New Shoes = New Dress

It all started with a pair of flip-flops.

Not that I need an excuse to make a new dress! I found these corker ribbon-embellished sandals at a recent consignment sale and had to buy them for my daughter. I was finding lots of tees and shorts for her twin brother, but restraining myself from even looking at little girls' clothes. With two older sisters and a dress-happy sewing mama, her closets are overflowing. That left nothing to splurge on but shoes! Well, not exactly splurge, I spent $4 on these and they were in like new condition. Score! Her response: "Oh, mommy, these shoes are so pretty!" Yay!

The only problem... not much purple, blue, green and aqua in her closet... Solution? Why, make a new dress, of course!

I had the skirt fabric, Amy Butler Bliss Bouquet in Emerald, already in my stash and the bodice fabrics, also from her "Love" collection, left over from another project. The pattern is McCall's M5615, and I love it! The people at McCall's must have been paying attention to what's going on in independent pattern design, because several of their new children's patterns are really terrific. I love designs that are easy to get on and off because my independent 3-year-old wants to dress herself. I picked up several of the new patterns at a recent $1.99 sale and I'm excited to try them all. No zippers, buttons, snaps, etc., on any of of these dresses and the designs are very trendy and fun.

This particular pattern has gathering on the bodice at the neckline and waist, and then the front bodice is attached to a "stay." The midriff piece is also gathered to resemble a cummerbund and also attached to a stay.

The entire bodice is faced, so the dress is finished on the inside. I had to slipstitch the facing, but it didn't take too long and really makes the dress look nice. The skirt is elasticized in two places in the back and has two gathered, elasticized pockets on the front.

I made the size 4, which fits well, but the elastic in the back had to be shortened considerably. I also had to adjust the shoulder straps and shorten them by a few inches.

It's not a very long skirt so I trimmed it with hand-made bias tape instead of hemming because I didn't want to lose that inch.

She loves it and my 8-year-old as requested a top in the same fabrics! Luckily, I picked up both sizes at the pattern sale.

And with the shoes: