A few weeks before her birthday, Larkspur asked me if she would have a birthday dress this year. I asked her, “A birthday dress that you can buy at a store, or a birthday dress that I make?” I confess that I was sort of hoping she would say that she wanted store bought. Most of my recent sewing projects have turned out poorly. But of course her answer was, “A birthday dress that you make.” Okay then. She also specified the fabric that I should make it out of, some that she picked out last year, but was never transformed into a dress as she had hoped. The fabric was red with small pink flowers (it’s Sarah Jane-wallpaper flowers) and while it was cute, I was having a hard time envisioning a dress made of it entirely. I wasn’t enthused. A few days passed. Then one evening I picked up a small cut of Anna Maria Horner fabric from her Innocent Crush collection, and realized that it coordinated with the print that Larkspur had chosen. She wouldn’t mind if I used it too, I thought to myself. Remembering Anna Maria’s Needleworks Sampler set that I received as a gift from a friend, I started getting excited. A plan began to form, and I found myself cross stitching a simple pattern that I made up on linen ribbon that came with my gift. The perfect colors of matching floss were there in the set, and it just came together perfectly. Larkspur watched me stitching on that ribbon for a week, wondering what it was for. I shrugged that I wasn’t sure. She had no idea that it would end up on her dress, although she mentioned lots of times that if I didn’t know what to do with it, she thought I should give it to her when I finished because she thought it was so pretty. I finished her dress a day or so before her birthday and had her try it on. There was a white linen sash, but I hadn’t sewn the cross stitched ribbon on yet. Larkspur knew that there was something missing, because I had told her there would be a “final touch” added that would be a surprise, but for some reason it didn’t occur to her that it was the ribbon I had been cross stitching on! On her birthday morning when Jonny carried the dress in for Larkspur to see, her face lit up with the biggest smile. I had spent the previous night after she was in bed, hand sewing that linen ribbon to the sash of her dress. She loves it, and I’m just glad that I was able to create something that is her style. Sometimes that is hard for me, because my own style is so different (picture lots of plain gray and brown rather than ruffled red and pink.) As far as the pattern for the dress itself goes, I made the simple peasant bodice and the sash using Sandi Henderson’s Claire pattern, which is a go-to for me. Unfortunately that pattern isn’t available anymore. You could substitute any peasant type bodice, and then add a simple gathered skirt and sash. I didn’t use a pattern for the skirt or ruffle. My only complaint about the finished dress is the length. I would have made it longer had my cut of Innocent Crush fabric been bigger. I’m not really complaining though, because Larkspur likes it! This will double as her Easter dress, so I’m pretty happy about that.
More birthday details tomorrow!
Melissa says
Absolutely Perfect! Wonderful job on the dress!
Tirza says
Cutest dress ever!!!!!
Summer says
ohmygoodness! What a darling, beautiful dress! Happy Birthday to Larkspur! What a wonderful present!
Sylvia says
So creative you are. The dress is beautiful. I love it and so would my 6 year old granddaughter.
Jo M says
Lovely dress! The cross stitching makes it all the more special!
Elizabeth says
Stunning!!!
Tracy says
I don’t comment often but today I had to. That dress is so amazingly beautiful. You are very talented.
What a great present for her.
Skye says
What a gorgeous dress. The cross stitch just makes it that much more sweet!
Grace says
It’s so perfectly lovely, and better even that she lives it so much. The sash turned out perfectly and I actually like the length!
Krista says
That is an absolutely beautiful dress! The first thing I noticed about it was the beautiful cross stitched ribbon.
Sarah @ Chantille Fleur says
The dress is beautiful Ginny! Your did such a lovely job of it 🙂
Brenda from Dwyer's Farmhouse says
That dress is SO sweet! Great job!
Kim says
It’s beautiful!
michele says
How lovely!
tara says
Oh wow! That is so pretty. And I love the ribbon! She is so lucky to have a mom like you! It turned out beautifully!
Laura says
Beautiful dress!!!! Too bad I only have boys… Happy birthday Larkspur!
Anna says
PS- Happy Birthday sweet girl!
Peggy says
I hope she feels as beautiful as she looks! Happy birthday, sweetie!
