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Thursday, September 20, 2012

Splendour in the Grass Variation

In the end, I liked Splendour in the Grass so much I decided to use the pattern for the second birthday dress, this time using some modern batik fabric I bought in Denpasar, Indonesia. It is the same fabric I used to make the hardanger button box from Inspirations 73.

It pleated beautifully and was easier to stitch than the chambray - but may not wash and wear as well.

 
I used the same smocking design, but went for three blending colours rather than contrasting. I was tempted to go for completely subtle but included the pale pink in the end in deference to 5 year-old taste.                                                                                                                                                 

The frill was much easier to manage with the thinner cotton, giving a nice edge. I still needed to check I hadn't missed the edge anywhere and I did two rows of stitching to be sure.


I finished off the front with the tie made of the three smocking threads but used a couple of dragonfly buttons in place of the gold beads.

It's always a bit tricky, trying to get the right dress for the right child. I'm hoping these two dresses are sufficiently attractive in their own right to make both girls happy.  


4 comments:

margaret said...

a delightful dress, i am sure both the twins will be thrilled and will keep the dresses for a long time once they have grown out of them.

Karyn said...

I think both dresses have turned out really well. I love the idea of using the buttons instead of beads on the ties. I am sure the girls will love them; they may even swap with each other depending on their mood and what they want to wear?

Jillian said...

Karyn, you're right. They'll work it out.

Monica said...

Wow, it is interesting how different the same pattern can look, based on the fabrics and threads used. I hope you will be able to post a photo of the girls modeling their dresses! Great job. :)