Great Dress Pattern

I am very, very happy with this dress that I completed last night. I originally bought the fabrics to make more of these skirts, since they were such a hit the first time, but then I saw this dress on One Shabby Chick and after about 30 visits back to her blog to look at it again I finally ordered the pattern. I kept going back to it because it looked almost exactly like the shape of this Boden dress (left), which I knew I most certainly was not going to spend 40 dollars on, that I really liked. The versatility of this dress is a definite bonus, it could be worn without a shirt in the summer, with short sleeves now, and soon with long sleeves and tights (and most likely the pink cowgirl boots that come out whenever the tights do). Looking at it this morning, the older child said she still wanted her fabrics to become a new skirt because she likes skirts better, but I think I will still make her one if I can find some pretty mini-whale corduroy and will most likely applique something fantastic on it.

The pattern was very well put together and easy to follow. I love how, thanks largely to blog tutorials, patterns are now evolving into step by step instructions with pictures. There have been so many times I have looked at a "real" pattern and had my eyes completely glaze over while reading all the text and abbreviations and not very helpful line drawings. Now if this visual style could just become popular in the knitting world I might accomplish something more than a scarf!

See those lovely buttons on her shoulder (donated by the very generous Grammy from her large button horde, I mean collection)? Those buttons are evidence of my very first button holes! Did you know that my sewing machine knows how to make button holes like magic?!! It really is quite impressive and now I'm not sure why I have been so afraid of them.