not sure if i should admit how long ago i made and photographed this dress, but it somehow fell by the wayside and has been bugging me because it’s just sitting in iPhoto and haven’t posted it yet…so i’m posting it!
alright, i made it sort of spur-of-the-moment for Em’s first Disney on Ice viewing last December. i realized she probably needed some sort of princess-y type dress for the event, so i sewed this during her nap the day of. i think it turned into one of those “kid looks great but mom looks a fright” situations, since i tend to prioritize sewing over getting MYSELF ready to go. meh.
it’s sort of a general cinderella/sleeping beauty type design, but i was aiming for it to be a bit more wearable in cotton. it’s based on the coraline dress tutorial from craftiness is not optional, with some mods. i started with the flashback skinny tee (sized up) for the bodice, and modified the sleeves to the puff variety, shirred at the hems. i added the overskirt thingies (anyone know what those are called?) similar to my sweet tartan. instead of pressing the ruffle collar down and enclosing it with bias, i pressed it UP and topstitched the seam allowance down.
the fabric is…oh shoot. i don’t know! Jess actually sent it to me, and i think it’s super cute, and I used it all so i don’t have the selvedge anymore, and i can’t find it online. someone help? the white is an ikea sheet, i know that. hehe.
she enjoyed the ice capades. i enjoyed calling it “ice capades,” much to my husband’s chagrin.
this might also be the last time she got a haircut! the gal that cuts it always gives her ringlets, which she adores.
we saw a bunch of other little girls in the thin satin princess dresses with sparkly plastic heels and i wasn’t sure how Em felt about her homemade dress. i do know she’s been asking me to make her a princess dress for a couple months now, and she definitely means the satin variety for dress up.
i bet she’d really dig something like this.
skirt as top 
It’s Wrenly, I think, from Valori Wells.
Whoa, freaky coincidence. Someone gifted me a bolt of shiny pink stuff and a bolt of shiny blue stuff. I’d had no idea what to do with it. Now I know, I post it to you!
…I like your cotton princess dress best. 🙂
I think the fabric is Valori Wells….Wrenly line maybe? Super cute princess dress!!!!
This is so cute! I love that its wearable.
So cute! My daughter (almost 4) would adore a princess dress suitable for everyday wear!
Trust me, cotton princess dresses are the best (and last much longer)! Yours is so beautiful!!!
They miss the sparkle, but one can always add a sparkling tulle skirt and magic wand 🙂
My E saw this and said, “oh. That’s a really pretty dress!” She’s in a (very much self-declared) “dress stage;” how does that happen with 4 year olds?? Somehow, they just know they’re supposed to go for skirts and ruffles… Anyways, we both love this dress, and it was so fun to read about. Miss you and hope you’re well! 🙂
This is gorgeous! My daughter would absolutely love this, I am going to have to try it out for sure!
I have that fabric and have been wondering what to do with it for months now, cute princess-ish dress 🙂
Your dress looks fantastic! My four year old niece wanted a princess dress for carnival and I couldn’t bear the cheap shiny stuff – so I made one in organic cotton jersey using this tutorial:
http://www.thetraintocrazy.com/2011/09/handmade-dress-up-series-diy-belle-princess-dress-costume-tutorial.html
She loves it and I feel so much better that she won’t go up in flames if anyone lights a cigarette next to her.
oh super cute and so sweet.
nothing wrong with the practical princess style! very sweet little dress, and the ringlets are to die for! plus the concept of “ice capades” = hilarious. 🙂
when I saw one of the pictures I thought Em looked really young. Ha. Now I know why! I’m with you on making a more wearable cotton princess dress. Something about that halloweenish dressup shiny stuff makes me feel kind of sick. Whenever we take the inevitable trip down the disney princess aisle in Target, and Clover sees the ucky princess dresses there I just look at my husband and he knows that I say “no way”. haha. Someday maybe a velvety dress will make it into the works though…..or something soft and princessy but not so “plastic”
aww, i love it. i think i remember this on IG way back when? I like getting the previews… even if they’re 6 months before you actually blog the creation. 😉
I made a cinderella-ish tutu once and I think blog readers agreed that they were called peplums. Which makes sense I guess. I call them sticky-outy over-skirt swags. Either way.
I’m a big fan of the comfy princess dresses, this is fab 🙂 OH, and it’s totally called the Ice Capades!
So pretty! Exactly the kind of dress my daughter would love too 🙂
Abby would love this. Love, love, love, love, love this. Maybe now I know what I’m making her next!
geez louise that’s too darn cute. And I sent that fabric to you? hehe that’s how many packages have been sent back and forth…i don’t even remember sending it! hehe. Sadie loves this dress. LOVES.
oh, and DARLING pics.
Love the princess dress in cotton!