Forest Flower

PATTERN: Yoke from McCall's M6022; skirt, pocket, and sleeves from Girly Style Wardrobe (Japanese), ISBN #978-4-579-11132-9
SIZE: 3
VIEW: C; M
FABRIC: Liberty Tana Lawn, from Mill End Store (note: Mill End doesn't usually carry Tana Lawn, but this was a random bolt, and priced at only $8.49/yard, so I don't know if it is actually a knock-off, or maybe they just don't know what they have?); eyelet beading from Fabric Depot; ribbon from stash.

My friend Pam and I were at the delightful little Pistils Nursery on Friday, and she bought me the most beautiful little plant for the forest-floor parkway. It's called Geum 'Marmalade' and it is just darling, and will look so pretty with all of the blues and periwinkly colors down there. I haven't planted it yet (the weather has been incredibly blustery here, so I'm keeping it on the porch until it gets a bit nicer), but I love it because it is a hardy perennial and will remind me of my friends' wonderful visit every spring when it comes up. What a brilliant present, don't you think?

That flower reminded me of this sweet forest-floor-parkway fabric I'd gotten a few weeks ago. I have always loved this print, and have small pieces of it in several different colorways in my stash. I saw the pattern for this dress made up in a similar kind of woodsy-ish floral fabric in Girly Style Wardrobe and have been wanting to make it for a while. (By the way, I purchase all of my Japanese craft books from Kinokuniya Bookstore in Beaverton, Oregon, and they will take special orders and ship if you have the ISBN number; just give them a call to get this book, or any others that I refer to.) The book's tangled web of pattern pieces finally stumped me with this one and I just couldn't figure out what they were doing with their yoke, so I used a commercial pattern piece I had for a very similar dress for that part, and it worked out fine. I didn't mark where I was supposed to put the pocket and just guessed, but it looks wrong so I think I should take that off and place it better. I think the top of it should be parallel to the yoke seamline when it is hanging. Whoopsie! I also wish that I'd placed the trim closer to the top of the pocket so that the little scallops were above the top. Oh well. If I'm feeling ambitious maybe I'll redo that.

There are so many not-as-fun-as-making-dresses things I should be doing! I have a big box of vintage patterns I haven't dared let myself dip into yet, as they are too wonderful and I'm afraid if I opened them I'd get so utterly distracted that absolutely nothing else would get done around here. I did manage to (grudgingly) clean up and organize my studio a little bit last week. This weather: blustery, cold, rainy, dark. Just around the corner, a great big tree fell over last night. It's so dark in the house right now at 8:30 a.m. that I think I need to start my fake fireplace and light some lamps. Remember when I was saying I was all happy about the rain? Yah. I'm over it. It's freezing!!!

Comments

[michele (maryland)]

My favorite dress yet!!!!

[Cassandra]

This is my favorite yet as well!

[Karen B]

I love it! I'm thinking it's my favorite too. So cute!

[Maria]

That is very cute!

[Val Reaves]

What a lovely dress..so thoughtful in it's detail. And, what a lovely plant..and a gift as well! Thanks for the post.
Val in Kansas :-)

[Jeanette M.]

Every new dress becomes my favorite and I always want one in my size!! I also love the idea of giving a potted flower - I'm about to visit a friend in the hospital and I was going to take cut flowers but I think I'll stop by the nursery instead and get her something she can plant. Love it!

[HeidiAnn]

I am loving every single one of these adorable dresses you are creating. They are so very special!

[sharon]

this is my favorite so far!

[kern]

I think this might be my favorite dress.

[tammie]

oh my i think this one may be my favorite one yet.

i get what you're saying about the pocket placement being a bit off, but honestly, once your little gal is actually wearing the dress and the pocket is filled with all the many fun things that pockets can be filled with, you won't notice it at all.

i say, leave it as is and move on to the next dress.

:)

[Janae S.]

I REALLY love the fabric of this dress. It reminds me of the Netherlands, or the alpine region of Germany. So cozy and sweet. Beautiful!

[Carrie]

This dress is just beautiful! So cute and the sort of thing to be kept for years and passed through generations.

[Emily]

A recently came across Geum for the first time at Portland Nursery. Such a wonderful plant! I haven't purchased one yet but I'm on the hunt for my most favorite. Yours is gorgeous!

I've not been to Pistils yet but it looks absolutely delightful. Gah, I want chickens so bad.

[Jennifer]

I love the dress, I am a huge fan of girly dresses in not so girly colours. It is beautiful, great job!

[Margot K of VA]

Such tasteful use of colored eylet ribbon...yummmmm.

[Mom]

This dress is adorable. I just love the print and color of this fabric! What an amazing handmade wardrobe this lucky little star will have.

[Tabitha]

This dress is so perfect! I love the fabric and the style. Just beautiful - I know your little girl will just love to have all these handmade clothes when she comes to you. My daughter constantly asks if I'm making more things for her. :) Congratulations (since I haven't said it before) and I wish you all the best!

[Candyce]

It is just beautiful! You put it together in just the right way.

[Ellen]

Lovely. The fabric is so perfect for a little girl.

[Patty]

We've had unseasonably warm weather here in New England -- in the 70's and beautiful -- since the Monsoons that floated away RI ended. I've cleaned out gardens early and spent the last 2 days cleaning out and organizing the barn. Feels good but lots of dirty work. We'll be back to our usual 50's by the weekend tho..... sad face. p.

[annri]

so my daughter is standing here as i read your post, begging for a dress like that one, please, please, please! good thing i have that book... :)

it is darling; major score on the fabric!!

[Karin]

Oh Alicia, what a gorgeous dress. I love the fabric and the shape. Beautiful!

[Linda]

Adorable.

FOr the coming years...remember an egg its well into a wire wisk, which makes Easter egg coloring simple for a young child.

[Nancy]

I love little forest flower. The blue and brown together is perfect.
The yoke is especially pretty.
It is almost impossible to stop making little dresses once you get started, isn't it?

[Meg]

My favorite so far! I love how subtle and unusual this color combination is.