Mina's Easter dress!

Last year I made two Easter dresses for Mina AND a bonnet.  This year I unintentionally kept up the two dress tradition but only one is actually useful.

As with all of my projects I started out with a few sketches.  I had a few ideas that turned into three dress designs.

Then I did what any modern person would do, I posted the picture on Instagram and asked for opinions. The first and third dresses were pretty similar to dresses I had designed in the past.  I think that is why the shirt dress got the most votes.

It had been a little while since I had built something for Mina so I took her measurements and made a sloper.  I'm glad I did because it was kind of messed up.  It really didn't help that she was so wiggly when I was trying to fit her!

I made the pattern, serged the pieces and was feeling pretty good about my progress.

 I felt so good that I put the button holes in and sewed buttons.

 It didn't fit.  The shoulder seams were in the wrong place, the sleeves were oddly tight, the collar wasn't the right size, the skirt wasn't full enough and the lapel wasn't laying flat.  It was not a happy thing to discover on Thursday night.

I had a Stake training for Primary so I held off on the alterations until Friday.  I wanted to sleep on it and decide how to proceed in the morning.  I altered the pattern and cut out the new dress during Mina's nap time.  Some how I had this much done by Friday night:

I waited to open the last button hole until I tried the dress on Mina.  I wasn't sure about the length and I was pretty gun shy after the first disaster.  Luckily it fit and after a very busy Saturday I had it ready before I went to bed.

I even had time to make chocolate covered peanut butter eggs!  

Sure, they aren't pretty but since when does CHOCOLATE need to be overly pretty?

 Easter morning rolled around and Mina seemed pretty happy to find her basket.

I didn't get a decent picture before church so I put a bib on Mina and hoped she would leave it on during nursery.  Imagine my delight when I saw that SHE KEPT IT ON! HER DRESS WAS NOT COVERED IN NURSERY TREATS!

Then it was time to attempt to take a decent picture of Mina in her dress.

She would not hold still.

Or smile.

Or look at me.

 Or hold still.
So, I asked James to entertain her.

She was smiling at James who was playing with her swing.

Our little girl is growing up entirely too fast.