Summer dresses

 A lady at church asked me to sew some modest sun dresses for her girls.  She chose a pattern that was designed to be a jumper, so it took a little bit of adjustment in the arm holes, but now it can be worn as either a sun dress or a jumper and be both cute and modest both ways.

Mrs. W. gave me almost free reign in making these dresses.  She picked out a pattern and said to have fun.  Except she didn't want pink or orange.  I was originally going to make the body of the dresses white with the flowers matching the bands at the bottom of the dresses.  Until I realized that they would look like little Americans ;P and besides which, white is not the best colour for eight and nine year olds! 

 G. and J. are the same size so, I'm not sure which dress is for which girl or if they'll share.  It certainly made it easy cutting them out though, I didn't have to worry about fitting the right size to the right fabric to make the girls happy.  I like the way the blue contrasts with the red, especially on the hat.

  I had a little bit of extra fabric, and managed to get matching hats out of it for the girls. There is a brim in the back that comes down and covers their necks, but you can't see it in these pictures.

When Mrs. W. first picked out the pattern she wanted, I was worried that these flowers along the bottoms of the dresses would be bears to make.  But I was wrong.  They are the easiest way to make a dress looked finished and cute I've ever seen.  They are just little circles, zig-zagged and gathered around the edges and hand stitched in place.  I've added them to one of my skirts already, and plan on sprucing up another one soon.

In His grace,

Laurel