i was so excited when my husband’s cousin Amy asked Em to be a flower girl in her wedding. then i was HONORED when she asked me to make Em’s dress and gave me free reign on the design! seriously! sewing mama’s dream come true. i literally jumped up and down.
Amy and i went fabric shopping together, her bringing swatches from the bridesmaid dresses, me bringing ideas. my two major inspirations were this wedding dress, and this lovely dress by my friend Danielle. Amy approved. 🙂
Amy and her awesome fiancé Ben chose beautiful colors – teal and bright yellow – which paired perfectly with their vibrant flowers and the fall season. there were peacock feather fascinators for the bridesmaids from etsy, and I loved that they ordered one for Em too! everything just came together so nicely! isn’t it great when that happens?
the flower girl dress is sparkly silk organza (was originally going to use tulle so i didn’t need to hem, but they didn’t have the right colors), with cream overlay on the bodice and top layer of the skirt, then three layers of teal getting progressively deeper in tone as they got closer to her body, like her angelina tutu. i french seamed the edges to join them, then folded each layer to create a bubble hem. i gathered it all together and attached it to the bodice, then serged. next time i’d enclose the raw edge of the skirt with the batiste – Em said it was scratchy and i felt pretty terrible about that.
i incorporated the gathered shoulder design in the overlay. underneath, there’s a basic tube top with exposed invisible zipper (tutorial here by kate), and i added teal satin ribbon as straps which i tied around each shoulder layer to gather them.
i took these photos over a week after the wedding, since the ones i took on the day were more of the event itself. the dress isn’t quite so perfectly arranged and her hair isn’t as fancy, but you still get the idea. she was happy to wear the dress again. the day of the wedding, i actually hand-sewed the back layers together so the zipper wouldn’t show.
the yellow sash is satin.
you wouldn’t believe how thrilled Em was to be a flower girl (or maybe you would?). she made it through the church ceremony, going up to stand on the altar with the bridesmaids and then back to sit down multiple times, paying close attention for over an hour with minimal fidgeting, no meltdowns. she sat with the bridesmaids, not with us, and she only knew a couple of them. i was so proud of her!
it was so cute seeing her there with the bridesmaids in teal and yellow. she also complemented Amy, who wore a cream dress with teal shoes and had a sparkly sash/belt. i wasn’t quite sure how my homemade dress would play into the whole look of the wedding, but i was really relieved that it looked like it belonged up there! PHEW!
Em felt so special wearing a little makeup and having her fingernails painted sparkly for the occasion. it also helped that her cousin S was the ring bearer. they’re just 10 days apart in age and they’re even in the same class in school! more like brother and sister than cousins, really. he did a great job up there too, and aren’t little guys in suits the cutest? his mom sewed his teal bow tie!
okay so confession time – i got worried about how i was going to sew the organza and whether i’d even be able to execute such a fancy occasion dress (since my style is much more casual), so i procrastinated a bit. i worked on it the week before the wedding and it was taking a long time to sew, plus i was a bit burnt out from KCWC and halloween sewing.
i tried the dress on her midweek, and discovered i needed to redo the overlay – it was too big. i was too tired after the rehearsal dinner to work on it, but figured it was a quick fix so i hit the sack and figured i could do it the morning of the wedding. then i woke up at 2:30am in a panic and HAD to sew it right then! it was actually a peaceful time to sew, and i also ironed O’s outfit and made myself a little emergency sewing kit (which came in handy, i ended up helping secure the bustle of Amy’s dress with a safety pin!). then i went back to bed.
and there ya go! Em keeps talking about the wedding and wearing her fascinator around the house. she’s definitely itching to be a flower girl again, which is a good thing because my sister is getting married in the spring!!
i’ll be back with my wedding gift for the happy couple, Amy + Ben! i hope you enjoyed the flower girl dress photo overload. 🙂
skirt as top 
Love the dress and Em looks so pretty in it. What a wonderful time!
oh girl you have outdone yourself! It is SO beautiful!
what a stunning dress! And how fun to have such a fancy occasion to sew for – everyday dresses are a lot of fun too, but so exciting to have a special occasion dress:) Em looks beautiful, and I love the ombre effect of the teal layers. Great design work and glad your 2:00 am sewing paid off!
