Flower Girl Dresses!

My little sister is married! It's special to be able to be a part of celebrating the start of a new family, and the girls were excited to be asked to be flower girls for the day. They didn't really get it at first, but when we explained what they would do, and how it works, they felt very special to be included. I felt special to be asked to make the dresses they would wear. 

Earlier in the year, I talked about making Easter Dresses for the girls (Rachel's here, and Sophie's here). What I didn't say at the time, was that I intentionally made these dresses to check the fit of the pattern to make the same style for my sister's wedding. So sneaky! Fiona kind of gave me free reign with the dresses, except to say not shiny fabric, and something similar to the white dress she had given Rachel a few years ago, which I had happened to turn into her Lillie Dress costume for Halloween. 

Mum bought some fancy white cotton fabric from Spotlight for the dresses and I got to work on them in the April holidays. I'm so glad I did these early, because June was chaotically busy and the lead up in May didn't have much time for anything else (although, I apparently found enough time to sew a cape, so was I really busy?) 

Given that these dresses are almost identical copies of their Easter dresses, I don't feel there is much to say about them. I did some fancy stuff on Sophie's bodice, where I cut the fabric and matched the lace in a V shape on the front and back bodice. That front bodice matches like no bodies business, so I feel pretty darn pleased about that. 

I inserted invisible zips for the first time in my life, which didn't go quite a smoothly as I had hoped, but given that I'm pretty rubbish at zips in general, I don't care that much. 

For Rachel's hem, I did a fancy stitch on Sally and scalloped the edge, which looks pretty swish. She had a huge growth spurt just before the wedding, so it's shorter than I would have liked, but still fit pretty well everywhere else. 

Sophie's hem I cut away the fabric behind the lace and folded it up and out of the way. Love it. Sophie's fabric was my fav. 

These are some of my favourite photos from the day, of the three kids just having a great time together. Running around, being kids, making their own fun. 

I love the way these photos capture their motion, and the way that they are so quick to move, to change, learn and grow, but just for this moment, they are caught. 

Before the wedding, when I made the dresses, the girls thought they were so pretty and wanted to wear them immediately. After the wedding, I told them they could wear them as much as they like now, which delighted Rachel, who's favourite thing to wear is a white dress, but didn't concern Sophie much at all. In fact, she told me just to give hers straight to Rachel. Sigh.