Ottobre 03-2010-35

Ottobre Designs 03-2010-25

This was the dress design that my DD chose for her end-of-the-year celebration for her Senior Kindergarten class.   They are having a tiny in-class graduation, but I will take any excuse I can get to make a fancy dress.

Last year I bought some Betsey Johnson  stretch cotton butterfly fabric that she has had her eye on ever since. I believe it came from Elliott Berman in their annual 50% off sale.  Originally, it was to be for me, but I just couldn't find something to make that wouldn't look too "cute" for a woman well into her thirties.

So, she won, I lost, and she has a pretty sweet dress.

Of course, I couldn't get her to model it.  It was enough of a battle to get her to try it on for fitting.  The white fabric for the top of the dress was a 50 cent rummage sale find.

I lined the bodice with some cheap poly cotton broadcloth, since the fabric was so wrinkle prone.  I left the skirt unlined as there was no real need for a lining.  I simply serged the seam at the waist to connect the bodice and skirt.  I didn't feel there was any great need for special finishing.

  I used an invisible zip in the back, and defined the waistline with a pink strip of leftover bias tape in stash.  The tape and the bottom hem both have a decorative butterfly stitch from my sewing machine in white thread. Hopefully, I will get some pics to post at her "graduation" in a couple of weeks.