Oh thanks, Lucinda! I agree – it’s fun to switch up the sewing and do something new every so often. A good challenge.
Beautiful! Love the colors!
The flower girl dress is so cute! It went so well with the grown up dresses as well! Well Done!
Thank you!!
Beautiful dress on a.lovely girl. Your 2am story sounds like something I would do, haha.
Yeah I typically procrastinate but not THAT much, hehe.
Absolutely beautiful and I love the color combination! Reading your last paragraph brought back memories of when I sewed my wedding dress:)
i saw this post first on my google reader on my iphone. it was awesome there. but seeing it here on the computer screen – wow, oh wow! my little phone did not do this dress justice. it’s stunning! the layers are so light and airy. i love the sheen of the material. and it ties in so perfectly with the bridesmaid dresses. beautifully done.
Aw thanks, Rachel!! The dress shimmers in person and I was hoping to capture it in the photos. Glad it came through!
What an honor for both you and Em. The dress is beautiful! I’m impressed that she made it through the ceremony- we had 3 flower girls at our wedding and the success rate was just about 50%. And your confession was awesome- I can’t believe you we’re still working at 2am the night before the wedding, brave lady!
Oh man, I had no idea how she’d do. She’s a bit of a shy girl in big crowds, too, so I had to take her aside for quiet time after the pictures to let her recharge. She’s a mini-introvert but was such a trooper!
Cutest flower girl dress (and girl) ever! You did an amazing job!
You are amazing, Kristin! Em’s dress turned out so darling and absolutely perfect for the occasion. You did a phenomenal job on it, and E was a rock star! I can’t thank you two enough for being a part of our day and all the hard work to make a darling and unique dress. Can’t wait to see the next post about the gift we love!
Aw Amy, thank YOUUU! Best non-bridezilla ever! Such a fantastic wedding you guys put on, we loved being a part of it!!
I am speechless!
🙂
I love the teal and yellow together! Em makes a gorgeous flower girl.
She is so pretty Kristin! Love the dress and love the colors of that wedding!
Thanks so much, Delia! I loved the wedding colors too. Such a great vision they had!!
SUCH a gorgeous dress! You really outdid yourself on this one, Kristin! Em is so, so cute in it and she was a perfectly behaved little flower girl 🙂
Thanks so much, Carrie! Thanks for taking good care of her up there, too. 🙂
Everything about it is PERFECT! I love the colors and the layered skirt is my favorite. I bet she made such a perfect little flower girl! (Dare I hint… this would make an excellent pattern….) 😉
Ooooo good call! No grading, just rectangles! SCORE!
Kristin, LOVE this. What a great dress- the details are fantastic!
And I love middle of the night sewing (I used to sew in the middle of the night all the time when I was pregnant with Piper Jane and couldn’t sleep. I miss that. Sort of). 🙂
Really fantastic job, friend (ps- love the gray wall!). 🙂
Thanks so much, Kirstin! It’s something I can’t do often but I did love it in an odd way. So peaceful.
its totally gorgeous! and the colors are just beautiful. great job!!
Thank you!!
Love the dress! So pretty!! The colors are fantastic and I love the color gradation at the bottom. And the pop of yellow!! Just fantastic!
Kirstin! this dress is so so so pretty! I had no idea it was this pretty from your IG photo, I absolutely love this dress. The ombre layer colors on the bottom are perfection!
*Kristin
Aw thanks, Jessica!! I know, phone photos didn’t really do it justice. Sometimes shimmery fabric is hard to capture. 🙂
Prettiest little flower girl ever! Love the look of the whole wedding, you nailed it with the dress.
this is seriously, like the prettiest dress i’ve ever seen! I’m not showing my daughter because i KNOW she will demand I make her one. today. And, I have had so many of those middle of the night panics too- mostly about paint colors though… 😉 Really, this is so beautiful!!!
Awwwww thanks Erin! I totally know that “don’t show it to my kid or she’ll demand one” feeling, too. Hehe.
what a special dress! Love the colors and that she loved both her role and the little gown. Makes the late night and stress worth it!
Absolutely gorgeous! I’m so impressed with the organza perfection – I’d never be able to get it to line up so brilliantly. Amazing!
