A Really Belated Post About My Favorite Three Year Old...And Her Birthday Dress

Well, someone turned three the other week month and, of course, that someone needed a new dress to help her celebrate this momentous occasion.  Perhaps my favorite part of making this dress was taking her to the fabric store  to let her pick out the fabric.  She loved looking at all the colors and patterns and was so excited that she got to choose one just for her.  I may be a little biased, but it was pretty darn cute.

In the end she chose this Michael Miller print that has some subtle moths hidden in the print and I chose the coordinating lime green fabric for the lining.  The back is finished with a bright pink invisible zipper and even though it's technically "invisible" I love the pop of color that it adds to the dress.  In fact, a contrasting color invisible zipper may  just be my new favorite addition to kid's clothes.

You know what else I love?  Hidden small touches to make a dress extra special.  For this dress I considered embroidering a note to her on the lining of the dress, but in the end I got lazy and instead opted for some  cool machine stitching to hold up the hem of the lining.

Have I ever told you just how basic my sewing machine is?  You know how most modern machines offer a ridiculous number of stitch options?  Well, mine offers a whopping 18.  That's it.  And honestly, I never really mess with the more decorative ones, but I thought that this might be the perfect opportunity to try one out.  And why not try it out in bright pink?

For the pattern I chose to use the Hanami dress pattern once again because, well, just because I love this pattern.  I was a bit lazy and didn't pick the size by C's measurements so it's a bit big and I definitely had to make a very deep hem to make it the right length for her, but it'll probably fit her perfectly by the time summer comes along.  The pattern has a couple different options and I asked for her input but in the end she just wanted a simple bodice with no added collar or flutter sleeves.  I did add some flat piping around the waist because, well, who doesn't love flat piping?  I also chose to add a full lining under the skirt to make it fancy-schmancy.  That isn't included as one of the pattern options but it's a no-brainer to figure out how to add it.

But no post about a birthday dress would be complete without a note about the birthday girl!  She is ever-changing but right now she's incredibly into being a "big girl" (don't you dare call her a baby!) and not missing out on any of the fun (which usually means that she refuses to go to bed at night).  She has recently discovered a new-found love of cuddling (which, of course, I love) and she has one of the most active imaginations that I've ever seen.  One of the things that I love most about her, though, is just how head-strong she is.  She's stubborn and opinionated and not afraid to tell you when she disagrees with what you're saying.  It certainly makes parenting her an interesting experience at times, but I have no doubt that these same traits are going to serve her well in life.  I'm far too much of a people pleaser so I love having a little girl who kicks a little butt.  Now if only we could get her to eat something else besides noodles with butter....

PS - I have a feeling that this face is a preview of her teenage years to come.

PPS - This is her last year in her Hanami birthday dress.  My goodness, she's gotten big!