The bit after the Happily Ever After...

There are just a few hundred things I'm meant to be doing but they're all boring or troublesome, so of course I made a list of all the boring, troublesome things that still need to be done, then I made another Oliver + S Fairy Tale dress!

 

I found this fabric as a remnant long before A hit her pink, ballerina phase (we're solidly in that now and I'm holding my breath waiting for it to pass) and I found it too hard to resist so it was added to the stash.

I knew I was on a real winner with the pattern after making this one. The fit was perfect and she simply adores that blue "Cinderella" dress. Since my Christmas Tutu went down like a lead balloon I was looking for some redemption.

This dress would be pink, it would be "poofy" and it would be made just in time for next week's trip to the theatre to see Angelina Ballerina. I was going against all my own ideas of style and tastefulness and making something that I just knew she'd love.

I had planned a standard "view B' but then hit a snag wondering how my vertical bodice stripes would look right next to the gathered skirt. The stripes would never match but they're wide enough to look like they probably should. Then I stumbled across the solution in a 2013 sewing summary by Katy of Designs by BellaBug

Katy had photographed her dress with the sash wrapped across the front. It looked fantastic and was the ideal solution. Only I still wanted that BIG bow at the back, so I made an extra sash section that was gathered and stitched into the side seams just like the back sash is.

I'm happy to say that A is delighted with her dress and is "saving" it for Angela (sic) Ballerina next week. That hasn't stopped her putting it on at every possible moment, during and after it was sewn.

The only modification I made was to add one inch in length to the skirt. The armhole facings are kind of redundant given that the dress is lined, but I can see why they're there as it means the bodice construction is the same for both the sleeveless and tulip sleeve versions. It also allowed for a peep of some more fuschia pink cotton on the inside.

The kids were getting excited about the ballet show and, predictably, were fighting about something. It would seem we only have one pair of bright pink mouse ears and P was adamant that they were his and he would be wearing them (more on that in another post!).

Oliver + S to the rescue again with a free downloadable pattern for a felt bow and tips on making fabric covered headbands.

You've got to believe me, I was so far out of my beige-brown comfort zone now I figured in for a penny, in for a pound... Cutesy matching hairband was made. .... and adored!

I think the temporary tiger tattoo on her bicep really works with this outfit, right?!

Then, due to a complete failure to drink and party on New Year's Eve, the Flipper and I found ourselves awake, sober and bored on new year's day so we went to Ikea. P got a new desk and swivel chair (that's better than the show rides!) and A got a toy chest and wardrobe. Flipper and I came up with a new premise for a reality TV game show: Ikea vs the Chef. Co-habiting couple race against each other to prepare dinner or assemble Ikea furniture.

Not only was my Stuva wardrobe build beaten by Spaghetti Meatballs (too easy and should have been handicapped) but it turned out I'd bought the wrong size frame. After attaching all those draw slider thingies I was NOT returning it and so another trip was made to get the bigger frame and A now has two wardrobes.

And when you look inside it appears that one would never have sufficed!

 

I guess it also shows that I really must stop making dresses and get on with those boring, troublesome jobs after all.