Anna says
That dress is so beautiful! I love red. You mentioned the length, from seeing the photos it looks like you have a decent hem on it. If you want to add just let the hem out and do a rolled hem. You just fold and press up 1/4 in twice to close the selvedge in. Another idea would be an edging that my serger does. I don’t know if you have a friend with a serger, if so you could ask them to do a serger rolled hem for you. ( I have the same Anna Maria Horner fabric in another color way favorited)
Trista says
It’s lovely!! She is so lovely too!!
eve says
Wow, that is breath-taking! Good job!
Olivia says
It’s adorable! And so graceful an cheerful. What a special dress. Someday maybe Larkspur can make a dress for her own daughter and find a place to put that hand embroidered sash.
Wendy N says
It is absolutely gorgeous!! What a special Birthday girl and so pretty in her beautiful new dress!!
Sarah says
What a fun twirly dress. I recently made a dress for my little girl with the same fabric–but without the twirl to my daughters dismay. Larkspur seems to love it.
Karin-Ida says
Dear Ginny,
What a wonderful dress!
She seems so lucky in it!
I admire your work often, and your ability to create so many beautiful things for your children!
Linda says
What a beautiful story! Larkspur is beautiful as is her dress and the pictures. What a lucky girl. This is the one place that I can come and read something that doesn’t make me sad or upset with the world.
jane@flightplatformliving says
thats one beautiful dress! both my girls would love that x
a little crafty nest says
Ginny, this dress is every little girl’s dream! At least, my four year old’s dream!!! And I admit that my foresty, natural colour pallette has given way to more pinks (earthy pinks) since I have a daughter. But this dress is gorgeous…well done, mama! Now, what will Bea think?
xo Jules
Marie says
That dress is unbelievable! I wish I had a grown-up version. If Anthropologie had a children’s line, I could see them selling dresses like this. I love the detail in the sash. Beautiful, beautiful work!
Lara says
Just beautiful! This is a dress she will always remember!
Elizabeth says
I love it! the swish of the skirt, the sash, everything! what a wonderful birthday gift and future Easter dress!! love the photos as well 🙂 Yay!!
Cary says
Oh Ginny!!!! It is absolutely beautiful!!!!
Meryl says
Super cute–and what a fun surprise at the end!
Suzanne says
How darling, Ginny! I love the folksy look it evokes:-)
Erin says
Love it! I think the length is perfect. I find dresses that you have to lift while walking up stairs annoying.
Teresa says
What a beautiful dress! What an amazing mom you are! My mom” started” many dresses for me. Lol
amy says
It’s a beautiful dress. I love the added cross-stitched ribbon to the sash. Did you launder the cross-stitched ribbon before adding it to the dress? I ask because I’m trying to figure out whether or not to do so with something I’m working on that will later (hopefully) be part of a quilted blanket I’m making and will surely be washed and dried.
susanne evangelista says
I love this! what a beautiful dress. my mom always made me dresses for special occasions, and it was always exciting to watch them take shape.
you are always so sweet and thoughtful with your children. it’s inspiring. 🙂
Wendy Lister says
So much serendipitous goodness. The dress is beautiful – I love it when a project that you invest so much time in turns out so wonderfully perfect!
Wanda says
I love the dress! And I move that your girls always look like girls! When my 4 daughters were small I smocked everything they wore! Now my granddaughters wear them!
I love your blog and have spent hours reading through the archives. Being a knitter, I am loving the posts about your projects!
Wanda says
That should be”love” not move! Sorry!
Lisa G. says
That is a great dress! A wonderful inspiration.
Andee says
What a beautiful birthday dress and birthday girl!
Sarah says
So pretty!! I love your creative process with combining the cross stitched ribbon to the dress! It’s sure to be A keepsake!
Lorie says
That’s a pretty dress. And Larkspur looks adorable.
anne says
the colors!!!! the sash!!!! adorable. great job.
Marta says
It is sooooo beautiful!!!!!!!!! Just love it!
Heather says
Oh, Ginny, it is truly wonderful. My newly 8 yr old would love it.
AmyJ says
It’s just lovely! It reminds me of the Miss Madeline pattern (with an added hem ruffle), which I’ve used many times and really enjoyed.
http://www.youcanmakethis.com/products/clothing-creation/miss-madeline-peasant-dress-sizes-5-10-years.htm
Ginny says
That looks great! I will recommend that one to anyone who asks!
Dawn says
I love that pattern Amy!
Debi Miller says
So pretty! Happy Birthday, Larkspur!
Micaela says
Oh my gosh! It is perfect! What perfectly complimentary fabrics and the ribbon you cross stitched is perfect too!