what may seem just your average, run-of-the-mill, sweet little dress…

…is actually a swirling,

twirling,

LEAPING,

“POLKA DOT BALLERINA DRESS!”

i made it to match her cousin’s 2 year birthday dress from gymboree, per em’s request.  i thought it’d be a bright idea to add godets (my google search for “triangle inserts in a skirt to make it flare” led me to THAT fancy sewing term).  that turned a short, quick, easy project into a much longer one, one with a lot of seam-ripping, one that em turned into a little taskmaster.  “is my polkadot dress done yet, mommy?” was a common question for a couple weeks as i grumbled and delayed and tried new techniques to get the tops of each triangle to a perfect point before i finally just zigzagged them and called it good!  but now it’s done, phew, and she loves it.  the fabric is a michael miller polka dot.  the godets made the middle of the dress a bit too boxy, so it looks best gathered with a belt or ribbon.

let the neverending dance party continue!