An End-Of-Summer/Back-To-School Tea Party

So, continuing on with the "Make It While It Fits" challenge, I decided to make a Tea Party dress for my daughter for her first day back to preschool.  While I long for turtle neck jerseys, and wide wale corduroy pants with a blazer, it's not realistic around here as it's typically still really summer temperatures here for a very long time. 

Going along with the ideas in the Oliver + S forums with people giving their thoughts on how to get their children to actually wear the clothes they make, I decided to let Julia select the fabric.  Well, this is what she chose:

It's kinda screaming.  I won't lose her in a crowd.  It's definitely suited to her personality.  She immediately chose to wear it, and asked to go to the beach.  Success! 

I made a 4T, thinking that she could wear it for maybe this month, then I would put it away for the spring.  She's got room in it (she's still only 2) but the length works for right now just fine.

I love the pattern, but had a bit of a glitch when I was finishing the seam allowance between the bodice and the skirt, and my serger bit into the piping.  I really need to go un-pick it and re-do it, because there's a little spot that's making me crazy where the piping is uneven.

The fabric is a Robert Kaufman cotton, from Amy Schimler's Fly Away line.  It has a coordinating stripe, which I was originally going to use on the bodice, but that was really too much, even for me.  I used the stripe for the lining and the adorable hem facing.  The bodice is actually pink very soft corduroy that I know I made my older daughter some pants with probably when she was 6....and she's now 22.....

I added covered buttons with the lime green in the fabric.  I used to use covered buttons all the time - I should use them more, cause I really like the look.

So, quite the success - another pattern that I know now what to expect from....next time, I might actually trace out the size 3 and add a bit more length than the 4....

So, back to school and back to work.