The Pretty Paris Dress

So I said no more princess dresses (for right now), and I mean that, but I need to be honest. This next dress is actually from a princess pattern. I just didn't have the right colors for a Tiana dress in my stash, and I wanted to see what the pattern would look like in "normal" fabrics.

I am absolutely in love with this pattern (it's the Tiana Dress pattern from Made for Mermaids). It's a peasant style dress but the bodice is shaped, like a good peasant dress pattern should be (that means the front and back have different necklines and aren't just blocky). It has a sash which means a better fit for my slim girl. And the skirt, oh the skirt!

These pictures don't do it justice. There is an underskirt that hangs just the right amount below the overskirt. The overskirt is split in the front and back and the curve at the side seams is PERFECT. It is just such a pretty shape and is drafted to meet up so nicely. I love the way this dress is suited for using coordinating prints. (Oh, and it looks so beautiful as a Tiana dress that I went out right after making this to pick up the fabrics for another princess dress!)

I just think this is such a sweet, modest, pretty dress. It's simple enough to make (it is a peasant style), but it has some interesting details and it's just so pretty!! I need to go back and try some of my other "princess" patterns with non-princess fabrics now, to see how they turn out!

Tangled Up in Princesses

Okay, this is the last princess, for now. This ended up being Danielle's Halloween costume that I never got decent pictures of before.

I LOVE this picture!!

This is a pattern that I willingly *gasp* paid for! Me and Mimi took Danielle to see "Disney on Ice" back in October, and I decided about 2 days prior to the show that I should make her a dress to wear. I decided on Rapunzel from Made for Mermaids. Then somehow I waited until the day of to start. Here's what it looked like just a few hours before the show:

I got the dress done in time--not because I'm super mom but because I have a super husband who corralled the kids and gave me a chance to sew without (many) interruptions. I'm so glad he helped, because it turned out great and the show was magical! Now I know why people spend oodles of money to go on Disney World vacations.

Me and my best girl :)

The pattern is a peasant style dress, with a bodice inset with "lace-up" ribbons, center front skirt panel, and ribbons on the sleeves. I added the 3/4 length sleeves using a pattern piece from this dress I made. I don't normally embellish much, but I blinged this baby up with some iridescent lace on the neckline, hemline and at the bottom of the sleeves.  I also added a purple trim around the skirt panel. Those extras took a lot of time, but were so worth it for my girl (especially since we ended up using it for Halloween too)!

We put a few flowers in her hair and accessorized with a stuffed Pascale from the ice show. Thank goodness that was what she picked out--it was definitely the best value at the gift stands! I have a long blonde wig from one of my old Halloween costumes, but it was a little too big for her. Besides, that would have been way too fussy. I'm loving these Everyday Princesses!

The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyways

If you haven't seen "Frozen", you definitely should watch it when it comes out on DVD. It was just beautiful, and the music was incredible (especially with Idina Menzel as the voice of Elsa, the Snow Queen). There is an amazing song in the movie where Elsa is building her ice castle, you can see a clip from the movie with the song here:




Isn't it incredible? I can see why Elsa was the standout of the movie for my daughter. Needless to say, I was so happy that Megan from Made for Mermaids got her Elsa pattern out so quickly (following her Anna pattern which I shared in the last post).

I used a sheer white fabric with silver snowflakes on it for the top bodice portion and the overlay and sleeves. Danielle thought it was itchy :( I finished the edges with my serger, so I think she was just being funny about the dress for some reason, but it went home with a dear little friend whose white blonde hair was perfect for Elsa!

The dress zippers in the back and has a two piece bodice, with a half-circle skirt and an optional overlay. The overlay panels are attached where the two bodice pieces meet, and to each other at the sides, but they are split in the front and back which makes for a nice motion.

Goofiness aside, my daughter LOVED this dress (I know, I say that about every dress, but seriously, Elsa is the big hit this winter). I picked up some pretty fabric to make another version for her and I will use a solid woven for the top bodice so that we won't have any comfort issues. This version was actually made using fabrics from my stash (including a turquoise sheer that is hard to see in the photos--it's on the bottom bodice pieces).

I was going to make myself the snow queen costume using Simplicity 5363 (it's the one on the bottom right) and even bought the fabric. But that was about 5 or 6 Halloweens ago and I think this dress was a much better use for the fabric. Plus, there is plenty of both the snowflake and turquoise sheers left to make a few more Elsas ;)