Pippi!

Here's Louisa dressed as Pippi Longstocking for Book Week dress up. The brief from the description in the book was a blue dress with red patches. I made a pinafore dress, expecting the weather to be a bit cooler than the higher than usual August temps we've been having! I used a light denim with my favourite red fabric for the contrast band, pocket and heart patches.

I used a easy pattern that I've used for Louisa before. That time it was size 5 and it was way too big. This time it was a size 7! I did want it to be bigger so she could wear it as a dress next winter, but still - it made me realise yet again how quickly my girls are growing up!

We teased her piggy tails to make them stick out (I tried using pipe cleaners but Louisa's hair is too thick and heavy), and used some red coloured hairspray. Stripey stockings and some freckles completed the look.

Suzanne got her groove back?

How about this cute pinafore dress? Modelled without a top under it, as we were both a bit excited to get it on her.

Recently Elizabeth and I took a trip to Spotlight - it certainly had been a while. I think I needed that to give me a little inspiration. This beautiful cherry tree fabric is certainly more expensive than the fabrics I normally use - I'll admit I'm quite the cheapskate and generally try to buy clearance fabrics or those on sale. But I paid full price for this one as I loved it so much and thought it could definitely make a dress worthy of the gorgeous Lizzie.

Lizzie's favourite feature: the pockets!

Please excuse my fiddling with the photo. I opened up a program to get rid of some of the reflection on the glass fence - but ended up playing around with the funky edge feature instead. A bit much probably, but certainly different, unusual...

A knit pinafore dress

I made this pinafore dress with no pattern so very pleased that it turned out so well. I think it must be super comfortable too as Louisa hasn't stopped wearing it since I made it (save to go to bed last night!). I think the green really suits her colouring as well.

I'm also happy to use some of this knit fabric I've had for ages (3 and a half metres in fact!). I thinking of making some leggings to go with it. Louisa has also put in a request for gathered pockets on the next dress, so looks like I'll be making another one.

Butterfly Pinafore Dress

You've got to love the pinafore dress. Such a simple construction but with a lot of impact. All you need is lovely fabric such as this one. I have a theory about good children's clothes - they need to appeal to the adult in a child's life, but the kids have to love them too. So an easily identifiable image, such as a star, flower, heart, or in this case butterfly makes the world of difference to how much a child connects with a piece of clothing. Add to this the universally loved pink, which is Louisa's FAVOURITE COLOUR IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!! And you're on a winner.

Here's Louisa modelling it. It's a little big, and I'd probably place the trim a little higher next time, but I still really like it. She'll probably still get some wear out of it next winter.

Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been...

I made Louisa a pinafore dress using my favourite easy pattern. Its not a fancy fabric, just a plain pink cotton drill, so I added this cute little pussy cat, using one of my favourite colour combinations (pink and apple green). Excuse the blue chalk marks still on the cat, and the fact that the dress needs a good press - and the fact that the model wouldn't stay still!

Louisa's pinafore dress

Here's Louisa's pinafore dress, made using some drill I got on clearance at Spotlight. I really like it, although while making it I worried a little that it would look too 'school uniform' in the brown colour. Happily, though, the daisies add that bit of little girl prettiness to it. I may add an aqua ribbon around the bodice, but haven't had a chance to get to the shops to look for any yet.

This photo doesn't show the gathers at the back which look very pretty.

I decided before I tackle any of my new patterns, I needed to clear a few things I had half finished. This pinafore dress has been cut out for ages, but as the weather has been so warm, didn't seem much point making it. I'm sure winter will be upon us shortly (all 5 minutes of it here in Queensland) so I can see this dress being worn almost everyday for a while, just with a different top underneath!

I'm so pleased with the way this turned out. It was easy to make so I'll probably make a couple more in different fabrics before spring comes around.

Please excuse the model's 'I just got out of bed' hair! And the lack of a top underneath. Still warm up here, even at 7 in the morning.