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1.12.2014

A Geranium Dress for my flower, Iris

I've been wanting to make another geranium dress for Iris ever since I made this one last summer.  Even though the fabrics I used were outside of my usual taste, I really love this dress on her.    Every time she wears it, I get butterflies from the cuteness and want to eat her.  Every time.  And that doesn't happen with everything I make.

Another geranium dress was definitely in order.

geranium dress


The dress came together quickly and really was a joy to sew, maybe even more so now that I've made it a few times.

geranium


I love that Rae created the option to have all of the instructions condensed into one page.   When sewing it for the second or third (or more) time, I don't have to print a dozen or more pages that inevitably get jumbled or lost in the abyss that is my sewing table.

geranium

Last time I made this dress for Iris, I had some issues with the buttonholes. My buttonhole foot got hung up on the thick seam allowance near the bottom button which caused all kinds of problems.  This time I trimmed the seam where the bodice and skirt join to 1/8" near the button placket.

back buttons geramium


Last time, my pal Inder gave me the ingenious (and perhaps obvious to others) tip that I don't actually have to put the buttonholes where the pattern says they're supposed to go.  She steers clear of the seam allowance altogether.  (Brilliant, I say!)  So, that's what I did, and it worked beautifully.  Thanks, Inder!

wooden buttons - geranium

I bought the wooden buttons from Joanns and the fabric for the dress is this Michael Miller print.  

geranium

Lately it feels like we're turning a corner and 'baby' Iris is really changing, becoming less like a cave-woman-toddler and more of a little girl.

swinging

Her language has exploded.  It's so fun and rewarding to finally be able to hear what on her little mind.   It's a stage I have enjoyed so much with each of my kids.  It's one of my favorites.  

1A2A7337
hangin out


It's also so helpful that she can communicate what she's feeling.  For instance, now she will tell me that she doesn't want to swing in the baby swing anymore and prefers the big kids' swings, thankyouverymuch.  Instead of, you know, just freaking out when I try to put her in the baby swing.  See?  Helpful.   


hangin around

She's less frustrated which means she's having far fewer tantrums.  A win for everyone!


wheeee!

She's exuberant, so affectionate, and so much fun!    She's growing up alright.  Yet she still loves (insists upon) being rocked to sleep at naptime.  And don't get any crazy ideas about her sleeping in her own bed.  She not only wants to sleep with us, but also wants to 'cud-cud' (cuddle), too.    She's straddling the two worlds of being a baby and being a big girl.  And watching that unfold is pretty magical.


wheeee!

14 comments:

  1. Beautiful dress (and girl! I love the sweet pigtails!). Last summer I made the same dress in an almost identical fabric, and it's been a favourite of my daughter's.

    I also appreciate the summarised instructions in Rae's pattern - helps keep things simple.

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  2. Oh, oh, oh, I want to kiss her! She's adorable and it all comes through in these snapshots of her lolling about on the swing. I want one! Literally. Haha!

    p.s. Have you ever considered joining do. Good Stitches? I have an opening in my circle, the Love circle, for a stitcher to sew quilt blocks. You don't have to design or finish any quilts, just make 2 blocks a month. If that's something you might enjoy, let me know since it would be fun to sew with you!

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  3. That last picture melts my heart! Adorable dress too :)

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  4. Very sweet, I love the green and white polka dot. The blue and yellow version from last time is also just darling. I think it's time for me to make another one myself!

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    1. thanks, Kerry! i appreciate that very much. :)

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  5. The description of a cave-woman toddler is so apt for my 17 month old! It's so funny how we struggle to communicate all day long (and then Daddy knows exactly what she wants). Her language is decent, but the next few months will make all the difference, I know.

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  6. She is so adorable! I love the dress and I really loved the other one you made. I had missed it before and am glad you linked to it. Her moccasins are super cute too!

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  7. love the dress, love the photography, and love your description of the stage she's at developmentally . . . your deep love for her shines through in your writing. This will be precious for her to read when she's older:)

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  8. Ah. She is a beautiful flower, beautiful Iris! She is really growing up, I really see how much she has changed in the past year or so. (I really love the name Iris, btw, and suggested it for Maggie. I am so happy we chose a family name, Margaret Joy, but Iris is still one of my favorite names! Incidentally, Iris Dement is one of my favorite musicians - her voice is like honey. Oh, now I have to go listen to her ... I'm easily distracted. Squirrel!)

    Too funny that I get cited for the "ingenious" advice to just "ignore the instructions" and "eyeball the buttonholes." Hey, that's just how I roll. :-)

    Super sweet Geranium - I really want to make one with the ruffles!!

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  9. oh this is my favorite stage, too! your photos are so beautiful and i love the dress - the simple polka dots are perfect and i love it with the shirt underneath. i've been craving some geranium sewing myself!

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  10. just from the first photo I was thinking that your youngest sure has changed & grown so much these past few months & then you went on to say just that!

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  11. Love it- the sleeves, the polka dots, the girl, those pig tails! And those leggings are fantastic as well. I'm ready for spring and another season of geraniums. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  12. What a sweet dress! It's such a lovely colour, and Iris looks so sweet on the swing. We also have a toddler-turning-big-girl around here. She is very articulate, has stopped napping (oh, how I miss nap time!), and wants to be big like the others...but still comes in to sleep next to me in the wee hours of the morning every night. With cuddles required. It's precious!

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  13. She is looking beautiful! Those big brown eyes are too much.
    Perfect description of the toddler to kid transition. I love it when kids start talking and saying "stuff". They become so much more interesting to me (I never was very good with babies if I confess).
    I still remember the advice my brother was given in a sewing shop when he was making a pair of shorts (as a teenager perhaps?). he was told "the pattern is a guide dear, not a Bible"

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