie stills. This is what I came up with. I am very proud of how it turned out.
I used broadcloth for the dress, mainly because it was on sale at Spotlight. Not sure if I would use it for a dress again. It crinkles easily and is not forgiving if you make a mistake, but the range of colours and price is fantastic. For the dress itself, I used Simplicity 2377 in size 5. I was walking past a sewing/craft shop and found craft ribbon for $0.50 each! What a bargain. Of course I bought some.
I should have taken photos of my progress, but of course I didn't think of that.
I did the detail for the bodice first. I folded over red ribbon to look like butterfly wings and sewed the stem over it to keep it in place. I thought the red was a little too red, so I used a light thread to sew the wings half way so they could kinda flutter and diffuse the red. I used a lighter to melt the ends of the ribbon before I sewed them so they would not fray.
I folded the dress in half and then in half again and marked the creases. I used these crease marks to place the stems for the sunflowers. This gave me 3 evenly spaced sunflowers on the front and back of the dress. I also marked the middle at the top of the dress for when I sewed it to the bodice.
The sunflowers on the dress took a lot of thought. I couldn't find actual sunflowers to appliqué on, so I thought I would baste down the middle of yellow ribbon and then scrunch it up, then I pinned it to the dress in a spiral with red thread.
I folded green ribbon into a V for the leaves and half sewed them onto the stems. I also folded yellow ribbon into a V and half sewed them inbetween the flowers. Because they are only half sewed on, the flutter when the dress is being worn. Looks cute, but I would probably completely sew the leaves next time (saying that, half sewing them does allow for inconsistencies).
I then attached the dress to the bodice and top stitched the gold ribbon.
I was quite proud of my effort, but I figured Miss 5 would probably not want to wear it, so I whipped up another little Simplicity 2377 dress using peacock fabric and peach broadcloth. It too me less than an hour to complete.
On the morning of her birthday, I gave her the 2 dresses wrapped up. She opened them and said she "hates Anna" and that she loves the peacock dress. Of course she hates the dress that took me hours to design and make and that I am so proud of. Of course she loves the quickie afterthought dress.
Thank you for reading.
Jayne
Her birthday was coming up and we had bought her a bike. She knew this and had even picked it out. We were going on holidays down the coast, so she was going to get her bike early, which meant that she would have nothing to open on her birthday. So I decided to make her the dress for her birthday. She did originally pick out the Frozen Anna dress, but I bought the fabric for both Frozen and Frozen Fever. I did intend to make both dresses for her. I ran out of time of course, so only made her the Frozen Fever one. It took a lot of thought and design and constantly looking at pictures of movie stills. This is what I came up with. I am very proud of how it turned out.
I used broadcloth for the dress, mainly because it was on sale at Spotlight. Not sure if I would use it for a dress again. It crinkles easily and is not forgiving if you make a mistake, but the range of colours and price is fantastic. For the dress itself, I used Simplicity 2377 in size 5. I was walking past a sewing/craft shop and found craft ribbon for $0.50 each! What a bargain. Of course I bought some.
I should have taken photos of my progress, but of course I didn't think of that.
I did the detail for the bodice first. I folded over red ribbon to look like butterfly wings and sewed the stem over it to keep it in place. I thought the red was a little too red, so I used a light thread to sew the wings half way so they could kinda flutter and diffuse the red. I used a lighter to melt the ends of the ribbon before I sewed them so they would not fray.
I folded the dress in half and then in half again and marked the creases. I used these crease marks to place the stems for the sunflowers. This gave me 3 evenly spaced sunflowers on the front and back of the dress. I also marked the middle at the top of the dress for when I sewed it to the bodice.
The sunflowers on the dress took a lot of thought. I couldn't find actual sunflowers to appliqué on, so I thought I would baste down the middle of yellow ribbon and then scrunch it up, then I pinned it to the dress in a spiral with red thread.
I folded green ribbon into a V for the leaves and half sewed them onto the stems. I also folded yellow ribbon into a V and half sewed them inbetween the flowers. Because they are only half sewed on, the flutter when the dress is being worn. Looks cute, but I would probably completely sew the leaves next time (saying that, half sewing them does allow for inconsistencies).
I then attached the dress to the bodice and top stitched the gold ribbon.
I was quite proud of my effort, but I figured Miss 5 would probably not want to wear it, so I whipped up another little Simplicity 2377 dress using peacock fabric and peach broadcloth. It too me less than an hour to complete.
On the morning of her birthday, I gave her the 2 dresses wrapped up. She opened them and said she "hates Anna" and that she loves the peacock dress. Of course she hates the dress that took me hours to design and make and that I am so proud of. Of course she loves the quickie afterthought dress.
Thank you for reading.
Jayne
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