Kids Clothes Week - Project One - The Ice Cream Dress

A few weeks ago I showed Little Monkey a new dress I just made for the markets and got her to try it on.
Me, 'Do you like it?'
LM, 'Yes. Where are buttons and pockets?'
Me, 'There are no buttons or pockets on this dress'.
LM, 'Take it off '.

I have been looking forward to Kids Clothes Week for some time now. I have been super busy sewing for markets, so I needed to take a break and make something for Little Monkey.

Last year Little Monkey and I went fabric shopping. My daughter is actually really good at it. She looks at different prints, touches fabric, makes comments. She is too much like me! There was this fabric with ice creams printed on bright aqua blue that she liked. She pulled it off the shelf into our basket. I didn't think it was really cute and took it out saying, 'Oh this fabric is very pretty sweetie. Maybe we can get it some other day'. Just a small lie. Little Monkey replied, 'No mummy, I want it'. I tried taking this fabric out of our basket three times, and every time Little Monkey brought it back. Have you ever seen a toddler walking through a fabric aisle carrying (well, dragging) a roll of fabric? It is super cute. After the third attempt I gave up and left the fabric in our basket. Little Monkey carried it to our car and didn't want to part with it once she was strapped in her seat. She used the fabric as a blankie all the way from Mildura to Bendigo (that is about four and a half hours drive).

The fabric sat on a shelf in my sewing room for nearly a year. Numerous times Little Monkey walked in, pointed at her fabric and asked for a 'special ice cream dress'. So While she was sleeping I made a new dress for Little Monkey.

I used one of my favourite patterns for this dress - a Petite Fille Style dress pattern from Puperita. The smallest size for this dress is size 3. I knew that dress would be a little roomy before I started sewing. You see, I bought this pattern just before Christmas last year and I didn't want to wait any longer. I just HAD to make this dress for my daughter.

I showed Little Monkey her new dress.
Me, 'Do you like it?'
LM, 'Yes. Where are buttons and pockets?'
Me, 'There are no buttons or pockets on this dress'.
LM, 'Take it off '.

Deja-vu. We have already had this conversation! I remembered I have made something she didn't like because there were no buttons or pockets, I just couldn't remember what it was. As soon as she requested to take the dress off it all came back to me. I was very disappointed that I used Little Monkey's special fabric and made something she didn't like. Once she went to sleep, I thought I could sew a button on the bodice to see if it could make things better. I had nothing to loose.

Please meet a button that made Little Monkey's new dress much more appealing to her!

When I showed Little Monkey the button, she got really excited. She tried to work out how to get it undone and asked for help. I said it was a secret (just another little lie). Before long the dress was on and we were taking photos.