Posted on 11 Comments

Matchy matchy

The shirt I made on Tuesday

I was in the mood for a new shirt last week, so I cut into the cotton lawn print I’d been saving for another Heather Ross Summer Blouse.

I had originally thought that with such lightweight fabric, maybe a long sleeved shirt in summer would work out ok.  But that was March, and this was August.  By now there was no doubt in my mind that long-sleeves were out.  They could be made of cheesecloth, gauze, or netting, and they’d still be out, as far as I was concerned.

No long sleeves in summer.

New shirt

So I cut into the fabric with wild abandon and made myself this little number instead, from the fussy-to-make but nice-to-wear Simplicity 4589 (view C).  I like it.  I don’t usually wear small calico prints like this, but I do like it.  And it is a lovely weight for summertime.  I wore it a few times last week with jeans, and it made me happy.

Coincidence

Especially when I found the “matching” earrings I’d made two years ago.

So, since I ended up making a shirt without sleeves, there was still a nice chunk of fabric left.  How lucky, then, that an opportunity to use it up dropped itself in my lap, in the form of my cousin’s 8-month-old baby girl.  They’re here in New Jersey, visiting from Montana, and introducing the extended family to the newest second-cousin on the block. Not only is she the newest, she’s also the only girl: I have two boys, my sister has two boys, my other cousin has two boys.

Yeah, well, you’ve heard me talk before about all of the boy-ness in my family, so naturally I jump when a chance to make something the least bit feminine comes along.  And this time I had just the fabric.

Baby dress

So now I, and my little first-cousin-once-removed can be all matchy-matchy from hundreds of miles away if we so choose

😀

I used a free pattern from Made by Petchy, and made my own bias tape from the same fabric.  The instructions read very much like those for a pillowcase dress, with a few differences, the most notable being the lack of elastic. It was a nice, easy sew.

Baby dress

And so little!  I felt like I was sewing in miniature.  As much as there is a profound lack of Girl in these parts, there is an even more severe lack of Baby.  I’ve never made a garment so itty bitty before.  I just want to say “awwww” every time I look at it.

Dress in a box

I mean, really.  How can you not love a dress that can fit in a jewelry box?

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Posted on 11 Comments

11 thoughts on “Matchy matchy

  1. That fabric is lovely and your top and little Gemma’s are perfection! Years and years ago I met the sweetest little Gemma and her parents at a coffee shop and have been smitten with the name since.
    .-= See Heather’s latest blog post: SOOC Saturday: don’t go changing =-.

    1. Thanks! Oh, it is a very sweet name, isn’t it? 🙂

  2. Hello Lisa,

    I came across your blog on Ravelry, and happily read down your blog postings where I have enjoyed your voice very much. Of course, anyone who adores Alicia Paulson is a friend of mine! I empathize with your spontaneous compulsion to create, and adventures in balancing business and family. Though, I had to laugh as probably the last 5 of my own blog posts had something to do with tomatoes. I guess we all have our differences. 🙂
    .-= See Katielizabeth’s latest blog post: Another Checklist =-.

    1. I’m so glad you dropped by – thank you so much for the kind words! It always makes me feel good to hear that someone has enjoyed what I am writing, and it’s nice to find new people who like the same things I do. Well, except tomatoes, LOL!

  3. New blog post: Matchy matchy http://bit.ly/13NR5W

  4. Oh, that little dress is adorable! I like the shirt too but you’re right about wanting to say “awww” every time you see it.
    .-= See Ellen’s latest blog post: Helping =-.

    1. Thanks, Ellen. Making little dresses is such fun, I think.

  5. RT @lclarke522: Vintage blog post (aka #thistimelastyear): Matchy matchy http://tinyurl.com/3xeflnu

  6. …well, now that tiny 8 month-old Gemma is 26 months old! i was looking at your most current post, and this one came up at the end of it. that little dress/tank is so lovely. i wish she had fit into it longer! maybe we can work out that trade sometime for a toddler version?
    ps ~ G thought the closeup shot of earring, tank and your smile was me. 🙂

    1. Maybe! I am pretty sure that I can size it up. It was a fairly simple design. I’ll bet it would look cute using a vintage sheet or pillowcase…
      Cute that she spotted our family resemblance – I wasn’t aware there was that much of one. Don’t we both look like our mothers? 🙂

  7. […] discovered last year that I really liked cotton lawn fabric for summer – it’s so lightweight and […]

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