(June 2003)

My youngest daughter, Elizabet (3y.) needed a sleeveless dress. So, I took Mcall's 2590 and reduced a size 4, since it was the smallest size on the pattern and according to the measurements it was too big. The dress turned out beautiful and I love the design, but when I tried it on her, it was huge.

So, I tried it on the 5 year old daugther and it fit perfectly! I then reduced the pattern even more and made another dress for Elizabet. Only this time I overdid it and it barely fits. Oh, well - another lesson learned.

(May 2004)

I had some nice cotton and wanted to make Elizabet a nice Sunday dress. I couldn't figure out which pattern to use. Finally I found in my stash an old Simplility 7161 that somebody had given me.

The sleeves looked cute, but it was very short. So, after measuring her, I decided to make a smaller size, but lengthen it quite a bit. I made a size 3, although she usually wears a size 5. But it still is very wide.

Even though it has ties that pull the dress in the back, it bunches up and is not really comfortable. Also the sleeves are too stiff, since the fabric doesn't drape much. It wasn't very hard to sew, but I don't think I will be doing this pattern unless I do some serious changes. I also think the bodice should be longer. Well, I hope she can wear it a bit this summer.

When sorting through summer clothes I found a jumper that was still too big for my older girls and the bodice was torn, so it wasn't really wearable. I took it apart, cut out a little girl's dress (Simplicity 5639). But I didn't have enough for sleeves, so I cut apart a pair of old out-dated rayon pants and used that navy fabric for binding, sleves and the ties.

I also found some old apple buttons that I had taken off an old garmet soem time ago. It looks. I am so happy. My daughter loves it. The only thing that I would do differently next time, is that I would stretch the binding in the curve. I can never remember when the binding bias binding should be stretched and when not and so the binding is gaping a bit. But not so much that it would look too terrible.