lemon meringue and sound of music

you thought this was going to be about dessert and movies, didn't you? nope.

i've been sewing without patterns. frustrating to get the fit just right, but very liberating to sew up exactly what i had in my head.

first, this is cora's Lemon Meringue dress. i like that i have no unfinished edges and i even pushed myself to do a proper hem using blind hem stitch. cora's favorite part is the pocket! if i made this dress again, i'd go to the effort to make it reversible (it nearly is already) and i'd make the skirt more full. (it's hard to photograph a dress on a moving target.)

now, here's the Sound of Music dress. the green floral reminded me of the drapery fabric that Maria made clothing for the children on the movie, so that's where the name comes from. i really like how the bodice fits perfectly, the straps are angled in the back, and the gathers in the front nicely accommodate that giant toddler belly. i'll be sewing this one up again for sure.

i really enjoy sewing, but sewing for this little girl has brought an added element of pleasure. it's so cute when cora points to one of my sewing experiments and says, "dress dress dress." It pretty much just melts me to see her wearing a finished product. fortunately, she willingly wears whatever i want her to so i am enjoying it while it lasts as i know this opinionated little girl won't let mama dress her forever.