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7.12.2016

Two More Hummingbird Dresses

After I made Iris' first hummingbird dress here, I knew I wanted to make a few more for my girls to get us through the summer.  The pattern is so simple and fast and the dresses are so light and breezy.


We checked our extended forecast recently and it displayed consecutive 100 degree days with no rain in sight.  Sigh.  So light and breezy dresses are good ones.  :)


For Iris' dress I started with an embroidered panel made in Thailand, which I found on Etsy.


I paired it with a skirt I had purchased on clearance last year but that ended up not fitting me well.  I cut off the elastic band, gathered the top and hemmed the bottom.  The rest was already done for me, including pockets!


In my last post I shared some tips I learned from Erin about this pattern.  I used all of those again, but this time I also decided to add a couple of inches to the back bodice piece.


I noticed with Iris' first dress that it felt a little tight to get on.  Adding the additional width helped a lot.  Since the back bodice piece is gathered with elastic it didn't change the overall look of the dress and the fit was perfect.


For Tia's dress, I used this Nani Iro double gauze.  I really, really love this print.


Light fabrics seems to work best for this dress with the double gauze being exceptional.



Tia loved this dress so much.  She said the straps and the style of the bodice made her feel like a princess.


Tia is in the sweetest, most lovely stage right now.  She's beginning to think about things in a more grown up way, but still retains the innocence that's part of being a little girl.


Last weekend, the girls and I were making this cinnamon braided bread together.  It's a recipe we have used many times and love.  I told the girls that someday, when they are all grown up and on their own, if they make this bread, they need to remember to chill the dough. It's so much easier to work with that way.


I looked at Tia and I could see she was upset, even fighting back tears.  I asked what was wrong.  The dam broke and the tears flooded out.  She said, "I don't want to grow up if that means I don't get to live with you.  I always want to be with you."


My heart completely melted and I assured her that she could live with us for as long as she wanted.


Another evening we were outside together and I commented how beautiful her skin looked in the golden sun.  She was radiant.  She told me, "I know you can't have skin like mine, but you can stroke it if you'd like." :D


And of course I did!


Man, this girl!

15 comments:

  1. Gorgeous dresses on even more gorgeous girls as always Rachel. The girls are growing so quickly. Tia is such a gem - Gus is the same. Sometimes I find him crying because he doesn't want us to get old and die - it's touching and heartbreaking all at the same time. Hope you're enjoying the summer break. Are the kids doing swimming again these holidays? My boys are on there 2 week break. We have 4 terms here with 3 two week holidays and 1 seven week holiday. I kinda wish they got the summer off like your kids. We don't have as many public holidays though to help break up the rest of the year though. Was so so sad to see Tim Duncan has retired. That was on my bucket list - to see him play in real life. We are planning our trip for November this year. Thought me we may as well as I'm on leave anyway!

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  2. Lovely dresses and beautiful post.

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  3. You so totally just made me cry with the Tia quotes.

    Also I really want to sew one of these dresses. They're adorable. I love the bodice.

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  4. You can stroke it is you like... the sweetness.
    Beautiful dresses.

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  5. Gorgeous dresses, Rachel - you are tempting me sohard to get this pattern! I welled up a little reading about Tia's distress. My little Z has been talking about the same sort of stuff recently. Their awareness of the world is widening, but they are still so little and need assurance.

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  6. Just the other night I was helping my big girlie brush her teeth and shed if any of her teeth were wobbly yet. She said she wanted to keep her pretty little white baby teeth and she did not want to grow up and wanted to stay with me. I did not know if I wanted to laugh or cry!! Tia is a real princess :) Her dress suits her so well :) I love Iris's new dress also. The embroidery is gorgeous! Those girls are so precious together :)

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  7. Your girlies are such blessings. Beautiful dresses. You are an amazing mamma

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  8. Well I love the dresses, especially how they show of little girls' chicken wings, hehe. But your stories about Tia are just so sweet, too!! Aw man.

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  9. When we were in Mendocino with the kids last summer, we kept passing by this awesome old Victorian on acreage that had a tower room. We were all quite taken with it! One time, as we passed it, I said "do you want to live in a big house like that when you grow up, Joe?" and he responded, surprised, "No, I want to live with you and Daddy! Because I love you guys!" Steve and I were like - heartburst. "I hope you will live with us for as long as you want to, Joe."

    Anyway! The dresses! So perfect and lovely. Beautifully done, Rachel. Your children are so beautiful, of course.

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  10. That's an honour, to be allowed to "have a pat" :)
    Lovely dresses and a beautiful post. We're swinging wildly from scared of the idea of living without parents one day, to door slamming and "packing to move out" five mins later. Tia's gentler version of drama is much easier to appreciate. Sigh.
    Anyway, gorgeous dresses and oh for warm weather. Double sigh.

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  11. I love the idea of using an embroidered panel. Does that Etsy seller have more, or was it a 1-of-a-kind item?

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    1. You know, I'm not exactly sure if this was a one of a kind item or not. I purchased it here : https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThaiHandbags?ref=l2-shopheader-name&section_id=10867979

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  12. So pretty. It sounds so hot where you are! My girls are just the same - especially Emily and Juliette. Juliette says, " I am never going to get my license because then I will be grown up and might not live with you". Even the idea of it happening in the very distant future fills her with sadness!! I must admit, I cannot imagine my world like that either. So sweet! x

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