The rainbow Tinny dress

Miss R: Mummy, I love this fabric! Can we buy it?

Me: But it has a lot of triangles on it. You usually like flowers.

Miss R: But I really like it. It is like a rainbow. Can we buy it?

Me: What would you like to use it for?

Miss R: You can make me a rainbow dress.

While she was sleeping, I made a rainbow dress for Miss R using the Tinny dress pattern by StraightGrain patterns. 

Everything you have heard about Tinny is true. It really is a wonderful pattern. One can create numerous different looks by simply mixing and matching various bodice, skirt, sleeve and collar options.

The fabric Miss R chose is very bright and busy so I decided to make a simple bodice with capped sleeves. Simple is best and in this case less is definitely more.

This was my first go at sewing a circle skirt. I heard that hemming circle skirts can be painful. I followed An's suggestions and the result is beautiful. Not one wrinkle. High five me. This is now my preferred type of a skirt. Miss R was very happy with the twirl factor!

I initially wanted to add piping to the neckline and the sleeves but wasn't sure such a small detail would not get lost in the business of the main fabric. I thought that the asymmetrical collar would be the best option to compliment geometric print and break up the business of the fabric.

I wish I had thought about matching the colours of the triangles at the back before I cut the fabric. Oops :)

I made this dress back in January. Every now and then I go through phases when I just want to sew and not worry about blogging. This dress was made during one of such periods. It was just before Miss R started school and I needed to regroup and adjust to the changes my family was going through.

Miss R was anxious about starting school. She loved kinder and her kinder teachers. She didn't want to go to school. Miss R is not always coping with a change well. She needs time and opportunity to step back and observe her new surroundings from a distance, to soak things in before she is comfortable to join in.

I am pleased with how well she is adjusting and how much she is learning! Hearing her read is the best thing in the world. In Australian schools children have 'readers' that they take home every day. Readers are small books that contain little text consisting of repetitive words accompanied by pictures. While we have fun with 'readers' the best thing is reading her usual books together! She reads the words she knows and my husband or I read the rest. This means reading a story takes longer, but I believe this is the best way to practice reading for her. Believe it or not, Miss R came up with this idea.

Miss R loved her Tinny dress. It is now too cold to wear this dress and I am sure it will be too small by next spring. Well, I will just have to make her another twirly Tinny :)