Beach dresses and a Pinafore

Not the most imaginative title - infact not imaginative at all.  But I'm tired so it will have to do!

Today I thought I would post a couple of things I've actually made recently.  Both of these items were started, if not finished afew months ago.

First up are these smashing beach dresses.

I went to a local water park with a friend afew months ago and of course Beth's clothes got wet and i hadn't brought any spares for her.  My friend Lin lent me her daughters beach dress. 

Bethany l.o.v.e.d. it and begged me to make her one.

 

I found the stretch terry towelling at Spotlight, traced around the borrowed beach dress and sewed it all together.

  I used an old t-shirt to make the lining for the hood and added a couple of extra pockets at Beth's request. 

For Aimee's I did the same but added an inch or two all around to increase the size.  I messed up with the size of the neck hole and it came out too large, so I had to add an extra piece of fabric  back on to fix it. 

It turned out alright and is still perfectly wearable - its only for the beach or pool after all!

I'd actually forgotten about them, but the girls are having swimming lessons at the local pool this week and I found them in the beach bag and realised I'd never posted about them.

Yesterday I spent some time at the machine doing a spot of mending, making dog collars and leads for the girls toy dogs (as you do) and just generally moving bits and pieces from here to there. 

I came across this half made dress, drafted from a pattern in Toni Coward's book

Make it Perfect. 

Its the pinafore pictured on the front.

I borrowed the book from the library a while ago and decided this looked like a quick, easy project and it would make a nice, cool dress to wear in the heat of summer. 

It came together very quickly, with a little alteration to the shape of the skirt to stop it from looking too much like a tent.  Then I decided to add in-seam pockets and just eyeballed their placement.  Of course I inserted them too low down to be of any use what-so-ever. 

I got as far as unpicking them and then lost interest in the project and promptly moved on.

When I came across it yesterday I decided to get on with it and finish it. 

All I had to do was sew up the side seams and bind the neck edge, armholes and hemline. 

I wore the dress all day today (hence the crease lines) and I've decided I simply cannot do without pockets so I'm planning to add some to the front of the dress.

The fabric is a quilting cotton I bought from Spotlight a couple of years ago.  Not the best fabric for clothing, but the dress is such a simple style it works ok.  I used a plain grey ready made binding.

Over all - this dress is cool and comfortable. 

Not particularly flattering,

but do I really care about that on a stinking hot Sydney Summers day?

I think not!