Sundresses for Biz & the Monkey

Sometimes I make things and they are relegated to the back of the closet (like the St. Patrick's Day Dress debacle of 2011).


 

But sometimes I make something and the kids don't want to take it off.

Like these sundresses.

which, despite their expressions in this picture? they love.

Easily the most simple dress I've EVER made.

what is she DOING here???

It's just 1.5 times the chest measurement + desired length.

I hemmed both ends (and on the Monkey's I had some scrap quilt binding that I finished the top with), sewed the whole thing right sides together into a long tube, finished off my seams (no serger here thankyouverymuch!) And shirred the top 6-ish inches of the dress with some elastic thread WHICH I AM IN LOVE WITH!!!!

The Monkey's has (out of sheer necessity and my lack of desire to have birthed an exhibitionist) has a neck tie added after-the-fact.

The neck tie is just some more scrap bias tape that I had a length of, stitched and backstitched to the center of the bodice and tied in a bow around her neck. Easy Peasy.

These came about mainly because the Biz demanded a dress "with no sleeves" similar to one I owned. I figured I'd better practice with some random bits of quilting cotton before using the uber-gorgeous shades of peach and teal double gauze that I snagged on sale at JoAnn's the other day.

 AT-TI-TUUUUUUDE...

 Next up? One for me!