So today I am revealing the first two looks in Savannah’s new semi-handmade spring wardrobe.
Both of these outfits just shout spring to me. One of these outfits was made from a repurposed shirt and the other one was from cotton fabric that I had in my fabric stash made to match a store-bought shirt.
The first dress, what Savannah likes to call her “Beautiful Butterfly Dress,” is made from a terribly stained polo shirt. I really loved the fit of this shirt and I’m not quite sure what spilled all down the front, but it is definitely not wearable anymore……until now…….
This dress took no time at all to make. I simply cut off the shirt and added a skirt with a ribbon tie. I wanted it to be a little more empire waisted, so that is how I based how much of the shirt to cut off (not to mention that I needed to cut off all the stains).
I love that this dressed can be dress-up or down. Here I have Miss S. in the dress with her pink glitter sneakers which are perfect for running around outside. But pair it with some tights, dress shoes and a cardigan and we’ve got a perfect look for Sunday Mass.
I thought this butterfly fabric was just perfect for this little dress. The polo shirt already had a sweet butterfly and the fabric contained just the right shade of pink to compliment the shirt.
I used a gingham ribbon that I happened to have to make the sash for this dress. The yellow was the perfect shade. You could certainly make a sash out of fabric, but this ribbon made very quick work of creating one. I stitched the ribbon to the front of the dress and all the way to the side seams and left it loose in the back.
I think the trim is what makes this dress special and unique. Again, the yellow was just the right shade to match the fabric and the ribbon sash around the waist. I stitched it all the way around the bottom of the skirt piece before attaching the skirt to the shirt.
I actually created this bumble bee skirt to go with a tank top that I purchased from Old Navy. I purchased three of the same solid color tank tops to mix and match with different outfits for Savannah. The rose-ish, pink-ish top that arrived in the mail was a unique color, but I was really excited when I saw that it was just the right match for Sandi Henderson’s “Meadowsweet 2” fabric line.
I made the top of this skirt more narrow and then added a gathered skirt to it. Sometimes I find too much gathering up top makes the skirt look really bulky on a little girl. This skirt is somewhat fitted through the hip and flares out. Perfect for twirling!
I used a woven bumble bee trim around the bottom of the skirt to add a bit of whimsy. Then, rather than do a normal hem, I used fabric to bind the lower edge. Basically this is just like creating double-fold bias tape and attaching it to the bottom. The only difference is that it doesn’t have to be cut on the bias because you aren’t stitching around any curves.
Both of these looks were created just by using my daughters measurements. The first dress was so simple because I just needed to know how long to make the skirt piece. And for the second look, that really was just a basic skirt and you can make that whatever length you like!
So, that’s it for Part 2 of the “Semi-Handmade Wardrobe Series” – I hope you enjoyed it. Get ready because tomorrow I will be revealing some super-cute capris and my cupcake dress. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Lindsay Wilkes is the owner and designer behind The Cottage Mama. She creates timeless, vintage inspired sewing patterns for children’s clothes. She is also a fabric designer for Riley Black Designers / Penny Rose Fabrics, author of the book ‘Sew Classic Clothes for Girls’ and can be seen teaching nationwide and online in her video series ‘Lessons with Lindsay’ sponsored by Baby Lock Sewing and Embroidery machines.
Those are really cute and I love they are easy to make! You make me want to go through my girls clothes & make something new!! It would deff keep my mind off that monday is the day we find out the sex!! aahh! & today is my birthday & there is a present in my garage but I can’t look! aaah I love/hate surprises! lol I can’t wait to see what else you come up with!
Karin Marie :]
babycakesandpeanut.blogspot.com
Hello! I found your blog via Sertyan’s blog. I love your blog and all the projects and tutorials!
Using the shirt to make a dress is a great idea! I love the dress that you made! We get a lot of hand-me-downs from a friend, and so many of them come pre-stained. Not that my daughter won’t stain clothes, but I just don’t like my daughter’s “new” clothes to be stained up already. I’ll have to dig through her shirts and see what I can come up with! Great ideas, and I can’t wait to see what else you are doing as well!
Oh my – I am absolutely IN LOVE with that bumble skirt!!! IN L-O-V-E!!!
Both of these are so adorable! I love all the little details on both outfits.
oh i just love meadowsweet! what a lucky little girl:)
“Sew” cute! I almost bought the same fabric you used on the skirt the other day, but the background was brown. I love it in both colors! You have inspired me to work on some things for my daughters. I haven’t done that in a while!
I absoloutly love your clothes! I get such amazing ideas from your site. All I need is a girl to make some things for. Perhaps my niece will benefit from some creations.
I love making Reese recycled shirt dresses! I used a stain shirt from last year to make a spring/summer dress about a month ago. Reese loves to wear them, and I love that they can be worn with leggings and a cardi when it is cooler. Love the skrit as well!
very cute! I like both of those things! I love the touches with the trims, I really need to start doing that sort of thing.
I totally bought a few plain shirts with the intention of matching them to fabrics and making outfits 🙂
Where did you find the great woven label for your outfits?
Love those!
Oh my gosh, I’m dying over this skirt Lindsay! So pretty! That bumble bee trim is to die for! So adorable and perfect for spring! Thanks for sharing all these awesome tips!
I love how you pair fabrics! so adorable. And I love the meadowsweet! gorgeous fabric!
Yes you have quite a talent for putting different fabrics and trims together.
Two Questions:
What color are your labels they seem to go with everything.
Where do you get your trim?
thanks!
Whether you need it or not, I hope you get a lift out of knowing that after seeing this post, specifically the twirly skirt two mornings ago, I dug through my scraps, sat down at the machine and since then have created about 5 twirly skirts, mostly for my two year old but now have some ready to go (and one finished) for my twelve year old daughter as well. That skirt, with the more fitted, elasticized yoke at the top is the perfect solution! I hate zippers but needed an idea for something easy with elastic. I too think that if you put elastic into the part that is the whole skirt, it is just too much fabric. Once I get pics posted on my blog, I hope I remember to come here and comment again so that you can see them. SO many of my favorite Heather Bailey and Amy Butler scraps went into these skirts, and a trip to Old Navy for simple, plain tshirts for tops yielded just the right colors I needed! Little one now has outfit after outfit of simple twirly skirts with cute t’s to match. I may embellish a little and make some matching hair doodads, but for now, I LOVE the simple outfits. I also really love the binding on the bottoms. I keep coming back to look at the one you made, love the colors, fabric, combination, etc. Thank you for a load of inspiration that really kicked me into gear!
I can read blog after blog and feel the inspiration but not act on it, and then I can see one thing, it clicks… and I have a pile of beautiful something! Thank you!
Christy
So THIS is what you call it! Semi-Handmade!LOL I’ve been doing this for quite some time, and I wasn’t sure what to call it…Upcycled, Recycled, Altered, etc.
I love finding cute pieces of clothing and changing them up a bit to give them a one of kind look! I love your blog, and I’m now a new follower!!!
audrey
Here’s an outfit I did using a new shirt, fabric, and jeans turned to capris.
audrey
I can’t remember how I ended up on your site, but I’m thrilled I did because I LOVE it 😀 So much great inspiration! New follower here!
Shelley
http://www.westermanfam.blogspot.com
Pretty! This was an incredibly wonderful post.
Many thanks for providing these details.