Butterick 5603 and Another New Dress

On Saturday afternoon, Natalie begged me to make her a new dress for Sunday.  We had picked out the quilter's cotton fabric earlier in the week at our favorite local craft store.   I started cutting out the pattern at 5:00pm, and had it almost completely finished by midnight.  I was so ready to be done with it!  The pattern didn't look too difficult when we initially purchased it, but the crossover bodice (view C) gave me fits!  I don't know if it was because I was so tired, or if my brain just wasn't "getting it", but I worked on that bodice longer than the entire dress combined.   I finally did figure it out, just in time, because I was almost ready to chuck the entire thing into the garbage!

This is the pattern we used, Butterick 5603, a "retro design from '56".  Based on my daughter's measurements, we cut out a size 14.  I made a mock bodice first, just to be sure of the fit, and boy, am I glad I did!  The bodice was HUGE.  And because it was the smallest size in this envelope, I couldn't size down.  So I ended up cutting off 1 1/2" inches from each edge of the bodice and the side skirt pieces.  Luckily, this did the trick, and the fit was fine everywhere else.  Not sure why this pattern runs so big, but beware in case you decide to tackle it.

Here's a side view.  Oh, to have the figure again of a fifteen-year-old with no figure flaws!  She looks so cute in everything she wears.  However, she did NOT want me to show her head, since she didn't think her hair looked presentable.  Remember those days?!?  Anyway, I had just enough time on Sunday morning to finish hand stitching the lining.  The dress closes on the side with an invisible side zipper.  She happily wore it to church and got so many compliments.  She is already asking me to make her another one, preferably view A this time.  I'm actually even contemplating making one for myself!

Remember the Sew Beautiful "Mary Morgan" dress I made for myself a couple of months ago?  Well, I liked it so much that I made myself another one, only a bit simpler this time.  The first dress was adorned with vintage laces, had two layers, and was tea-length.  This dress is made from a quilter's cotton in a shorter length.  I used a coordinating fabric for the waistband, and also to edge the sleeves.  I LOVE it.  It fits so nicely and is a joy to wear.

Here's a back view.  Not sure why, but the waistband looks like it dips a lot, when it's really quite straight.  Must have been the way I was standing.

And now, for some total randomness...do your kids ever take pictures with your camera when you're not around?   I get such a kick out of what they think is "picture worthy"!  So here we have photo #1, which I have titled "dominoes".  (I know, pretty clever, huh?)

Photo #2, "the birds".  You can definitely tell a "little" person took this picture, simply from the angle.

And last but not least, my favorite...photo #3... we shall call "carpet".   Not sure what we're looking at here, other than dirty carpet.  Makes me wonder what my little person was thinking when this photo was snapped!

I have another "Emmeline" Apron for myself that is almost completed, and I REALLY need to start cutting out the pieces for the flower girl dresses that need to be ready by August 11th.  I think I'm going to smock and embroider them, also, so I need to get busy.  It's been a long time since I smocked something, and I'm looking forward to it.   Hopefully, I'll be back soon with these completed projects!