Aw thanks – man that stuff is hard to work with! Forgot to mention I got a microtex SHARP needle in a 8 weight, too…but still it’s weird when something frays AND slips. Makes it so tough.
Girl, I love how organized you are! Of COURSE you brought along an emergency sewing kit! I am always wondering WWKD when I feel like things are getting overwhelming with chaos. I tend to flashback to when you did PR&P and you posted a pic of your schedule! So wish I had the motivation to be like that! And with your work schedule… You are seriously like Sewing Mom of the Year! I officially dub you as such!
And I’ve been waiting to see what you would come up with for your flower girl dress! I love the ombre teal layers. And teal and yellow: tell your cousin I think she has awesome taste 😉
Em looks like a little cupcake! I bet she was a hit of the wedding… little girls in fancy dresses are always a hit. And what with you making her dress AND Em’s sweet and imaginative spirit: I can only imagine how she must have loved it all! The dress looks soo cute! And I appreciate that you let us in on your challenges too! I think it’s great to be honest and helpful to let on about what went wrong and how you fix/would fix things!
Oh and I was sooooo overwhelmed that week too! It was nutso. Thanks so much, Kat. 🙂
Oh my word that first picture took my breath away. Absolutely stunning!! Fabulous job on this gorgeous little frock!! 🙂
Thanks, Rae! Wow a vacation comment?! Nice!
wonderful job taking those 2 dress ideas & making your own unique one (the top has a cool Greek vibe), I think my favorite part is the ombre blue layered hem.
How fun to be a flower girl (& more fun to be the mom who gets to sew the flower girl dress). I was never a flower girl & unfortunately it looks like my daughter will never get to be a flower girl either 😦
Which is such a bummer I would absolutely love to sew a flower girl dress.
I was never a flower girl either, though I think two of my sisters were. Your little gal isn’t too old – hopefully someone asks her because I’d LOVE to see your version of a flower girl dress!!
Wow! So,so cute! You did an amazing job of both the design and execution! She looks fantastic!
Simply gorgeous!
Fancy occasion dresses may not be your usual thing, but you really nailed it! This is such a lovely dress! I love the wide sash and the ombre teal skirt. And yes, it looked perfectly like it belonged at that wedding. =)
Oh thank you so much! Good to stretch away from the comfort zone every so often, and yes I’m sooo glad it didn’t stick out like a sore thumb at the wedding!
So adorable! I love all of the special details you put into it!
You did such an incredible job on this dress! It really does fit perfectly with the rest of the bridal party and em looks gorgeous in it!
Fabrics outside of cotton and wool scare me so I bow down to your sewing prowess! That dress looks amazing. I love the layers and the tied sleeves…so gorgeous!
And that picture of Em with all the bridesmaids is the cutest thing ever. She looks so adorable with them!
It’s darling! You did a great job!
ahhhhh, it’s divine!! they sure did give you great colors to work with! looks like it came right off the pages of a jcrew catalog…only way better 🙂
Absolutely stunning and Em looks wonderful in it. What a beautiful colour scheme, it was worth the late night sewing to get it just right, it is perfect. Did you make O’s outfit too?
you’re amazing!! I love how the dress came out. The gathered shoulders are a really cute and sophisticated touch. And the colors are beautiful! She is such a little lady!
Cute! I kept saying that over and over as I scrolled down. What a special dress and memory for your little girl!
Love!
l o v e l y !
I really love seeing how you create and make it all happen! Thanks for taking the time to share it The dress turned out so cute and yay for trying new things! I’ve never sewn with fabric like that. And knowing you put it off till the end makes me feel a little better about myself.
This is beautiful!!
That is just so beautiful Kristin. Did she upstage all of the bridesmaids in that gorgeous dress? Of course she did!
You’re amazing! Love it so much. She definitely upstaged the bridesmaids =)
wow, this dress is so, so pretty! Those blues at the bottom, the ribbons at the top, the shape of it, the organza… gah, I love it! Great job, mama! Love the story about working in the wee hours of the night, too. 🙂
This is fabulous!! The design, the fabric choice, everything is dreamy…wonderful job!
Beautiful! Love the story along with it. Whenever I have to sew something for any important event, I tend to drag my feet in avoidance as well. This turned out beautifully!
WOW!! very pretty dress! Love the colors!!! great job!!