Zooeee Mama! What a week! My sister asked me to sew her prom dress, and so she and my other sister and mom came down on Monday and we chose fabric and a design. So that’s what’s been keeping my busy hands occupied these last couple of evenings. They’re coming back tomorrow to pick it up, so I’m going to have to really get my sew on today. Also I’ve been working on a tutorial/guest post for DIY Maternity, which I’m really excited about. More on that soon.
Meanwhile, want to hear about my vision? We’ve never really gotten family photos before. I’m just not one of those women who can make it happen every year, and actually, I’ve NEVER made it happen. My hubby and I just celebrated our 5 year anniversary yesterday (Happy St. Patrick’s Day, btw), and it’s pretty tragic that with two almost three kids we don’t have a family photo. Ok well, a legit family photo with a legit photographer anyway.
So here’s my vision: I found this little suit pattern thrifting the other day, and decided it was high time I made something handsome for my almost two-year-old heart throb. I found a nice sturdy light blue pinstripe for it, and have been working on it between projects for a couple weeks.
It’s so sharp, right? I just think like he’ll look like a little Dick Van Dyke or something. So as I’m sewing this it occurs to me that this can be a little Easter suit! Sewing for Holidays just doesn’t usually occur to me, so I’m pretty stoked that it’s come to me with enough time to execute. And if I make something for boy, I have to make something for girl too. A few days after my revelation I was again thrifting and came across this little 50′s party dress, and was enamoured with the idea of such a precious, vintage little duo. Him in light blue, and then make this in a light peachy pink. Why don’t you just kill me?!
So of course at this point I finally turn my thoughts to kiddo number three who will be joining us soon, and then I’m struck with the vision: the whole family dolled up vintage style for a much-needed family photo sometime after baby is here, and mama has her figure back. What a picture, right?? So now I just need to find a good pattern for baby girl tribe (I already found a nice buttery yellow fabric for her) and think of SOMETHING that my husband can sport and be happy about (I was thinking of thrifting a sports jacket and then putting patches in at the elbows?)
For me I was thinking of a simple frock in a light sea green. When my sisters and I were looking through patterns for her prom dress, I cam across this, and was kinda doing backflips over it. I just love love LOVE it! And it will need only easy alterations for modesty! Just bring that hem down below my knees, and the back line way up.
I LOVE that little flounce in the back! The only thing is I’m not positive it fulfills the vintage-look required here, so in the end I might do something different. But I will DEFINITELY make this sometime.
So anyways, there it. My vision. Isn’t it lovely? Have any little baby girl dress suggestions? Or maybe something really handsome for my husband? Now I just have like six months or so to twiddle my thumbs and dream!
5 Comments
Suspenders for the husband, methinks. Suspenders and some sort of vintage wool pants. And a hat.
That dress is AMAZING! I LOVE it too!!! So cute. And it totally works with the vintage vibe. Especially if you choose an antiqued color fabric. I have no doubts with you. You amaze me on a regular basis
The other outfits for the kids are adoreable! And adding patches to a cool blazer AWESOME Idea. You teach me SO much. Cant wait to see your family pics taken by a “real legit” photographer. Youre so funny!
The most exciting thing about this post is that I found out your baby is a girl!! Woohoo! Of course, I would say woohoo if it were a boy too.
Anyhow, LOVE the ideas. I am so excited to see it all when it happens. I am sure you will amaze us with your talents and your family will all look smashing!
I love the part about the ‘buttery’ yellow fabric for you darling girl, you’ve got d..d..d..d..rewlable plans cooking. Mim, you’ve inspired me, there you have it, you’ve inspired me. I need a family shoot in vintage glory. Patches on a suit for Allan, awesome. What about a darling little bowtie to match Merritt, or coordinate with him? Will he do suspenders? Can I say Rawl made his own out of yarn after watching: yesterday? Yes, oh so darling!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGglKPqG16s
Yes wait 6 months mainly because I’ve got a 3 month family photo and Hazel looks so….whats the word, Doug says it, oh yes, larva stage!
I can’t wait oh goody goody to see this photo. That dress above modified as you say, I am not so sure I am seeing vintage, but I am saying yes yes to a super cute top. Love the length of it for a top, and it could make a sweet boat neck, boat necks are nice and flattering as well as modest as long as you make it not so wide that you ever have to center it you know. Very cute. Fun bustle in back. Speaking of, Mom sent me the book ‘Amazing but true Mormon stories’, where in I found out Brigham Young designed pants with Eliza Roxcy back in the day. Come to find out they wanted to ‘stabalise’ Mormon fashion, and they made a full skirt that went kneeby ish with woman trousers underneath. I am feeling oh so inspired with my ‘shress’ idea, yes I know you think that word annoying, but you know the shress idea does a couple of things, it says “woman” first and foremost, then it covers, but still flatters, the deriere and sexy areas of a woman. Here’s the photo of the deseret costume as it was called. This shressy top is just the ticket!
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BNcmOyXopYc/TOp8CmPrP7I/AAAAAAAAAXM/m9aXmG0dBfw/s1600/Deseret+Costume.jpg
His daughter called it ‘hideous’ to my mind’s eye ole’ Brigham was thinking 1) modest, (full skirt, and also the pant-bloomers to make gardening etc a breeze. 2) PRACTICAL (far less fabric) 3) unchanging (These confounded women keep wanting new dresses with the styles changing!) ha ha.
Little bit of historical interest…but it got my old fashioned modern mormon mama juices flowing about applying some of the ideas to now. Such as classic styles, practical and modest, and pretty too, as Brigham did also thus say I found, that he didn’t mind women adorning themselves as long as they kept proper priority in it, and also were not dependent on the world about it. And so fashion design in the Mormon world has interesting roots which will flourish today with gals like you~
I love black suspenders!!! Think bow tie & hat barber quartet style. did I ever tell you I got asked to prom by a guy & his friends performing ‘popcorn popping’ barbershop quartet style?! It was awesome!! And if you’re looking for a different project for Josie, I saw a cute dress made out of old teeshirts called business in front, party in back. Google it!